February 11th - DAY ELEVEN

Tonight's dinner was scheduled to be a shrimp and feta bake, but I didn't feel like making it. So I decided to go the easy route and use a bag of soup from the soup exchange I hosted last month (Split Pea and Ham) and some frozen cornbread wedges. However, late this afternoon I decided to change it up again and save the soup and cornbread for tomorrow when I will be running from activity to event all day long and have absolutely NO time to make any dinner. So.....tonight we are having salmon and avocado spring/summer rolls (the kind in rice paper, not the fried ones) with an Asian cabbage slaw.

To make dinner I made some rice noodles and marinaded them in a soy sauce/sesame oil/garlic/ginger mixture in the fridge. (I think it helps to season the noodles a bit.) I also put some precooked chunked salmon marinating in a similiar mixture.
When I go to assemble them I will soak the rice papers and then put a small piece of lettuce in the center of the wrap, top with a bit of the noodles, salmon and a slice of avocado. If I have them I also sometimes use sprouts, shredded carrots, red bell pepper slices, etc. Also I often sub shrimp for the salmon or strips of fried tofu - depending on what I have on hand.

I'll serve them with this homemade peanut dipping sauce (although you could easily sub almond butter for the peanut butter in this recipe I use.....)

Satay Dip (adapted from Barefoot contessa):
1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

2/3 cup small-diced onion (1 small onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2-3 tablespoons good red wine vinegar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup ketchup

1-2 tab water

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice


Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, water, and lime juice; cook for 1 more minute.


Yield: 1 1/2 cups

(Leftovers freeze well too)