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2 In The Kitchen: Turkey Spring Rolls

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- One thing almost every kitchen is guaranteed to have the day after Thanksgiving is plenty of leftovers. So what do you do with all that turkey? Bill Zucosky, executive chef of Strip House at the Westminster Hotel in Livingston, N.J., has a great way to utilize that leftover Thanksgiving turkey and turn it into a light, healthy, flavorful, and non-time consuming meal.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe (.pdf)

Vietnamese-Style Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Serves 4-6

Peanut Sauce

3/4 cup natural-style creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 1 1/2 medium limes)

4 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons chili-garlic paste

1 medium garlic clove, mashed to a paste

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Method:

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Summer Rolls

"leftover" turkey breast sliced and cut into 1/4inch strips about 4 inches in length (about a pound and a half or so is needed for this recipe)

2 ounces dried rice stick noodles or rice vermicelli

8 (8-1/2-inch) round rice paper wrappers

1 cup mung bean sprouts (about 3 ounces)

1 carrot shredded

16 medium fresh mint leaves (from about 1 bunch)

16 fresh basil or Thai basil leaves

8 small fresh cilantro sprigs

1 serrano chile, stemmed, halved, seeds removed, and thinly sliced lengthwise into 32 pieces (optional)

1 medium English cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4-by-1/4-by-2-1/2-inch sticks

3 scallions, quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2-1/2-inch pieces (white and light green parts only)

4 bibb lettuce or green leaf lettuce leaves, cut in half

Method:

Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Place all of the ingredients in separate containers and arrange them in the following order around a work surface--rice paper wrappers, turkey, rice noodles, bean sprouts, mint, basil, cilantro, serrano (if using), cucumber, carrots, scallions, and lettuce.

Place a clean, damp kitchen towel on a work surface. Fill a medium frying pan or wide, shallow dish large enough to hold the rice paper wrappers with hot tap water. Working with 1 wrapper at a time, completely submerge the wrapper until it is soft and pliable, about 15 seconds. Remove the wrapper from the water and place it on the towel.  Working quickly, lay 3 or 4 pieces of turkey just above the center of the wrapper, leaving about 1 inch of space on each side. Layer a small amount of the rice noodles over the turkey, followed by a few bean sprouts, shredded carrot, 2 mint leaves, 2 basil leaves, 1 sprig cilantro, and 2 pieces serrano(if using). Place 4 cucumber sticks and 2 scallion pieces on either side of the noodle pile. Roll one piece of lettuce into a cigar shape and place it on top of the noodle pile.

Fold the bottom half of the rice paper wrapper over the filling. Holding the whole thing firmly in place, fold the sides of the wrapper in. Then, pressing firmly down to hold the folds in place, roll the entire wrapper horizontally up from the bottom to the top.

Turn the roll so that the seam faces down and the row of turkey faces up. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and fillings. Leave 3/4 inch between each summer roll on the sheet so they don't stick together, and replace the water in the pan or dish with hot tap water as needed.

If not serving immediately, keep the summer rolls tightly covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.  (Slightly warm the peanut sauce in the microwave or let sit out at room temperature for about a hour before serving.)

*There are many other fillings that can be used also.  Here are some fun tasty examples:

Granny Smith Apples

Dried Cranberries or Raisins

Snow Peas

Green Mango

Papaya

Chopped nuts (peanuts, pecans, walnuts)

Jalapeños

Jicama

Avocado

Edamame

Bell Peppers

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