Fresh Spring Rolls

Ingredients

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts 1 package

(breast tenders with tendon removed work best)

Lemon grass, sliced ½ a stem (1 Tbsp.)

Garlic cloves 2-3 each

Salt 1/4 tsp.

Black pepper pinch

Vegetable oil 1 Tbsp.

Lime juice 1/2 Tbsp.

Ingredients for assembly:

Rice paper for spring rolls 1 package

Baby spinach 1 package

Basil 30 leaves

Shrimp, cooked, peeled and devained 1-2 pounds

Cilantro leaves (coriander) 1 bunch

Shredded chicken prepared from above

optional:

finely shredded carrot

finely shredded purple cabbage

thin rice noodles

Procedure

Preparation:

1. Prick the chicken all over with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate.
2. To make the marinade, process the lemon grass, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor, adding just a little of the oil to make a smooth paste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the remaining oil and lime juice.
3. Coat the chicken all over with the paste. Place in a baking dish and put in a preheated 350ºF (180ºC) oven. Bake about 15-20 minutes or until completely cooked.
4. Allow to cool and shred the flesh by hand. You may do this a day ahead of time.
5. Make sure you allow the chicken to come to room temperature before assembling the spring rolls.

Assembly:

1. Put a square of plastic wrap down. Fill a bowl with warm water large enough to soak the rice papers in. Set up all the assembly ingredients around plastic wrap.
2. Soak 2 rice papers in the warm water for a few minutes and then take them out gently laying them overlapping on the plastic wrap.
3. Place in a line (3-4) shrimp slightly overlapping, then 5-6 leaves of spinach, a few cilantro leaves(to taste because cilantro flavor can be strong), 1-2 basil leaves and shredded chicken in the middle of the overlapped rice paper.
4. Gently using the plastic wrap roll similar to a burrito.
5. At this time you may wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for dinner. Only assemble in the morning for the evening. Spring rolls should be eaten within 24 hours of preparation.
6. Make sure to pull out of the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before serving. They should be at room temperature for serving.
7. Serve with the dipping sauce. The recipe is below.

Dipping Sauce Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients except the lime juice.
2. Add the lime juice to your taste at the end.
3. This should be made at least 24 hours in advance to combine the flavors.

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce:

Soy Sauce ¼ cup

Garlic clove, minced 1 each

Sugar 1 teaspoon

Pepper ¼ teaspoon

Thai red chili, minced 1 each

Peanuts, finely chopped (optional) 1 Tablespoon

Lime juice ½ to 1 lime

(you can substitute Thai Chili Sauce for the peppers and sugar, and it is nice to finely chop some green onion for the sauce))