Salad Rolls

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound rice stick noodles
• 1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
• 1 package Vietnamese rice sheets
• Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Place rice noodles in a large pot of boiling water, stir. Add shrimp. Cook until noodles are al dente and shrimp is just cooked, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Lift out the shrimp, set aside to cool. Drain and rinse noodles.

When shrimp is cool enough to handle, cut into small pieces. Place in a non-reactive salad bowl with noodles, carrots, cabbage, basil and cilantro. Toss to combine.

To prepare rice paper wrappers: Fill a large pan or bowl with hot tap water. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into water, lift out, and drain briefly. Set on a flat surface.

To assemble salad rolls: Place 1/2 cup filling in the center of each wrapper. To roll salad rolls, think diapering a baby the old fashioned way - with cloth diapers minus the diaper pins! Pressing down on filling, fold the bottom of each wrapper over filling, then fold in sides; roll tightly. Press edges to seal; if rice paper is too dry to form a proper seal, moisten unsealed edges with a little water. Set rolls on a platter and cover with a damp towel.

To serve, cut rolls crosswise in 1/2; stand pieces upright. Dip in Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce.

Ginger Lime Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup fish sauce

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese chili paste

1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped basil leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped mint leaves

Whisk together all ingredients in small non-reactive bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings.