Is it a Spring Roll or a Salad?

I think the intense heat of this year's summer has been affecting my mood. I feel so lethargic which is so not me--not energetic at all. If I had a choice I would be eating salad for every single meal of the day. But alas, that is not possible at the moment so every chance I get, I have salad and fruits. Papaya in the morning with my toast and coffee. Ripe yellow mangoes with my lunch and a banana with yogurt for my afternoon snack. But sometimes, when I'm not lethargic I make a simple salad from raw papaya and carrots. All the good stuff. Then I wrap it in a crepe flecked with parsley to make it pretty with some grilled chicken and salad greens thrown in for good measure.

CREPES:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

parsley, roughly chopped

Mix all ingredients, except the parsley in a bowl and whisk until smooth and lump-free. Pass through a sieve. Add chopped parsley and whisk again. Preheat a teflon pan, brush it with a little oil and drop 1/4 cup of the mixture. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the batter. After about a minute, the crepe will start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Move the pan to make sure crepe is cooked and not stuck to the bottom. Slide on to a plate. Repeat until batter is finished. Crepes can be stored in the refrigerator. Cut wax paper and put between crepes, cover with cling wrap.

I found an excellent recipe for fresh spring rolls and sauce from The Filipino- American Kitchen by Jennifer M. Aranas which I incorporated into this salad:

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider)

2 teaspoons soysauce

Mix all ingredients together to combine. Set aside.

HOISIN-TAMARIND GLAZE:

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Ginger, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 cup Tamarind Juice

1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce

Heat oil and saute garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove from heat, add tamarind juice and hoisin sauce. Stir and cool.

Transfer to a sauce dispenser and set aside. This glaze can keep for a week inside the refrigerator.

ASSEMBLY:

I peeled and sliced raw papaya and carrots into even sized matchstick pieces. Tossed it in some of the dressing.

Lay one crepe, put salad greens on the bottom, layer the papaya and carrots. Top with grilled chicken. Roll crepe carefully and drizzle with the hoisin-tamarind glaze.