(Just in time for) Summer Rolls

Quick! Stop everything you are doing and go outside. The summer is officially here in Manchester, and I would bet you my entire £2-coin jar that it won’t stick around for too long! So hopefully you’ve managed to make the most of some of this glorious sunshine between work, lectures and/or whatever other busy & important to-do’s there are on the list this week!

Something about the nicer weather can really help to inspire you to be more active and feel a little healthier. These gorgeous summer rolls are so light and fresh – and absolutely packed with flavour. The best part is that you can recreate them so easily, using either a supermarket bought kit or simply just a combination of your own fave ingredients. I opted for a kit and added in a few of my own preferences, some cucumber and carrot for crunch, some sweet-chilli sauce to dip, and some juicy king prawns. Pack yours with plenty of veggies & protein for  a really tasty, nutritious and light meal – that won’t leave you feeling a million miles away from that summer-body. I’ll be posting a few more sunshine-inspired recipes soon – like my absolute favourite Coronation & Sweetcorn Chicken, the tastiest Tuna Patties, and plenty of others! As the exams are looming ahead it’s important to balance all of that hard work with foods that make you feel great, and allow yourself some me-time out of revision mode too!

Vietnamese-Style Summer Rolls: (Makes 2 Servings)

Just below is a pic of the kit that I used to get me started! You can buy this in most big supermarkets – Sainsburys, Tesco, Waitrose etc. The kit includes: rice papers, vermicelli noodles & dipping sauce. Feel free to add in whatever else you fancy – crunchy veggies, herbs/salad leaves, chicken, fish, tofu, egg, peanuts, you could even try a classic combo like roasted peppers & hummus, or tuna & cucumber! Whatever you fill them with, have fun with it, and these can be quite tricky to make at first so remember – practice makes perfect!

So, assuming you don’t have the kit, you will need:

• 8 rice-paper wrappers
• Vermicelli noodles (1 small pack)
• Iceberg lettuce, around 50g shredded (or another salad leaf!)
• 12-15 cooked king praws, halved long-ways
• Dipping sauce of choice
• Optional additions: coriander, cucumber strips, grated carrot, chilli flakes, peanuts, bean sprouts etc…

To start, place the noodles in a bowl of just boiled water, cover the top and leave to go soft for around 5 mins. Then drain and set aside. Chop and prep your fillings, adding in whatever you fancy! For the rice-wrappers, fill a shallow baking tray with warm water, and for each one place the sheet into the water for no longer than 2/3 seconds until covered. Then carefully take out and place on a dry surface, they will continue to soften. Lay your fillings in a line onto the central part of the paper, leaving room to roll! Carefully roll up as tightly as you can, it can be pretty fiddly work so no stressing if it takes you a few goes to get the hang of it! Now you’re done – serve up and get dipping with some sweet chilli or peanut sauce and maybe even a few fresh sides – a zesty rice/salad side, some sweet potato wedges, or possibly even some yummy grilled prawn/chicken/veggie skewers.

The rolls are so delicate and pretty, but taste even better than they look! And if you’re like me and love a little something sweet for afters, why not try your fave fresh fruits dipped in dark choc. Another classic dipping-combo.