Crabocado Rollups
Recipe 17 of my weekly(ish) series, Eat Right on Monday Night.
CALORIES PER SERVING: 214 (SERVES 4)
Apologies, this isn’t a new recipe but I was very short on time this week - it’s the end of term, and I’ve also been on jury service for the last three weeks, so I'm now in catch-up mode. With the weather being so hot, I thought something summery and no-cook would be just the ticket, and it put me in mind of these fab Vietnamese-style crab and avocado rice paper rolls from the book I wrote with Mimi Spencer, The Midlife Kitchen. This versatile recipe is packed with veggies and iodine-rich crabmeat. Enjoy!
Time hack: You can always buy a dipping sauce rather than make one - like a Thai sweet chilli sauce - although I have to say, this one is very yummy!
PREP TIME: 30 mins
COOKING TIME: 0 mins
INGREDIENTS:
For the crab and avocado filling:
100g fresh white crabmeat
Zest and juice of a lime
1 tbsp plain yogurt
Half a ripe avocado, sliced
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped
A handful of fresh mint, chopped
Salt and black pepper
For the dipping sauce:
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp runny honey
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
Also:
8 rice paper roll wrappers
Warm water
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
3 spring onions, very finely sliced,
Half a cucumber, seeds removed, julienned
METHOD:
Combine the ingredients for the crab and avocado filling and set aside in the fridge.
Combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl.
Place one of the rice paper wrappers on a chopping board. Using a pastry brush, moisten the sheet lightly with warm water so that it softens.
Starting at the top of the rice paper place a few lengths of carrot, cucumber and spring onion horizontally at the top of the wrap.
Spread a heaped tablespoon of the crab and avocado mixture in a line beneath the salad veggies. The salad and filling should occupy approximately the top third or so of the rice paper.
Now take the top edge and fold down over the filling. Fold the edges in from the left and right and keep rolling - be sure to tuck-in the edges as you go, as if you’re wrapping a present.
It’s a little fiddly, but aim to create a fairly tight cylinder. It might take a few goes to get it right but don’t worry, even the messy ones will taste good! The rice wrap is quite elastic when wet so it can be stretched and manhandled fairly easily.
Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.