RECIPE: VIETNAMESE RICE PAPER ROLLS WITH PRAWN FILLING

My favourite snack and great for entrées for dinner party, as an appetiser and for cocktail parties. I also make this for my work lunches - very healthy and nutritious.

Measurements are approximates only – it basically depends on how much of the noodles, herbs or salad you would like to use. You may also use normal (rice) vermicelli instead of the mung bean variety.


Ingredients

60g dried mung bean/glass or rice vermicelli
Dried rice paper wrappers (22cm diameter)
300g cooked prawns
6 to 8 stalks Vietnamese mint – remove stalks and chop the leaves finely
3 sprigs common mint – remove the stalks and chop the leaves finely
6 lettuce leaves – chop fine

Method
Place the vermicelli in a bowl and pour boiling water over the vermicelli. Leave for 3 to 5 minutes till soft, then drain.

Fill a large bowl with hot (not boiling) water. Dip one rice paper into the hot water for few seconds to soften. Lay wrapper flat.

About 3 cm away from the bottom (the end closest to you), place a row of 3 to 4 prawns, a handful of vermicelli, both mints and lettuce, leaving about a gap of 3 cm from the ends uncovered at each side.

Fold the sides first inward, then followed by the bottom closest to you. Roll tightly away from you until the end. Place on a plate and repeat. Serve with RICE PAPER ROLL DIPPING SAUCE.

RECIPE: VG’S FRIED MEATBALLS

Meatballs are handy to have in the freezer. They are good for Spaghetti Bolognese and Meatballs, handy as nibbles when guest turn up unexpectedly or to serve as bites with drinks or to convert into a sweet and sour dish or a plum sauce dish. What I normally do is either make a few batches of the meatballs and freeze them in serve size portions or I buy some ready made flame grilled chicken or beef meatballs (which are available in the frozen food aisle in either Coles or Woolworths).

To make my meatballs I use whatever meat is handy (normally pork or beef) and I usually make about 1 kg worth of mince. The recipe below is for 500g and is enough to serve 5-6 people.

PS: Sorry no picture included as I had actually cooked the meatballs into a dish (MEATBALLS WITH SPICY PLUM SAUCE) before I realised.

Ingredients
500g mince pork/beef
1 leek – white part sliced thickly
½ thumb size ginger – sliced thickly
1/3 cup water
2 eggs – beaten
2 tbsp chinese rice wine or chicken stock
½ tsp salt
1 tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp dark soy sauce – optional (I use this to get a darker colour for the mince)
2 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp chinese sesame oil
Veg oil for deep frying

Method
Simmer the ginger and leek in water for few minutes. Allow to cool and add to the mince. Mix the mince with hands until it forms a smooth paste.

Add in the beaten eggs and rice wine and mix well. Add in the soy sauce, salt and pepper, stirring the mixture in one direction until well blended.

Add the corn flour, mix well and add in the sesame oil. Mix well again.

Heat oil in wok on moderate heat and shape the mince into balls by taking a small quantity of the mixture in one hand and by forming a fist, squeeze the mince through the opening of the index finger and thumb. Fry the meatballs in batches until all the mixture is done.

Heat oil to smoking point and refry half the meatballs until crisp and crunchy (and avoiding burning the meatballs). Repeat the process with the next batch.

Serve with dipping sauces such as soy, chilli or peanut or convert into a main meal such as Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce or try my MEATBALLS WITH SPICY PLUM SAUCE.