Last night’s dinner was a total cleaning-out-the-fridge meal. It’s really rare that I have much in my fridge to “clean out” because lately I’m too poor to buy groceries.Nonetheless, Colin came to visit last week and left behind an entire steak, something I rarely eat, and I happened to have some odds and ends from a bag of groceries my mom cleaned out of her fridge and gave to me. These summer rolls were the brain child of a growling stomach and the contents of my refrigerator.

As with egg rolls, spring rolls, wontons, etc., it’s easy to be daunted - specialty food stores! multiple steps! torn rice wrappers! tons of prep! If you feel this way, I can empathize. I used to feel the same way until a culinary mentor gave me a lesson that totally changed my perspective. (Okay, actually, my post about Vietnamese spring rolls includes a recipe that is a bit labor-intensive, but totally worth it.) All of the ingredients for these summer rolls, including the wrappers, came from a regular grocery store, and you don’t need any special equipment at all to make them. 

It seemed fitting to munch on summer rolls since the past few days have brought violent end-of-summer weather. Hot days squeezed between chilly ones have been announced by thunderstorms and tornado sirens. I’m sick of sweating and ready for sweaters, but I thought I’d honor the end of the season with one last (fingers crossed) cold meal. 

One thing I really like about summer rolls is that they’re simple to make in small quantities, so I didn’t end up with double leftovers last night. Another positive aspect is that there aren’t really any rules about what you can put inside, so they’re infinitely customizable (i.e., the contents of just about any fridge will do). If you’re making them to share with others I recommend using the freshest produce available, but I’d say that as long as your ingredients still offer some crunch and flavor, it’s okay to use these as a way to get rid of leftover bits of vegetables that you can’t bear to waste (do you do this? I sometimes save the oddest of ends, swearing up and down I’ll find a way to reuse them). 

Below I’ll list the ingredients I used. Experiment with meat or make them veggie! Use frozen shrimp, sautéed chicken, or tofu. If you want to use steak but don’t have any leftover, I suggest consulting a recipe like this one to season your steak and give your rolls a more intensely Asian flavor. Use my dipping sauce recipe or make up your own. Play with proportion and use more vegetables or more meat depending on your taste- this is a dish you can truly make yours and that is executable by even the most amateur cook.

Steak Summer Rolls

• leftover steak (a lean cut works best), about 1 ounce per roll
• carrot
• scallion
• fresh jalapeño pepper
• cucumber
• fresh basil, about 4 large leaves per roll
• round rice paper wrappers
• Crisp whole lettuce leaves, such as whole romaine

1. Cut steak, carrots, jalapeño and cucumber into long, narrow pieces about 4 inches in length.

2. Lay a clean kitchen towel, folded in half, on your workstation. Soak rice wrappers one at a time in a pie pan of hot water for about 30 seconds. Remove carefully so as not to tear and lay on towel. Spread flat with the pads of your fingers and then arrange steak, carrots, jalapeño and cucumber in the center. Lay basil leaves on top.

3. Fold the short ends of the wrapper over the tips of the ingredients. Carefully fold the side of the wrapper that is closest to you over the filling and, using your fingers to pull the filling toward you and keep the roll tight without breaking it, roll firmly away from you. Move to a plate and allow to dry a bit (this is what makes the wrapper sticky) and repeat until you have made enough rolls.

4. Lay each roll inside a crisp, clean lettuce leaf. Serve with a dipping sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons all natural peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sriracha

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and then serve. Makes 2 tablespoons.