by Joi on November 3, 2009
Baby Spinach is Love.
A few of my daughters and I often have lunch at Applebee’s in Owensboro, Kentucky. There is a particular salad that my oldest daughter (Emily) and I are addicted to. I’m kind of surprised that the servers don’t just bring it to us automatically. It’s a grilled shrimp and spinach salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
Few things tickle my fancy more than trying to play copy cat with restaurant recipes, so I tried to knock this one out a few days ago.
I bought a bag of frozen Salad Shrimp, some baby spinach, a jar of roasted red pepper, a purple onion (I refuse to call it red, it’s purple), sliced roasted almonds, and a few vinaigrettes – one was a Red Pepper Parmesan vinaigrette and the other was my personal favorite (Ken’s Steakhouse Raspberry Vinaigrette with Walnuts – What?! Why so good?).
I thawed the shrimp, then tossed it lightly with olive oil. I threw on a little seafood seasoning and grilled it on my beloved George Foreman Grill. Then I tossed it into a gorgeous bed of baby spinach and added coarsely chopped purple onion, red pepper slices, and almond slices. I didn’t add any fresh bacon crumbles because, frankly, I was out of bacon! However, it would have been a great addition.
If it had just been my daughters and I, I would have marinated the salad with the Raspberry Vinaigrette, but my husband (the silly man) doesn’t like it, so I kept the salad bare and allowed people to add the vinaigrette of their choice. He opted for the Red Pepper and Parmesan Vinaigrette. It would have been better if it had just been a red pepper vinaigrette (sans the Parmesan) – the Parmesan was unnecessary and just got in the way, in this particular salad anyway. The Raspberry was the better call, in my opinion.
If you’re looking for healthier lunch alternatives, this is a great one. It’s also quick and easy which is usually a popular scenario for lunches.
Another great alternative would be to go the way of the Orient, and replace the red peppers with mandarin oranges – then use a ginger-based vinaigrette and maybe crispy Asian noodles in addition to the almonds. I’d also throw in some edamame.. I basically just look for ways to add edamame to my day – love it.
Camembert Grape Salad with Honey Vinaigrette – A Honey of a Recipe
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3/4 pound seedless grapes
3/4 pound fresh figs, apricots, plums or nectarines, sliced
4 ounces camembert or brie cheese, cut into narrow wedges
1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
2 quarts salad greens
Directions:
Combine honey, vinegar, oil, orange juice and poppy seeds in a jar. Shake well. Arrange clusters of grapes, fruit, cheese wedges and pecans on salad greens. Shake dressing and drizzle over salads. Refrigerate any remaining dressing.
Makes 4 Servings
Honey is one of the ingredients I never allow myself to run out of. Not only is it delicious in many recipes, I love it on bagels (it hooks up with cream cheese the way peanut butter hooks up with jelly), I love it in hot tea, and it’s invaluable during cold and hayfever seasons. When used liberally in hot tea, with lemon, it soothes a sore throat, quiets an annoying cough, and makes a mouth that’s been itching and sneezing feel sooooo much better.
This wonderful recipe and the beautiful picture are courtesy of the National Honey Board.
The gloriously beautiful and nutritious salad recipe below is courtesy of Self Magazine’s web site, Self.com. It’s just one of the lettuce-less salads they recently featured in a slide show.
These salads are from the April 2009 issue and, in addition to the Chilled Shrimp Salad (below), include an Udon Noodle Salad. It looks AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it. As a shrimp addict, however, I have to go for the Chilled Shrimp Salad first, though.
The Chilled Shrimp Salad is rich in protein, antioxidants, and niacin (which, as Self points out, is great for your skin). Click HERE to see all of these great salad recipes. While on the site, check out the tons of other healthy recipes and articles. I could spend hours on their site reading articles without ever looking up.
CHILLED SHRIMP SALAD RECIPE
from Self Magazine
Dressing
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 6 tablespoons orange juice
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
* Juice and rind from 1 lemon
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (tail intact)
* 4 chunks watermelon (1 lb each), cut from the rind, cut into cubes
* 1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
* 1/3 cup crumbled feta
* 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
For dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender.
For salad: Fill a 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil; add lemon juice, lemon rind, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Add shrimp, cover, remove from heat and let stand until shrimp is cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool 10 minutes, then refrigerate 30 minutes. Line a large platter with watermelon and tomatoes. Top with shrimp, feta and basil. Drizzle with dressing.
431 calories per serving, 9.6 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 3.7 g fiber, 49.4 g carbs, 41 g protein
