Spring Rolls

Looking for something satisfying and full of flavor, but also nutritious and healthy? Very often the flavors of Asia tik all of these boxes, especially foods from South East Asian countries like Thailand, and Vietnam.

Spring rolls, and the many variations on them, are inexpensive, packed with flavor, and are fun to eat. With swimsuit season here, let us help you, help yourself by creating a batch of easy-to-eat, and very healthy, Get Cheffy spring rolls below.

FOR THE SPRING ROLL MEAT:

• 2 Pounds Ground Turkey Chicken, Beef, or Pork
  • We use ground turkey but beef, pork, chicken, or tofu can also be used.
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons table salt
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Coriander
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Dried Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tablespoons Sriracha
• 2 Teaspoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
  • Apple Cider and White Wine Vinegar work as well.
• 1 Tablespoons Soy

FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE:

• 2 Tablespoons smooth Peanut Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
  • Rice Wine Vinegar and Sherry Vinegar can also be used here.
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Honey
• 2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Grated Fresh Ginger
• 1 Teaspoon Sriracha

FOR THE GARNISH:

• 1 Large Carrot- peeled into strips
  • Simply use your vegetable peeler to get the outer layer off the carrot. Discard the outer layer, and then continue peeling the carrot into strips to use as a garnish.
• 1 Cucumber- cut into strips
  • If you use a seedless cucumber, sometimes called an “english cucumber” or “hothouse” cucumber, there is no need to peel it; if you use a conventional cucumber, peel the outer layer off beforehand and Hothouse Cucumbers
• Scallion Greens
• Cilantro
• Mint (optional)

1. Begin by making your peanut dressing; combine all of your ingredients in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Taste for any adjustments, adding additional ginger, Sriracha, vinegar, or soy until you have something you’re happy with. Set aside.
2. To make your filling, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil and ground meat in a large skillet over high heat. Break up your ground meat with a large spoon as it starts to brown. Add your salt, coriander, garlic powder, and onion powder and continue to cook over high heat. Continually break down the meat into smaller pieces as it browns (you want a “sloppy joe” texture; no pieces bigger in diameter than a quarter). After 7-10 minutes over high heat, drain off any excess fat that you may have in your pan, and add your sriracha and honey and continue to cook over high heat for another 2-3 minutes. Once your meat is thoroughly cooked with browned/caramelized bits appearing in your pan, lower your heat, and add your vinegar and soy sauce. Stir to combine, and deglaze your pan for another 1-2 minutes. Taste your mixture at this point and make your adjustments as follows (if it’s under seasoned, add more salt or soy….if it’s not hot enough, add more sriracha……if it’s not sweet enough, add more honey……if it tastes “flat” add additional vinegar). Once you’ve gotten your mixture where you want it, turn your heat off, and set your meat aside.
3. At this stage, it’s an assembly job. These spring rolls look their best when you fill a platter full of the garnishes, meat, sauce and wraps. Friends can build their own how they like omitting any garnish they don’t care for and adding additional hot sauce, peanut sauce, or anything else they like. If using corn tortillas, microwave the tortillas for 30-60 seconds to loosen them. Bon appetit!

GET CHEFFY TIP!– “where’s your spring roll wrappers?”. Candidly, we’re not crazy about the translucent gelatinous rice-paper that are traditional to many types of spring rolls. Always available, and always economical, plain corn tortillas are our go-to, but you can experiment with any wrap/wrapper you like. Wanna be really traditional?……use a large piece of lettuce for your wrap and add a spoonful of cooked rice.