SHRIMP ROLLS with HOISIN PEANUT DIPP

You don’t need to pay a lot for spring rolls anymore. They are easy to make at home and taste better.

Recently, I was invited to the Dole Taste of Spain Salad Summit with a group of food bloggers for a 3-day culinary experience. It was hard to leave Carmel Valley Ranch after two nights. The fireplace in my bedroom and the gorgeous mountain view made me never want to go. The resort was so amazing that I had to go. I worked out, sat by the pool and did some work, ate truffles along with Elizabeth, made s’mores on fire, and hiked the trails in their beautiful garden. The resort was the most relaxing I’ve ever been.

Before we left, the lovely folks at Dole provided us with a delicious breakfast. It included wine-glass parfaits, fresh berries, green tea smoothies, and lots and plenty of coffee.

After finishing breakfast, we put on our stylish, supercool hairnets and headed to the Salinas Valley lettuce fields and processing facility. Mark Pisoni is a farmer in Salinas Valley who cultivates 500 acres of celery, iceberg from,aine lettuces, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and celery. His family has farmed and lived on the same piece of land for over 100 years.

We all grabbed the iceberg heads, cut them in half, and then bit into them. This was the juiciest and crispiest lettuce I’ve ever tasted. After our lettuce tasting, I had to take a photo with some of the incredible people I met during this trip. Tessa just published her cookbook, Nikki creates the most mouth-watering recipes, and Dawn Blatner is a registered dietitian who has a lively spirit.

It doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the Spanish manchego empanadas and olive tapenade, along with a saffron rice dish and vanilla bean crème brulee as dessert.

Liz, from the Lemon Bowl, was seated next to me. She is someone I have always wanted to get to know, and I can say that she’s a real delight. If you’ve met Heidi, you know how much fun she is. When you’re around Heidi, the party never ends.

Ingredients

• Peeled and deveined 1 pound medium Shrimp
• Olive oil one tablespoon
• To taste, add Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
• 12 16-cm rice paper wrappers
• 1 cup baby spinach
• Vermicelli cooked to 4 ounces
• Red cabbage, 1/2 cup, shredded
• One cucumber, julienned
• Peel and julienne one carrot

FOR THE HOISIN PEANUT DIP

• 1/4 cup Hoisin
• Peanut Butter 2 Tablespoons
• One tablespoon of rice vinegar
• Half a teaspoon of sesame oil

NSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line the baking sheet with parchment.
• In a small bowl, combine the Hoisin with the peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, and sesame seed oil. Set aside.
• Place the shrimp on the baking sheet. Add salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste and gently combine. Place in the oven and roast until it is pink, firm, and cooked through. This should take 6-8 minutes. Let cool, and then slice in half lengthwise.
• Wet the rice paper in the microwave for 10 seconds, then transfer it to a flat surface. Place spinach on each wrapper, and top with vermicelli and other ingredients such as red cabbage, carrot, cucumber, and shrimp.
• Roll the rice paper from the bottom up, ensuring that you do not tear it. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.
• Serve immediately with Hoisin Peanut Dip.