Everyone seems to be in the same boat this time of year coming off a holiday eating binge that leaves us feeling weighed down and a bit…blah. What I find to be hard is that the only types of dishes I crave are hearty and heartier. Of course you can always find those comforting and healthy meals (take for example the shrimp ratatouille dish I first blogged about,) but even those can make you feel a bit sluggish afterwards. So in an attempt to lighten things up around here, I flipped through Giada’s “Feel Good Food” cookbook I was given as a Christmas present (thanks mother-in-law!), and landed on this recipe.
My husband and I have a folder labeled “favorites” that contains only those recipes deemed worthy of being in our regular cooking “rotation”. At the end of tonight’s meal, he exclaimed, “I think we found a new one!” As I sit here writing this, I am so pleasantly full, yet the lightest I’ve felt after a meal in quite some time. This dish can be made any season, and is super easy to make. Enjoy!
Ingredients for salad:
- ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Grated zest of 1 large lemon
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound large shrimp (about 24) peeled and deveined
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 1 medium avocado, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 head butter (or romaine) lettuce separated into leaves
Ingredients for dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon light agave nectar (we couldn’t find in the store so we used honey)
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, mix together ½ cup of the olive oil, the soy sauce, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, chives, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and toss until coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the zucchini halves with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Grill until tender, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board.
- Grill the shrimp until pink and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to the cutting board.
- When cool enough to handle, cut the zucchini and shrimp into ½ inch pieces.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, agave, mustard, salt and pepper, until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, shrimp, and avocado. Add the dressing and gently toss until all the ingredients are coated. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the salad into the lettuce leaves.
My husband and I went about eating this dish different ways. He made a wrap with the lettuce around the shrimp, zucchini and avocado, while I ate it more like a salad with a fork and knife.
Makes 4 servings.
Heaven on a Plate 