Goi Cuon

 My first post is Vietnamese rice paper rolls "Goi Cuon" from last night.   This is a perfect fresh and light supper menu when you are eating a little late and don't want anything greasy.   As my husband sometimes comes home late, a dish that can sit on a table for a while like this is totally stress-free.

I made two kinds: shrimp and prosciutto&feta cheese.  The beauty of Goi Cuon is that you can be creative with ingredients using anything you like, ex. salmon&cream cheese, avocado&shrimp, tuna, pork, carrots and etc.!  I made it simple just with lettuce and cilantro to lower the cost but authentic version needs at least garlic chives, vermicelli, bean sprout and Thai basil with pork and shrimp, I would say.   

-Feb. 4 grocery shopping  €17.53 /  €163.61 left  

Ingredients (for 2) 

rice paper                              10-15 sheets
lettuce(iceberg or romaine)     about half a head
paper-thin sliced pork             100 grams/3.5oz
shrimp(frozen/without shell)   15-20 heads
vermicelli                               150 grams/5.3oz(cooked)
cilantro                                  2-3 stalks
garlic chives                           2-3 stalks
bean sprout                            100 grams/3.5oz
Thai basil                                2-3 stalks

fish sauce&sweet chili sauce to taste

Directions

1. Soften vermicelli in hot water for 10 min., drain and cut them in about 4-5cm/2". Run hot water above bean sprout.  Cook pork slices in boiling water for 3-4min. and drain.  Boil the shrimp and slice them in half so one piece is not too thick.  Roughly chop the lettuce, cilantro, garlic chives and Thai basil.
       
2. Soak the rice paper in a place with water and spread it on a cutting board or a plate*.  Place all the ingredients except for shrimp and pork near the bottom, leaving about 3-4cm/1.5" space on the sides.  Line shrimp (colored side down) and pork over shrimp at 5cm/2" from the top.  

3. Fold the both sides and roll very very tight**. 

4. Cut the rolls in half (diagonally) if you like and dip it in sweet chili sauce or fish sauce (Nuoc Mam) to taste!

tips!!
*Don't soak rice paper more than 20 seconds.  It doesn't have to be completely soft and it's enough if you can bend it because it will get softer and softer as you work with it. 
**You can sort of squeeze the rice paper and ingredients together towards your body when rolling to roll very tight.

Enjoy!!!