A Dietitian's View

Fresh Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce

Dipping Sauce:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced

Spring Rolls:
12 (8-inch) round sheets rice paper
3 green leaf lettuce leaves, quartered
3 cups fresh broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts
36 (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot strips
36 (2-inch) julienne-cut cucumber strips
36 (2-inch) julienne-cut yellow bell pepper strips
24 medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and halved lengthwise
36 fresh mint leaves

To prepare sauce, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves; set aside.

To prepare spring rolls, add hot water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper sheet in dish; let stand 30 seconds or just until soft. Place rice paper sheet on a flat surface. Arrange 1 lettuce piece in center of sheet. Top with 1/4 cup sprouts, 3 carrot strips, 3 cucumber strips, 3 bell pepper strips, 4 shrimp halves, and 3 mint leaves. Fold sides of sheet over filling; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Gently press seam to seal. Place spring roll, seam side down, on a serving platter (cover to prevent drying).

Repeat procedure with remaining rice paper, lettuce, sprouts, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, shrimp, and mint. Serve with dipping sauce.

Yield: 6 appetizer servings (serving size: 2 rolls and 2 teaspoons sauce)

CALORIES 101(7% from fat); FAT 0.8g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 7.8g; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 40mg; SODIUM 418mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.8g