spring rolls w/ homemade peanut sauce

My godmother Cathie taught me how to make spring rolls this weekend and gave me some extra spring roll skins to try my own. I decided to make them for Ian for his first day back to Portland! Well, we made them together. Ian is my sous chef. These have rice, veggies and chicken for protein. I think they are about 100-120 calories each, including the peanut sauce.

Chicken, rice and veggie spring rolls

ingredients

Spring roll wrap (rice paper)                                                                             

1 cup of rice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp minced garlic

two 12.5 oz cans of chicken in water

Veggies:

     1 stalk broccoli

     1 cup shredded carrots

     1/2 zucchini, chopped

     3/4 cup red onion, chopped

handful of cashews, chopped

peanut sauce

1/3 cup natural chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup water

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

Tabasco, to taste

how to make:

1. Make your rice. 1 cup rice + 2 cups water on high. Once it starts boiling, turn to simmer and cook until no water remains. 

2. In two separate pans cook your two different fillings:

- one 6 oz. can of chicken in water + 1 stalk broccoli (chopped) + 1 cup shredded carrots (chopped even more)

- one 6 oz. can of chicken in water +  1/2 a zucchini (chopped)  + 1 cup chopped red onion

Cook each of these in separate pans in olive oil, you can also use any veggies that you feel like! In each pan add 1 tbsp minced garlic and other seasonings such as mrs. dash, no-salt seasoning, etc. Cook until veggies are steamed through. Add cashews to the chicken/broccoli/carrot combo.

3. Make your peanut sauce! Put the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds so that it is easy to blend. Put everything in the blender and whip it good!

Once everything is cooked set up your spring roll making station!

Spring Roll making Station

 In a large pan fill with water and put on low to medium heat, once heated, dip your spring roll paper in:

Let your spring roll paper sit in water for about 10 seconds (depending on the temperature of your water) and take out with a spatula or tongs. Wait until paper is soft and foldable.

Lay out your paper so that it is flat on your board and have your sous chef lay on the filling. Fold the long side over, then the two ends and roll up like a burrito.

We also tried some Thai Yellow Curry sauce from Trader Joes and soy sauce along with our homemade peanut sauce. We enjoyed the peanut and curry sauces the best!

This made 13 spring rolls which is 4 Kate-size servings and 3 Ian-size servings. Needless to say we both had leftovers for another meal. However, they are not NEARLY as good the day after as they are fresh so keep that in mind.