Vietnamese Summer Rolls — the recipe.

This is not a quick and easy recipe, but the results are worth the effort.  Takes about 1 hr.

You can find the pics of this dish and all ingredients here.

8-10 dried Huagu mushrooms (a variety of shitake with striations on its cap — see photos at above link)

2 pearls of garlic, minced

1 tbs. minced onion

2 tbs. nutritional yeast

4 tbs. Maggi seasoning sauce

1 tbs. Soy Garden buttery spread

1/2 c. water

1/2 c.  of cinnamon basil leaves (ram que), finely chopped

8 sprigs of cumin (ngo om), finely chopped

1/2 c. of fishy chick leaves (rau vap ca), finely chopped

1/2 c. of lady thumbs leaves (rau ram), finely chopped

1/2 c. of spearmint leaves (hung mi), finely chopped

20  12-inch rice paper spring roll wrappers

Place dried mushrooms in covered pot with just enough for all of them to begin to float.  Add 1/2 of minced onion, 1 tbs. nutritional yeast, and 2 tbs. Maggi seasoning sauce.  Lightly stir and set to boil at medium heat until mushrooms are hydrated (when the caps feel meaty when poked with a fork).  Take out the individual mushrooms, and allow to cool on cutting board.  Remove stems and dice caps.  (I save the liquid since it makes a great base for later dishes.  Be imaginative).

While mushrooms are rehydrating, take thawed tofu and squeeze out as much water from tofu cake  as possible without crushing it.   Cut into 1/4 cubes.  Mix 2 tbs. Maggi seasoning sauce, garlic and remainder of minced onion, 2 tbs. nutritional yeast, Soy Garden buttery spread, and 1/2 c. water.  Heat to soft boil, remove from heat, stir, add cubed tofu, marinating until mushrooms are diced.  Drain off liquid and save, if you like, for later dishes.  Add tofu cubes with mushroom pieces and toss together well.  If you decide to also use mock duck or braised gluten, you may want to pan sear them first.   Place prepared ingredients aside in suitable bowl.

Prepare and combine the first five (5) ingredients, tossing together thoroughly in suitable bowl.  Clear and wipe cutting board.

Choose a saucepan large enough to hold the spring roll wrappers and fill to about 1/2-depth with water.  Heat until water is close to 140F, maintaining this temperature at the lowest suitable heat setting.  Place the wrappers into the water two at a time, one over the other, as they are quite thin an fragile once rehydrated.  They become soft enough for use in about 20-30 seconds.  Lightly pick both wrappers together and hold above saucepan, allowing excess water to drip off.

Place wrappers one over the other on cutting board,  making a horizontal line of 2 tbs. of minced herbs and 2 tbs. (heaping) of tofu or tofu/gluten mix, roll up like a small burrito.

Peanut sauce:

1/4 c. natural, unprocessed peanut butter

1/4 c. crushed dry roasted peanuts

1 clove of garlic, well smashed

2 tbs. hoisin sauce

1 tbs. unrefined/raw sugar

1 tsp. Maggi seasoning sauce

1 tsp. chili-garlic paste

Juice from one lime

2-3 tbs. of water

Mix all above ingredients together except water to make a thick sauce, adding water to bring it to the consistency of  slightly warm honey.  Use spoon to add a little to each bite.  Enjoy.

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