If the end of January is approaching then I know I can expect a variety of things:  emails from sites I subscribe to sharing the perfect Super Bowl snacks, bloggers swapping their tried and true party dish faves, and people talking about whether they’re planning on a game day get together or not.  None of it has been discussed in our house yet, because we’ve been busy, busy, busy with life enjoying a long weekend making like tourists in West Hollywood, soaking up the last bits of our youngest’s company before he returns to San Francisco for the spring semester, celebrating family birthdays and anniversaries, and in the past couple of days, nursing one of our cats back to health after a run in with a neighbor’s kitty.  Goodness!  And it’s not over yet.  Any time now, my husband will ask about what’s on our  Super Bowl agenda.  It always seems to be a last minute sort of thing most years, and that’s just fine with me because it doesn’t take too much thought to decide which snacks football fans will expect to have at their fingertips whether they’re for our small family, or a larger group.

I doubt there has ever been a time we haven’t had fresh salsa or pico de gallo with guacamole and tortilla chips.  A pot of chili with all the fixin’s and a salad for halftime eats are also the norm even though the chili recipe varies from one year to the next.  But I’m also known for sneaking in something that may raise eyebrows, causing certain guests to cast one another a nervous glance before pointing and asking, “What is that?” then politely suppressing the urge to continue with, “Do I have to eat it?”  as they reel their fingers back in.  Actually, they now ask, “How do I eat it?” because it seems my food often has rules that accompany it — or must seem like it does.   Is it supposed to be dipped, or layered?  Which of the ingredients on the plate create the best bite?  Is it finger food, or do I need a plate and fork?  To their credit, they seem much more enthusiastic than they did years ago, so I know my risks to encourage people to try something new haven’t failed, and that makes me happy.

They’ve long accepted they will never see “taco pie” loaded into a corn chip bag with a plastic spoon sticking out of it coming from my kitchen because they figure it’s something the snack bar on the Little League field sold when they were kids.  Once upon a while ago, they may have seen cheese sauce hot from the microwave ready to pour over their tortilla chips and call the mess nachos, (shhh…don’t tell anybody) but now, they get hummus or white bean and roasted garlic dip with toasted bread, crackers, or raw veggies and they like it.   And sometimes, they get to bite into spicy grilled sausages, nestled into a crusty sandwich rolls smothered with grilled onions and peppers, then topped with mustard.  That still counts as manly game day food, doesn’t it?  I hope so, because if it doesn’t, then my football party days are over.

Many of my close friends have been changing the way they eat for a variety of reasons.  Losing weight always seems to be on everyone’s mind, but honestly, as we’ve gotten older, lowering cholesterol or blood pressure, controlling Type 2 Diabetes, and yes, even learning to tolerate food during and after cancer treatment have far outweighed the desire to lose a few pounds for the sake of simply looking better in our clothes.  None of this has stopped us from enjoying the food we share when we get together because making sure it’s fresh and delicious is the ticket.

These crab stacks are the perfect party food.  They’re light, bursting with flavor, easily adaptable to a variety of ingredient choices, can be made in advance, and most importantly, fit nicely into anyone’s healthy life style.  I’ve been invited to Gojee’s virtual potluck and know people will enjoy it!  Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.  

If you’ve never visited gojee, then you’re in for a treat.

See you there!

Crab Stacks with Ginger Lime Dressing

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 T agave nectar

6 T lime juice

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. pea shoots

1/4 c. Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 c. cucumber, sliced

1/4 c. red onion, diced

1/4 c. mango, diced

1/4 c. avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, roasted and chopped

1/4 c. fresh crab meat

2 T chopped peanuts

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Prepare ginger-lime dressing by mixing ginger, agave nectar, lime juice, garlic, and water. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate at least 1-2 hours and as much as over night.
2. To assemble the crab stacks, you’ll need two cylinders such as dessert rings or recycled cans with the bottoms removed.
3. Lightly spray the inside of the cylinders with cooking spray, then line two small dishes with pieces of plastic wrap large enough to pull up and over the cylinders (you’ll need to do this after you’ve built the stacks) and place the cylinders on top of each.
4. Begin layering ingredients inside each of the cylinders in this order:  pea shoots, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, mango, avocado, jalapeno, then finally, the crab.  Gently press down on each ingredient as you fill to make sure it’s securely layered.
5. If making ahead, pull the plastic wrap up over each and wrap, then place in the fridge until ready to serve.
6. To serve, choose a large platter and place each cylinder on it.  Unwrap and holding the cylinder with one hand, slide the plastic from beneath it.  Then slowly lift the cylinder, pushing lightly on the ingredients to reveal the stack.
7. Finish by sprinkling the chopped peanuts and cilantro over each stack, sprinkle baby salad greens around the platter if desired, and drizzle with the ginger-lime dressing.
8. Allow everyone to admire the crab stacks before encouraging the first guest to dig in, scooping into the stack with crackers or toasted slices of bread.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from Rappongi’s Chef Stephen Window’s Polynesian Crab Stack.  Rappongi’s is one of our favorite San Diego restaurants.
• The original recipe calls for sugar instead of the agave nectar and double that quantity.  I’m not fond of overly sweet salad dressing so prefer my adaptation more.  It allows for the flavor of ingredients to stand out instead of the sugar in the dressing.  Honey would be another good choice.
• I used canned crab meat for this recipe Blue Star.  It comes chilled in a 1 lb. can and is much more than is needed for this recipe, so I wrap it up and freeze it for a later use.  It’s pricey at about $16/lb. but when you consider all you can make with a pound, it’s worth it.
• Have some fun with the ingredients if those on the list above aren’t available to you.  Pea shoots are available at Whole Foods and Sprouts, but you could use a different type of sprout instead, or leave them out all together.
• Colorful bell peppers, either diced raw, or roasted and cut into strips would be a nice option.  Thinly sliced apple would also be delicious, grilled pineapple, or citrus such as blood orange slices, or grapefruit.  If you don’t like crab, then try shrimp or tuna.
• The peanuts add a nice crunch to the mix so if you can’t use peanuts, then try toasted pine nuts.  Even a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds would add a nice touch.
• If you’re in the mood for a treat, just make one of these crab stacks for yourself and increase the amount of salad greens.  It makes a beautiful, elegant lunch, or starter for a special dinner.
• Speaking of salad greens, that’s my first ever crop of salad greens I’ve grown.  I have a pot just outside on my patio that barely gets enough sun in the winter, and so sprinkled the seeds over the soil my tomatoes are usually planted in.  The tender crop has somehow managed to escape the attention of snails so has done really well!  All in all, as much as it is interesting to do this, we eat so much salad, there’s no way one pot could ever keep up with us.  Still, I’m proud of my first effort!

