Quintessential California Prawn Salad
This simple salad is a personal favorite when I’m low on time and energy. And, depending on your personal preference, it can be made even easier with a few cheat-items! In all it’s glory, the from-scratch recipe is as follows: Ginger Turmeric Vinaigrette This is a great dressing to kick start your week and detox from the wildness of the weekend; turmeric is a natural detoxifier and anti-inflammatory that will help to clear your liver of toxins and raw garlic is an antimicrobial good for immune boosting and blood purifying.
½ shallot, diced 2-3 tbs apple cider vinegar ¼ cup olive oil ½ tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp fresh ginger, chopped finely 1 tsp honey 1 tsp lemon juice Pinch of salt Pepper to taste
Combine the dressing ingredients and shake aggressively to emulsify.
** This is an easy way to boost your salad any day of the week – feel free to make leftovers, they only get better with time! **
For the Salad: 10 frozen, raw WILD shrimp 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ loose cup parsley, chopped ½ -1 avocado, cubed 1 grapefruit (or your favorite citrus), supremed Baby spinach, wild arugula, shredded kale (aka your favorite salad greens) Seasonal option: ½ a head of raw fennel bulb, sliced very thin adds a fresh California bite to this dish! Salt and pepper to taste
Pull the shrimp out of the freezer and soak in room temperature water to defrost. This can be done while you’re getting ready to go out or just winding down after a long day. Takes about 10 minutes. Once defrosted, begin by taking the shell off the shrimp and throwing away.
Next, heat 1 Tbs good olive or coconut oil over medium to low heat in a sauté pan and add your minced garlic. Once softened, add the shrimp and cook until just pink.
*Pro Tip* - for perfect shrimp cook shrimp "low and slow" only flipping once. Be careful not to overcook – good quality shrimp is okay to eat a little bit underdone so don’t worry about undercooking, just try to avoid the rubbery texture of overcooked seafood.
*Pro Tip #2* If the weather permits, take this party outside! BBQing your shrimp will add a flavorful smoke to the dish.
Remove the cooked shrimp from the pan, toss with parsley, salt and pepper and set aside.
While your shrimp are cooking, you can prepare your salad. Toss the greens, avocado chunks and citrus supremes with your turmeric dressing and add the shrimp on top.
That’s it. Easy.
If, however, you don’t have the time (or perhaps the culinary inclination), this recipe can be even further simplified by using a store bought dressing. Just be sure to choose a bottled dressing that uses real olive oil – it will make all the difference. My personal favorite for jarred dressing are the Bragg Brand vinaigrettes.
