Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Shrimp Salad with Mint, Cilantro, and Spicy Dressing



I started out making lettuce wraps with this recipe, and ended up with Shrimp Salad on Lettuce leaves. I couldn't find Bibb or Boston lettuce, so I ended up buying leaf lettuce, which didn't work too well. If you can't make lettuce wraps, at least make salad with this recipe. I love all of the flavor combinations in the salad. Cool mint and cilantro top crisp veggies which  are placed on lettuce leaves coated in a spicy dressing and topped with grilled shrimp and drizzled with more dressing.  The dressing is just mayo or Miracle Whip, mixed with red pepper flakes.  At this point, you can roll all ingredients into lettuce wraps, or just make salad with them. The prep time is about 30 minutes from start to finish, including the chilling the veggies, the dressing, and grilling the shrimp. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice. We will be having this soon!  This salad is perfect for a warm weather lunch or dinner.  You could also use  chicken or pork, as well.  Enjoy!




Shrimp Wraps or Salad with Spicy Dressing  Adapted from Leah Eskin

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, as desired
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup red bell pepper matchsticks
1 cup cucumber matchsticks
1/4cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
Iceberg, Bibb, or Boston Lettuce

Directions:

Whisk together mayo, garlic, lime juice, salt and red pepper flakes. Chill

 In a large bowl, toss together red pepper, cucumber, cilantro and mint. Add 1/4 cup chilled, spicy mayo: toss with a fork.

 Choose 8 sturdy lettuce leaves. Set 2 on each of 4 plates. Spoon vegetable mixture onto
  each lettuce leaf.

Thread shrimp on skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 10 minutes, beforehand, Grill shrimp over hot fire until pink, curled and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove shrimp from skewers, sliding with a fork onto the vegetables. Have each person roll their own lettuce leaves, burrito style, or just leave a salad on the plate. Serve with more spicy dressing, if desired.

17 comments:

  1. I love it when one recipe morphs into another. I think it looks fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christiane,
      Yes, that works when the recipe is versatile, and I always change a recipe anyway:)

      Delete
  2. I love your shrimp salad, Becky! So perfect for the hot summer days:DDD Great recipe, as well!

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    Replies
    1. Elisabeth,
      Thank you! You can never enough salad recipes in warm weather:)

      Delete
  3. This is perfect for the upcoming hot days of summer ahead. Light and healthy too, I'll be thinking of you this weekend.
    -Gina-

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  4. It' what we had in Arizona several times a Southwest kick love it.... would just add avocado!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Claudia,
      I never thought to add avocado. i'll have to try it next time.

      Delete
  5. Gina,
    This salad has everything, light, healthy, and easy to prepare.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A stunning salad which is healthy and beautifully presented :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uru,

      Thank you! I love all of the flavors in this salad, especially the mint.

      Delete
  7. LOVE the sound of this salad! so delicious and perfect for the warmer weather :)
    Mary x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary,
      Thank you! You should try this one, and you won't be dissapointed.

      Delete
  8. Oh, this looks fabulous, Becky! Perfectly light and delicious...ideal for this heat!

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  9. Yum! This looks fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing it with me. I need to get some shrimp now. I'd love for you to take a visit to my brand new site! I hope you are having a beautiful day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Monet,
      Shrimp is so good to eat in the warm weather, especially in a salad like this I have been to your site, which is gorgeous, and showcases your talents very. well, but I didn't have time to comment, so I'll be back soon.

      Delete
  10. Lizzy,
    This salad is perfect for the warm weather, cool and light!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This salad looks yummy!! I love Cilantro so much!!!

    ReplyDelete

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