Fresh Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
This is by far one of my absolute favorite appetizers! I started with a recipe inspired by my favorite Thai restaurant, and kept experimenting until I found the perfect combination of ingredients. The result is...glorious! Fresh, flavorful and so healthy! These take a bit more time to prepare and it's worth it. You can make the dipping sauce ahead of time (it keeps for weeks!) and store it in the frig. I also pre-cook the ground chicken/turkey, and keep baggies of it in the freezer to use as I need it. Spring roll papers are usually available at your local supermarket; if not, look for them at Whole Foods or other natural or gourmet stores. If you're missing an ingredient here or there, no worries. Use what you have...just don't scrimp on the meat and the cilantro/basil. These spring rolls are perfect with your favorite martini (and favorite sailing partner!).
Fresh Spring Rolls
Makes 6 appetizers (serves 2 people)
6 spring roll papers
6 lettuce leaves (3 large, cut in half work fine)
1/3# ground chicken or turkey (about a cup), cooked, cooled and seasoned with salt and pepper
1/2 a cucumber, julienne sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 green onions, julienne sliced
small bunch cilantro, chopped
12 basil leaves
6 cooked large shrimp, sliced in half (optional; you can also used cooked, canned salad shrimp)
To soften the spring roll papers, heat water in a teakettle to almost boiling and pour the hot water into a large flat pie pan or other container that will accommodate the size of the papers. Place the paper in the hot water for 5-10 seconds until soft (don't let it sit too long or it will be too soft to work with. If that happens, use 2 papers for each spring roll.). Remove the paper from the hot water and place it on the counter top. Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom edge (6 o'clock). Top the lettuce with a handful of cooked ground chicken/turkey. Top the chicken/turkey with shredded carrots, julienned cucumber, green onion, a handful of cilantro and 2 large basil leaves. Roll from the bottom upward, tucking in the sides as you roll. Before you finish rolling up completely, place 1 cooked, sliced shrimp on the paper. Finish rolling up and place the spring roll on your serving plate. Continue preparing the other 5 spring rolls, dividing up the ingredients evenly. Serve immediately with Marie's sweet chili dipping sauce and of course, Martin Miller martinis!
Marie's Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
This is not the overly sweet chili sauce you find in many restaurants. It's light and spicy with just enough sweetness. Feel free to top with finely chopped peanuts if you like.
(small batch: 3/4 cup) (big batch: 2 cups)
6 TB rice vinegar 1 cup rice vinegar
4 TB water 1/2 C + 1 TB water
1 tsp garlic, minced 3 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili flakes 1 1/2 tsp chili flakes
5 TB sugar scant 2/3 c sugar
1 TB soy sauce 3 TB soy sauce
1 TB fish sauce 3 TB fish sauce
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Cool completely. Store in glass container in the frig for up to a month. (Note, for storage in the ship's galley, you can pour into double layers of ziplock bags. Store in a cool place, frig if possible.)
Fresh Spring Rolls
Makes 6 appetizers (serves 2 people)
6 spring roll papers
6 lettuce leaves (3 large, cut in half work fine)
1/3# ground chicken or turkey (about a cup), cooked, cooled and seasoned with salt and pepper
1/2 a cucumber, julienne sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 green onions, julienne sliced
small bunch cilantro, chopped
12 basil leaves
6 cooked large shrimp, sliced in half (optional; you can also used cooked, canned salad shrimp)
To soften the spring roll papers, heat water in a teakettle to almost boiling and pour the hot water into a large flat pie pan or other container that will accommodate the size of the papers. Place the paper in the hot water for 5-10 seconds until soft (don't let it sit too long or it will be too soft to work with. If that happens, use 2 papers for each spring roll.). Remove the paper from the hot water and place it on the counter top. Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom edge (6 o'clock). Top the lettuce with a handful of cooked ground chicken/turkey. Top the chicken/turkey with shredded carrots, julienned cucumber, green onion, a handful of cilantro and 2 large basil leaves. Roll from the bottom upward, tucking in the sides as you roll. Before you finish rolling up completely, place 1 cooked, sliced shrimp on the paper. Finish rolling up and place the spring roll on your serving plate. Continue preparing the other 5 spring rolls, dividing up the ingredients evenly. Serve immediately with Marie's sweet chili dipping sauce and of course, Martin Miller martinis!
Marie's Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
This is not the overly sweet chili sauce you find in many restaurants. It's light and spicy with just enough sweetness. Feel free to top with finely chopped peanuts if you like.
(small batch: 3/4 cup) (big batch: 2 cups)
6 TB rice vinegar 1 cup rice vinegar
4 TB water 1/2 C + 1 TB water
1 tsp garlic, minced 3 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili flakes 1 1/2 tsp chili flakes
5 TB sugar scant 2/3 c sugar
1 TB soy sauce 3 TB soy sauce
1 TB fish sauce 3 TB fish sauce
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Cool completely. Store in glass container in the frig for up to a month. (Note, for storage in the ship's galley, you can pour into double layers of ziplock bags. Store in a cool place, frig if possible.)
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