I got into a bad habit a few weeks ago. Usually I'm good about cooking meals at home, but I found some amazing spring rolls at a place called Eatzis here in Dallas and fell in love. The combination of shrimp, veggies, and avocado made the perfect light lunch during a hot Texas summer, but the price tag was killing me.

Finally I got my head on straight and recreated the spring rolls myself. They were surprisingly easy to put together, plus I could add my own touch with fresh mint. But while the rice paper isn't that hard to work with, it does take some patience and practice. So instead of spring rolls, I made my favorite lunch into a salad.

Ingredients:

Chopped Salad Greens (I used a mixture of romaine and spinach), 2 cups
Chopped Purple Cabbage, 1 cup
Broccoli Slaw (I used the pre-made version from Whole Foods), 0.5 cup
Frozen Shrimp (~15 small or ~8 regular sized), 1 serving
½ avocado
Olive Oil, 1 tablespoon
Juice of one lime
Honey, 1 tablespoon

Method:

First, cook the shrimp in boiling water while you begin to sauté your cabbage and broccoli slaw in the olive oil.

While things are cooking away, combine the honey and lime juice in a bowl and mix well.

Stir the cabbage and slaw occasionally until they begin to soften, then pour the honey lime mixture over top.

As the shrimp finishes cooking (about five to eight minutes) plate your lettuce greens and spoon the cabbage and slaw mixture on top.

Then add on the remaining ingredients! Slice half an avocado and spread it around the pile of perfectly pink shrimp, then sprinkle a few sprigs of chopped mint right on top.

This beauty is loaded with protein and healthy fats, plus all the nutrients from a mix of colorful veggies. The combination of chewy shrimp, creamy avocado, and slightly sweet veggies is brought to life by the zing of fresh mint. And it only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish!

Dig in!