Fresh Thai Style Spring Rolls

Ingredients

3 grated carrots
1 red pepper cut into match sticks
1 cucumber peeled and cut into match sticks
Your favourite kind of lettuce
asian rice vermicelli noodles
round rice sheets -(these can be tricky to work with)
cilantro, mint and basil
optional - sweet onion
optional- shrimp

Peanut sauce

1 stick of lemon grass
1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped ginger
a dash of sesame oil
1 cup of water
2/3 cup of hoisin sauce
4 table spoons of good quality peanut butter (a lot of peanut butter has way to much sugar)
- a pinch of sugar if needed
***add more PB if needed***

Directions

1.  Boil water and cook noodles as per package instructions. Cool and set aside.

2. Prepare all the veggies and chop up the herbs. Organize nicely on a plate.

3. Here is the tricky bit!!! This was my first time working with rice paper.  When you first pull out a sheet they are hard and look like plastic! Briefly soak one piece of rice paper and lay on a piece of cloth. It will quickly become soft and get sticky. On one side of the rice paper put the veggies, noodle and herbs.  Then roll it up and put on a plate.  Repeat until the veggies are gone. Set aside.

4. Now you need to make the Peanut sauce.  Oh and make sure you drink some wine to stay hydrated.  You are probably getting tired.  Boil one cup of water. Chop up the lemon grass into one inch pieces and put into the pot.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Use tongs to remove the lemon grass or use a sieve with a bowl underneath to drain the water.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the water at a medium heat.  Whisk until it becomes think. Taste the sauce.  Does it need more PB?  Does it need more hoisin? Use your taste buds to get the desired result.

5. Cut the spring rolls and place them on a plate.  Drizzle some sauce on top.

6. Repeat because your guests will want more!

Any other suggestions for ingredients???