I am so excited!

Because these wraps are seriously the best ever!

This idea started at market on Sunday. I asked a fellow market worker what she was going to do with the cabbage that we were both taking home. I had originally planned on making a batch of slaw to have throughout the week. She said that she wasn’t sure what she’d do with hers, but she usually uses cabbage leaves as wraps.

I thought about that for a little and as I was looking over what I got at market, this idea began to develop.

Then I made carrot and cucumber salad. And then I thought that would go perfect in my little wraps. And then, I read about this new-to-me way to prepare shrimp. And then I saw a bag of rice sitting in the pantry.

The idea was complete, now I just needed to execute it.

Let’s talk about this.

The carrot and cucumber salad is, like I said yesterday, wonderful on its own, but in these wraps, it is just perfect. You could put any veggies in these wraps, but I do really suggest the carrot + cucumber peanut salad.

The shrimp. I always prepare shrimp the same way. I usually cook them in a little olive oil on the stove on high heat. I read this new method in Martha Stewart Living magazine and it intrigued me. I wanted to branch out my shrimp cooking methods and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity. The simple steaming method is just perfect for these wraps. It is unbelievable how much amazing flavor shrimp have when they are cooked with nothing else. You have got to try this method (described below in the recipe).

I blanched the cabbage leaves for this recipe. Blanching the cabbage is super easy and turns out perfect to act as wraps. The leaves get soft but still retain a bit of stiffness and roll perfectly around the rice, shrimp and veggies. And, I noticed that once rolled, the leaves kind of stick together, keeping everything rolled very tight. It’s perfect!

These wraps have a sweetness from the shrimp, an earthiness from the rice, a crunch and freshness from the veggies and cabbage. They are a wonderful summer meal, but we liked these so much that I can see us eating them all year long. Greg said last night, after eating five of these, that he thinks he may want these at least once a week now. I can deal with that! 🙂

If you are looking for something light and healthy, that will make you feel great after eating, something summery and refreshing and something so delicious that you will be dreaming about it, this is it. I hope that you enjoy these cabbage wraps as much as I did.

Ingredients
Cabbage, 1 leaf per wrap
Rice, I cooked one cup of rice
Shrimp, in shells, plan for about 2 per wrap
This carrot + cucumber peanut salad

Cook the rice. Have the carrot + cucumber peanut salad ready. Click the link above for the recipe.

To cook the shrimp: Bring about 1 inch of water to boil in a large saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add the shrimp (in shell) to the pan. Turn off the heat, put a lid on the saucepan and let sit for three minutes. After three minutes, the shrimp will be cooked through. Drain and let the shrimp cool.

Once cool, peel and devein the shrimp. To devein shrimp, I simply cut a line down the back of the shrimp and use a toothpick to remove the waste. Rinse the shrimp once it is deveined and cut each shrimp in half.

To blanch the cabbage: Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the cabbage leaves into the boiling water and blanch for about 1 minute. Remove the leaves and place into the ice water. I did two leaves at a time, but you may do more depending on the size of your pot. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels.

To assemble the wraps, place a blanched cabbage leaf flat on a plate. Place a couple of spoonfuls of rice in the center. Place a couple of pieces of shrimp on top of the rice. Finish it with a spoonful of the carrot cucumber salad. Fold over the bottom edge of the leaf and then fold in one of the sides. Begin rolling and tucking in the other side as you roll. It should stay together well while you are eating.

Notes:
-If you don’t want to cook/peel/devein your own shrimp, do it your own way and skip the section on shrimp above. Any shrimp would be great in this.
-Our wraps stayed together well, so if you roll in right, yours should too. One was overstuffed and did fall apart a bit, but they generally should stay together very well.