Perhaps it’s by birth that I’m so addicted to fresh spring rolls. I can’t negate the fact that I was bred on a diet of rice and noodle dishes, so anything with Vietnamese or Asian flavors always sounds appealing. But if I could name one Vietnamese dish that I have at least three or four times a week, spring rolls are the front and center.
My love for spring rolls goes beyond the traditional pork & shrimp rolls that you would find on most Vietnamese restaurant menus. I call those rolls the traditional rolls and also, the default rolls. Those are the rolls that most Viet restaurant cooks will offer, assuming that is the only way consumers are comfortable eating spring rolls. Well, if you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you’ll know that I love going beyond tradition and making my own versions with different fillings from leftovers.
I’ve been known to break many traditional Vietnamese food rules and make a bacon, lettuce and tomato spring roll. I wrote about it previously and publicly apologized to my Mom. Sorry, Mom!
Now guess what? I’m back again to stir up some more trouble and tell you to forget the rolls and serve them up as little mini bites! like Sushi cut rolls! Oy, I can hear my mom rolling her eyes again and wondering how she raised a daughter to be so rebellious in the kitchen. Again, sorry Mom!
So here I go with some bits of party planning wisdom with spring rolls in mind. Yes, Todd and I have had many, many spring roll feasts in our garden and back yard where everyone gets to roll their own rolls. For these dinners, those spring rolls are the main entree. But what if you want to serve them up as appetizers instead?
Well, let’s take the spring roll to the next level and cut them into bite sized pieces as appetizers, or “tapas” style of eating spring rolls. Serving the rolls this way is so fun and allows you to make different types of rolls for a beautiful party platter. It’s one of those dishes that will make everyone drool over because they’re so cute. And it’s also the type of dish that can easily serve different types of eaters, from vegetarian, to vegan, to gluten free and so forth.
You can decide what fillings you want to add, roll them up and cut them into bite sized pieces for everyone to enjoy. In fact, rolling out ten rolls and cutting them into five pieces each makes a platter of fifty little bites. That’s enough for everyone to have two or three, then move on to the next dish.
For your next gathering, potluck or Summer bbq, whip up a platter of these and you’ll be the talk of the party. Here are some spring roll recipes and ideas that I’ve previously shared along with some great ones from other spring roll lovers:
Happy Bites to you!
-diane
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