Fresh Escarole and Avocado Spring Rolls

In this episode of Cooking Outside The Box, Cynthia Lair shows us how to make fresh escarole and avocado spring rolls.

Fresh Escarole and Avocado Spring Rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 10 rolls

Ingredients

1 head escarole (about 12 ounces)
1 medium ripe avocado
10 spring roll skins
1 medium lime
½ cup chopped, fresh basil, mint and/or cilantro leaves
4 ounces fried tofu, grilled shrimp or chicken
Serve with:
Coconut Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Break apart and wash the escarole leaves, removing any tough parts of the core. Drop the leaves in the boiling water for 30-60 seconds. This will take out much of the bitterness inherent in escarole. Drain out the water into a colander and halt the cooking by running cold water over the cooked leaves. When cool enough to handle, pick them up and squeeze out into a ball, wringing out all of the excess water. Chop the blanched escarole into small pieces.
Halve the avocado and remove pit. Score thin slices on one half and remove, repeat for the other half.

Fill a large round pie plate or cake pan with warm water. Soak rice wrappers, one at a time, for about 15 seconds on each side, until soft but still firm to the touch. Remove the soft skin from the water and lay it flat on a hard surface, plastic or metal work best.

Place a couple of avocado slices on the bottom 1/3 of the skin. Top that with about 2 tablespoons of the blanched escarole. Place a slice of the fried tofu or grilled chicken on top of the escarole. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime over the mound.

Working quickly, fold the edge closest to you over the filling and pull the filling in firmly. Fold the sides toward the center and then roll closed. Rolls will be should be about 4 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide. Repeat procedure until you have made 10 rolls. Place them in a dish, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dip in Coconut Peanut Sauce. Yum.

Printed with permission. Copyright 2012, C. Lair, Original recipe.