Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Goi Cuon)



Spring Rolls


I've always called this Spring Rolls but over at my Facebook Page, someone asked me for Summer Rolls which prompted me to look up the difference.  There's no difference.  Actually, the name "Goi Cuon" directly translates to "Salad Rolls".

So there you have it.  I learn something new everyday.  So on we go with the recipe.

I tried to keep my spring rolls easy by just sticking with shrimps but you can add a variety of things to your spring rolls including pork, beef, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon.  The latter of which is a bit more work to make.  Being a beginner, I want to just start with whatever will be the fastest for me.

Over at my Vietnamese mother-in-law's house, she usually lays out all the ingredients on the dining table so that everybody can roll their own spring rolls.  Sometimes she has those electric grill pans on the table so we can cook the meat right in front of us.  She usually has a variety of shrimps, thinly cut pork or beef and sometimes, even catfish. 

At home, I usually just roll the spring rolls for me and my husband.  I find it's less messy and I usually don't have leftover veggies that end up getting thrown out.

Preparing the Ingredients:

Rice Noodles
If you go through the Asian Markets, they have a wide variety of rice noodles.  I usually pick the fine ones the size of angel hair pasta.  In fact, if you don't have access to rice noodles, feel free to use angel hair pasta.

Rice Paper Sheets
These are the round paper sheets can usually only be found in Asian Markets oftentimes called Spring Roll Skins.

Lettuce
Any lettuce leaf will do but the more tender, the better I think.  If you pick the green leaf lettuce, make sure you remove the thick rib.

Green Onions
When this is served in restaurants, they usually have a long piece of green onion that sticks out on one end.  Aesthetically very pleasing but I don't like it.  It just gets pulled out after the first bite.  I prefer having some in every bite so I recommend, cutting them into lengthwise strips.  I usually just use my hands to rip them into small thin, long strips

Shrimps
To prepare, just saute in butter until pink.

Recipe:  Vietnamese Summer Rolls
1/2 lb thin dried rice noodles
12 round rice paper sheets (8-in diameter)
10 lettuce leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
5 green onions
12 medium shrimps, cooked, peeled and halved lengthwise
Do Chua - Pickled Carrots and Daikon (optional)
Nuoc Mam (Dipping Sauce)

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  Drop the noodles and remove from heat.  Let noodles sit for about 8-10 minutes.  Stir it once in awhile just to prevent it from sticking together and cooking unevenly.
2. After 8-10 minutes, drain and rinse noodles with cold water to stop it from cooking further.
3. To make each roll, submerge rice paper in a pan of water for about 15 seconds to soften the rice paper.
4. Place roll in a large work area and on the bottom third of the rice paper, line up the following (making sure that you get each ingredient on every bite):  noodles, lettuce, mint, cilantro, green onions, do chua (if using) and shrimp.
5. Start rolling until about halfway, fold the sides in to enclose the filling.  Finish rolling.
6. Continue to fill and roll the rest of the rice papers. 

Vietnamese Pork in Cabbage Soup

Canh Cai Bap Nhoi Thit

Until you have found your favorite chicken broth, I would recommend holding off on this recipe.  It is highly dependent on your choice of broth.  Whenever I have to buy broth for my recipes, I usually pick Pacific Organic Free Range Chicken broth.  I just like the taste of it.

Nothing says comfort food quite like chicken soup, right?  On a night like tonight, it hit the spot for me.  I weighed myself this morning to find that I have gained 5 lbs over Thanksgiving.  phew!  I'm trying to stay low calorie until I shed those five pounds.

This recipe is very easy to make and once you get the hang of rolling, it gets even easier.  Make sure you have long enough green onions to tie it up to make the job more manageable

Recipe: Canh Cai Bap Nhoi Thit

5 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp sugar
10 large cabbage leaves
6 green onions
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh cilantro

Preparing the cabbage leaves
Remove the thick rib in the middle separating each cabbage leaf into two.  The size is important.  Make sure that you have pieces big enough to roll the ground pork into.  If you don't have large cabbage leaves, 20 small ones will also do,  make sure to remove the thick rib to make it easier to roll.

Instructions

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring chicken broth, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp sugar to a rolling boil over maintaining a gentle boil.
2. Submerge cabbage leaves into hot soup 2 at a time until they are wilted and pliable but not cooked, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a platter when done.  Plunge the green onioin tops down into the soup for about 5 seconds.   Transfer to a platter.  Remove the soup from the heat and set aside.  Rinse the cabbage leaves and green onion tops in cool water, drain and dry.  Set aside
3. Cut the white part of green onions into small slices.  Combine pork, 1/2 tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 tbsp water, sesame oil, sugar, and 1/4 tsp pepper and the white part of the green onions.
4. Take one of the cabbage leaves and put a heaping tbsp of the pork mixture towards the end.  Roll it like an eggroll.  Tie it up to hold it in place using a green onion.  I usually tear the green onion in half lenghtwise.
5. When all the cabbage rolls are made, return the soup to a rolling boil and carefully lover each cabbage roll into the soup using tongs.  Slowly!  Keep them intact.
6. Cook about 8-10 minutes until the ground pork is doene.
7. Serve into a bowl and top with cilantro.