Summa summa summer rolls!

It's wet.

And I don't mean just your average occasional rain here. My last 4 months have been filled with nothing but rain, rain and more rain!

You know what this means - time to stay in and do some cookin'!! 

I'm so anxious for summer, I decided to speed it up with some summer rolls.  I had these while I was in Hawaii, and let me tell you, they were deee - lish!!

These rice wrappers were pretty fussy.  They need to soak in the water for about 15 seconds. 

But don't leave them in the water for too long or you'll get a bunch of mush. They need to be a little firm still.

 My best advice: just play with it a little.

Get your toppings on there.  Get 'em on.

And roll the suckers up like a taco!!  I won't lie to you - this was a little difficult. It took some practice to get all the pieces together and to stay there!

Ok, the sauce is what made it. I'm not going to lie - just the rolls alone didn't do much for me. But add the sauce in there and your mouth will be busier than a one armed paper hanger. 

SSUUUUUSSSHHHIIII!! One of my fav's.

Oh, How pretty it all was! Wish you were here! (Well, some of you were. And for that I am happy!)

My buddy Melissa likes to show off her chopstick skills. I would show them off too if I had them. 

Summer rolls:

Rice wrappers (as many as you wanna make!)

Chopped cabbage

Bean sprouts

Carrots, cucumbers - sliced in long strips

- Add some more vegetables if you like

Soak the wrappers (1 at a time) in water for a about 10-15 seconds. Try not to leave them too long. Take it out and put on a clean towel to soak up the water. Add your veggies in a pile, then fold it up, rolling it tight and then folding the sides over.  This takes a little practice - don't get impatient!

Then, dip them in this lovely sauce!

Peanut Sauce:

• 1/2 cup natural-style creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste (optional)

Warm the peanut butter a little to thin out so it's easier to mix.  Then, combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until well mixed.  You might need to add more water to thin the sauce. The rolls dip better if the sauce is thinner.

I didn't add the chile-garlic paste to this. Mostly because I couldn't find it. Ok, a lot because I couldn't find it. But it was still yummy regardless!