Spring Rolls and Avocado Crab Salad

So I must have been up for a challenge last night...but it wasn't the 40 mile bike ride Jeremy and I went on before dinner...it was the spring rolls I made for dinner.

...the pictures in Clean Eating Mag made it look so easy....so I thought I would give it a try. Don't believe everything you see...just because Lance makes a 100 miles looks easy...it just might not be.

however...the prize is worth the challenge...they were delicious!

I found all my ingredients at HyVee...I thought I would have to stop by an Asian store..but nope one convenient stop.

Chicken & Shrimp Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

18-20 spring roll wrappers (I made it through about 7) :)

1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce (leaves separated and largest leaves cut in half)

1 leaf Napa Cabbage, chopped thinly

1/2 c cooked shrimp, shells and tails removed, diced (I used crab since I had it for the salad below)

1/4 lb cooked skinless chicken breast, diced finely

1/2 c broccoli, finely chopped or shredded

1/2 c carrots, shredded

1/2 c bean sprouts (loaded with nutrients!!!)

4 green onions, chopped (I left out for Jeremy ;)

1 avocado, sliced

1 egg white

Instructions:

Wet spring roll wrapper with warm water. (can do this in a bowl or under the faucet)
place wrapper on a hard surface. Place lettuce leaf on far right edge of wrapper.

my first attempt...apparently you can't really LOAD them up with stuff..as I typically do with sandwichs and wraps...they will split out their seams :)

Next, place 2 tsp cabbage (about 3 slices),1 tsp shrimp or crab, 1 tsp chicken, 1 tsp broccoli, 1 tsp carrots, 1 tsp bean sprouts, and 1/4 tsp onion into lettuce leaf. Top with 1 slice avocado.

Roll wrapper from right to left, folding the sides towards the middle. Just before wrapper is completely wrapped, brush egg white on the end so the wrapper closes neatly.

Complete steps 1-4 for each wrapper. Serve with light and tangy satay sauce. (recipe below)

Nutrient per roll: calories 90, total fat 1g, sat 0g, fiber 1 g, sugars 0g, protein 3g, sodium 80g, chol 15mg

Light and Tangy Peanut Satay Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 c fresh squeezed lime (about 1 lime)

1/8 cup creamy natural peanut butter (my fav is Parker's)

2 T fresh cilantro, minced finely (I left this out...or use Parsley)

2 T water

1 T apple cider vinegar (I forgot to but...so left this out as well)

2 clove garlic (of course I left this out for J)

2 tsp tomato paste (I didn't want to open a whole can for just this so I used ketchup)

2 t low sodium soy sauce

2 t agave nectar (honey is a good substitute)

1 t fresh ginger (or dry and ground if you don't have fresh on hand)

2 drop Chile sesame oil (available at Asian stores) I did not get this...I did however have sesame oil so added a touch of this

sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
whisk together till mixed. Serve!

Nutrients per 2 tsp: calories 15, total fat 1g, sat 0g, fiber 0g, protein 0, sugars 1g, chol 0mg

you can see I got better!

Now for the second course!

I got this recipe from a client who pulled it from her South Beach Diet cookbook.
Since I already had lime, crab, and avocado...why not utilize them for another fresh and citrusy dish. Perfect for a hot summer evening (which really isn't what our summer as been like...but still tasted good as I was wrapped in a blanket on the porch :)

Crab and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (I used parsley out of my herb garden)

2 T fat free mayo

1 T chopped roasted red pepper (from jar) I did not have so I used stewed roasted tomatoes

1 T fresh lime juice

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1 pound lump crab meat

1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (good source of monounsaturated fats)

sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

combine cilantro, mayo, red pepper, lime juice, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and whisk together. Mic in crab meat and season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in avocado and serve.

Nutrient per cup: 230 calories, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 22 g protein, 3 g fiber, 670 mg sodium

using the left over Boston leaves made a nice lettuce wrap

or a whole wheat Wasa cracker


I'm glad Jeremy and I have adopted the rule "one cooks, one cleans"...and I make a mess ;)

Let me know if you attempt the spring rolls...they are well worth it!

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good