Fresh rolls are delicious and healthy. Did I mention they also look super impressive with minimal effort required? Bonus!

Whether you are entertaining or just need a quick meal idea, fresh rolls are a simple option that can be easily accustomed to appease any palette or that particularly picky eater! Do you have leftover veggies in the fridge? A rotisserie chicken? I like to keep a roasted chicken from the deli in the fridge for snacking on. Those pre-roasted rotisserie chickens can be awesome! Just carve it up and use it in a fresh roll to put an exciting spin on leftovers!

Recently, I had a group of friends over for cocktails and nibbles. In an effort to not over-complicate entertaining (Ha. I wish!) I rushed out and bought several boxes of beautiful puff-pastries and savoury mini quiches (As a celiac, I obviously can’t eat any of these treats but sometimes I like to live vicariously through others). In the last minutes before my company arrived, I decided to make some fresh rolls so I would have something to snack on.  After placing all the goodies out on the kitchen counter, I was surprised to see that the plate of fresh rolls had been devoured.  Apparently these were a success and stood out more than the traditional hors d’oeuvres. So from now on, it’s fresh all the way!

Fresh rolls are also a fun way to get children interested in cooking. Try putting out all the ingredients your family loves on the table buffet-style so everyone has the chance to create their own personalized roll. As a teacher, I always try to sneak in lessons which allow my students the opportunity to cook or bake. Suddenly a lesson on measurement or procedural writing becomes much more meaningful when a student can see how these skills can actually be applied to real life things such as cooking.

So whether you’re having a night in by yourself, with your family or entertaining guests, give this simple fresh rolls recipe a shot.

Smoked Salmon,  Avocado &  Mango Fresh Rolls

Prep Time: 15 minutes     Yields: 15 plus rolls (whole)     Author: Milk & Marigolds

Ingredients:
1 package of rice-paper wraps
1 package of thin rice vermicelli noodles
2 ripe avocados, sliced into thick strips
1 ripe mango, sliced into thick strips
1 english cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1 small package of smoked salmon
1 bunch of fresh cilantro

Alternative fillings:
shrimp, crab meat, sliced steak, chicken, pork, or tofu.
sprouts, green beans, shredded carrot or beets

Dips:
Gluten-free hoisin or soy sauce
Sriracha hot sauce

Instructions:
1. Prepare the fillings and set aside.
2. In a large pot, boil water for the rice noodles. Please note that the noodles only need a few minutes to cook. Stir often, drain and set aside. Use only half of the package if preparing rolls for a
small group of less than four.
3. Follow instructions provided on the package for the rice-paper sheets. Try not to allow the papers to become too soft (occurs when soaked too long) to prevent them from ripping or splitting when
wrapping.
4. Place about an inch-diameter thickness amount of noodles down the centre of the soaked, prepared rice paper. Place the other ingredients in the same manner. Tightly wrap the roll following the steps provided on the packaging. I find they roll-up best on a smooth surface and when they are rolled right away to prevent the rice-paper from drying out or sticking. Don’t fret if this first (or second) attempt doesn’t work out, you’ll soon get ahold of it! You want to make sure it’s tightly and firmly wrapped.
5. Moisten the blade of a knife so it can cut through the roll smoothly. The rolls can be cut into two or three pieces or kept whole if you prefer.
6. Place your amazing fresh rolls on a bed of spring mix or cilantro and serve with dipping sauces.

Tips:
Fresh rolls are best when they are eaten right away but there are a few tricks to keep them fresh over night if you have leftovers. I cover them tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap a slightly damp tea towel around them. This should keep the rice wrap or noodles from hardening for about 24 hours. Focus on only working with one rice-paper sheet at a time.

Copyright © 2014 . Milk and Marigolds