Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls

Spring rolls with Portobella Mushrooms

Today's post is more of a recipe review than a recipe posting.  This is not my recipe, although I am quickly finding ways to switch it up.  I found it on Pinterest, one of my new addictions.  I have found tons of new recipe ideas surfing through pictures of food that people have posted there. As I try new recipes I find that some flop, and I kick myself for it because I can see it happening as I prepare it, but I think I should follow the recipe to the letter.  My advice to myself, and everyone else with decent cooking sense, is to follow your gut.  If it looks like it needs something, forget what the recipe says and jump in and do something!

Fortunately this is not one of those recipes.  This recipe is perfect all on it's own.  Not that I won't mess with it, because summer rolls are these cute little collections of food rolled up in a rice paper wrapper, and the possibilities are endless.  The original recipe was published on the Williams-Sonama site titled Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls.  The only permanent change I made to the original recipe is to add fresh cilantro.  I also do not make the dipping sauce.  I prefer hoisin and peanut sauces, which I buy in the jar at my Asian market.

I do switch up some the ingredients for my family because I am the only avocado fan in the house.  In the picture above I replaced the avocado with sauteed portobella mushroom slices.  These were quite tasty, although they were better fresh than the next day.  I also want to try and make them the traditional way with shrimp and pork.  Before trying this recipe I had never made summer rolls, so I went to YouTube and found a few videos to get a visual on the process.  I think this helped tremendously.  You can check them out here: Vietnamese Spring Rolls at #141 and How to assemble a Vietnamese Spring Roll. 

All in all summer rolls are relatively easy to make and are really great healthy summer food option.