Vietnamese rice paper rolls with coconut poached chicken.

Tanisha Kemp shares her healthy and quick recipes for busy mums to feed the family. Tanisha is a MasterChef NZ 2014 contestant, chef and food blogger at twicethespice.co.nz, and as a first time mum to Charlie, six months, she hopes to inspire other mums in the kitchen!

Vietnamese rice paper rolls are a fresh, light meal, which make for a fantastic lunch, dinner or finger food. They are versatile and can be filled with whatever you have in the fridge. It is a great idea to get the kids involved with rolling them, and children also find them exciting to eat. Reserve the stock the chicken was poached in, as this makes a great base for Asian soups. Rice paper can be found in the Asian section of supermarkets. Makes 12 rice paper rolls.

Coconut Poached Chicken:

400g skinless chicken breast

400ml tin coconut cream

1 c chicken stock

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 chilli, chopped

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to just below the boil. Ensure the chicken is covered with the liquid.

2. Reduce heat and simmer very gently for 15 mins (don’t overcook).

3. Remove from heat and leave the chicken to cool in the liquid.

4. Remove chicken from liquid and shred. Mix in a bowl with 1/3 c of the strained liquid.

Dipping sauce:

¼ c sweet chilli sauce

juice of 1 lime

1sp fish sauce

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

To assemble:

1 cucumber, use a peeler to slice long strips lengthways

12 x 22cm rice paper rounds

2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced or grated

½ c roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Mint leaves

Coriander leaves

Peashoots

1. Fill a wide shallow bowl with hot tap water. Soak a rice paper briefly in water until pliable but not completely soft, then lay flat on a damp teatowel.

2. Lay a strip of cucumber horizontally in the centre. On top place a small pile of carrot, chicken, peanuts, mint, coriander and peashoots. Bring the bottom edge of the wrapper tightly up over the filling and roll twice, then fold the sides in. Continue to roll up tightly.

3. Repeat with the remaining rice papers.  You may need to add more hot water to the bowl as it cools down. Cover with a damp cloth if not serving immediately.

4. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.