Fresh Green Rolls with Two Sauces
Do you enjoy Asian food? It’s one of my favorite cuisines as I find all the flavors so fresh and delicious. I ordered a duck entrée once that was accompanied by a fresh roll wrapped in a collard green leaf rather than a rice wrapper, and filled with vegetables only, and no rice noodles. A GREEN fresh roll! Brilliant! So I went home to recreate it, of course. This recipe is the result of my experimenting.
PREP TIME: 30 minutes | COOK TIME: 3 minutes | SERVINGS: 10-12 rolls
Ingredients for Peanut (or almond) Sauce:
- ¼ cup almond or peanut butter, if you're not concerned about allergies
- 1 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce (you can find gluten-free but not soy-free versions)
- 2 tsp. coconut aminos or tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp. warm water as needed to thin the sauce
Mix everything together and stir till smooth.
Ingredients for Vinegar Dipping Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp. coconut palm sugar
- 2 tsp. water
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. chili sauce
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. carrot, finely shredded
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Mix everything together and stir until smooth.
Ingredients for Green Fresh Rolls:
- 1 bunch collard greens,10-12 leaves
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
- 1 large cucumber, julienned
- ½ of a red pepper, julienned
- 1 avocado sliced (optional)
- fresh cilantro, mint, and basil (any one or combination of these)
- 20 medium cooked shrimp cooled, peeled, and sliced in half lengthwise (or salad shrimp)
Method:
Prepare the dipping sauces as instructed above.
Cut any long stems off the collard greens. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While it comes to a boil, prepare a large bowl with cold water and plenty of ice. Add the greens to the boiling water and leave them in the water for three minutes. Immediately plunge them into ice water and leave them for three minutes. Lay paper towels or dish towels out and place each leaf flat on the towels. Put another towel on top and press carefully to dry the leaves.
Lay a single collard green leaf on your workspace and place a few sticks of carrots, cucumber, red pepper, and avocado (if using) in the middle of the leaf. Sprinkle on the herbs, then arrange the shrimp on top. Be careful not to be too greedy with the amounts because you want to be able to roll the leaf without it bursting!
Starting at the root end of the leaf, fold it up over the filling. Then fold one side in, then the opposite side, and keep rolling tightly, tucking in the filling as you go.
Cut in half, arrange on a serving plate, and serve with the dipping sauces.
Bon Appétit!
Tammy Circeo, Freelance Recipe Writer
www.tammycirceo.com | IG: @cheznous_tammycirceo | FB: TammyCirceoChezNous