It is now a new year and a new month today. I am on the golden passage countdown and in 19 days I will be turning 50 years old. While getting a long overdue and much deserved pedicure last week, I read a great quote from Julia Louis Dreyfus..."I try to push worry down and pull the Spanx up!", when asked how she deals with aging. LOVE THIS!! That has to be, without a doubt my motto!
So, in between pulling my Spanx up and trying to keep my worrying down, I am back in the competition volleyball gyms and traveling with our girls and team tournament catering every other weekend. I am in awe of how far they have come in this sport and in their maturity and growth. They are now looking at colleges and we are praying for recruitment and scholarships to see them through their college dreams.
As always, our schedules have been beyond hectic, so quick, "post holiday figure friendly" meals have been trying to make it to the table. I am typically the one in the house that is craving shrimp (of any kind) and my husband will always be the first one who wants "The Big Salad", (if you were an avid fan of the Seinfeld tv show, you will remember Elaine's Big Salad episode - hilarious!!).
Needless to say, I was able to pull together the best of both worlds and we had this amazing shrimp salad. It has the perfect amount of crunch, flavors and was an awesome light dinner for the two of us.
Mexican Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad
1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
5 Tbl. olive oil (divided)
salt and pepper
1 Tbl. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small head romaine lettuce, leaves torn to bite size pieces
1/2 small jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
1/2 cup seasoned tortilla strips
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pepitas on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Heat grill (or you can cook on a grill pan inside on cooktop) to medium-high. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the cayenne, 1 Tbl of oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, remaining 4 Tbl. olive oil and whisk well. Add the lettuce, jicama, pepitas, shrimp, and avocado and toss with dressing to combine. Plate salad and top with Cotija cheese and tortilla strips.
**Note: You may want to double this dressing portions, if you're like me and don't want an overly dry salad.
One Year Ago: Sweet Dreams Cake
Two Years Ago: Ham and Cheese Biscuit Bake
