Fresh Spring Rolls with Thai Peanut Sauce

Tom and I had spring rolls at a Thai restaurant a couple years ago and he loved them and said we needed to figure out how to make them.  That's how this recipe came to be.  They are now a family favorite - everyone will eat dinner if I make these.  That cellophane wrapper looks intimidating but it's really not.  Just get the small sized ones and they're easy.  We originally bought the big ones and they were beasts to deal with.  But these ones are perfect.  

To soften them up the easiest way is to just run both sides under running water just to get them wet and then set them down on a cutting board.  After a minute or so they'll be soft and ready to be filled with filling.   I get 2 wet at first and set them on the cutting board.  When the first one is all filled and wrapped I get another one wet and let it soften while I fill the next wrapper.  That way there's always a wrapper ready to be filled (if that makes sense).  This recipe is written only using 6 wrappers.  I chop up all my ingredients beforehand and then just keep filling wrappers until I'm out of filling.  

• Fresh Spring Rolls 
• 6 spring roll wrappers (available in Asian markets)
• 12 medium shrimp, cooked and shelled
• 1 cup shredded leaf lettuce
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• Run a wrapper under running water just until each side is wet.  Lay wrapper out flat and let it sit for a minute to get soft. Place 1/6 of each ingredient down middle of wrapper, starting with lettuce. Fold over each end and tightly roll the wrapper around the contents, as if making a burrito. Moisten at seam; press to close. Lay on plate, cover with moist paper towel and refrigerate until ready to serve. Then slice in two and serve with Thai peanut sauce.

• Thai Peanut Sauce
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 drops hot pepper sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• a few drops sesame oil
• 1/2 cup water
• In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, hot pepper sauce, sesame oil and garlic until well mixed and tastes good. Gradually stir in water until texture is smooth and creamy.