 For more delicious crab recipes perfect for parties

Cayla’s Kitchen Sink — “Cold Crab Dip”

Pham Fatale — “Seafood Crab Salad”

Chez Us — “Hot Spicy Crab Dip”

I had an urge to make paella — but not the more traditional kind made with rice — and now that I think of it, if rice isn’t in it, then it’s probably not called paella.  No, I’d seen a recipe featured in Saveur some time ago which used thin, short pieces of pasta resembling spaghetti broken to bits, and it’s taken me until recently to give it a go.  I haven’t made paella for years thinking that having a best friend who’s a pro at whipping out her four foot diameter authentic paella pan whenever anyone mentions “party” has kept me lazy.  I don’t have a paella pan, but can manage a batch in a large skillet on my stove instead of a wood fueled fire on the patio which could incite neighbors to call 911 because they think the house is on fire.

The intrigue of the pasta or fideos based paella is the cooking process.  It’s very similar to a rice-based recipe, but pasta absorbs the liquid more quickly, and there’s less a worry about whether or not to stir the rice you’re not supposed to stir so it can develop a nice crust.  That isn’t the case with the pasta version, but it’s a challenge to keep from stirring it when you’ve got an impetuous stirrer in residence.

A basic paella requires a good pan which is not so thick, heat that will be distributed evenly across the pan, a short-grained rice that will absorb liquid without making the rice gummy, and liquid.  The finished product should be moist, but unlike risotto, contain separate pieces of tender rice.  Since I was foregoing rice for the recipe I chose, and because the original recipe was relatively easy, I decided to make my own fish stock — because.

Picture me at the Asian market in front of the fish case scanning several varieties of fish heads.  Large fish heads.  Inexpensive fish heads –  all under $4/lb.  A perky young man behind the counter asks whether he can help me and I tell him while pointing to a white fish, “I’m making fish stock,” to which he responds pointing to the salmon, “It better for you.”  I know this, but also know it’s very oily.  Should I mention that no matter how good salmon is for me, I am not one of its biggest fans?  He continues, “You want me clean it up for you?”  And I say that I’m happy to do it myself, but he grins and says, “I do it better for you.  You too busy.”

I am so not busy and loving every second of it.  Any busyness in my life now is self-generated.

But he certainly was correct about doing it better than I could, because after I removed the brown paper wrapping at home, I had to admire an extremely clean,  perfectly sectioned salmon head.  What had I been thinking before?  Had I insisted on taking care of it myself, I would have had to wrestle with it without the correct type of knife, then smell like the village fish monger for my trouble.  A not very busy fish monger, but still.

I was still concerned about making broth with salmon so had to do some research before choosing a recipe.  Evidently, it’s a matter of opinion.

Have you ever made any kind of fish stock before?

If you aren’t in the mood to tackle that, there are other options, but if you’re a paella lover, try this version of Fideua for a change.  Or, if you’ve always wondered about paella but haven’t tried it, start with this.

Fideua:  Spanish Pasta with Clams, Mussels, and Shrimp

Ingredients for my version

1 lb. small clams
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1  lbs. shrimp, whole with shells on
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lg. leek, split, rinsed, and white and light green portion sliced
salt and pepper
8 cups fish stock (see below)
1 large pinch saffron threads
1 tsp. hot paprika
1 lb. fideos or spaghetti, roughly broken into 2” pieces
1 lb. green lip mussels, scrubbed and debearded

Directions

1. Clean the mussels and clams by  rinsing under cold water to rinse of any sand, and remove the beards from the mussels if still attached.  Rinse the shrimp as well.
2. In a very large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and tomatoes and allow to cook 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepp
3. While the vegetables are simmering, heat the stock until hot, remove from heat and stir in the saffron and paprika.  Allow to steep until ready to use.
4. Sprinkle the fideos over the vegetable mixture and toss until moistened.
5. Add the shrimp, mussels, and clams to the mix and evenly distribute over the other ingredients.
6. Pour the hot broth over, making sure the seafood is as submerged as possible, and allow to cook undisturbed until the fideos are al dente, the shrimp brightly colored, and the clams and mussels opened.
7. Serve.

Ingredients for salmon stock

1 salmon head, quartered, cleaned
1 small onion, quartered
2 lg. cloves garlic smashed and peeled
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1 bay leaf
sprigs of fresh thyme
sprinkle of whole peppercorns
6 c. water
1 c. dry white wine

Directions can be found here.

Recipe Notes:

• Was this the best “paella” I’ve had?  No — but I did enjoy the variety and quantity of seafood in it.  We’re big fans of shell fish and enjoy the broth created whenever we cook it.
• Outside of chopping a couple of the ingredients, this was an extremely easy dish to prepare, and it’s a show stopper.
• If you’re not interested in making your own fish stock, you can use bottled clam juice, but it will be much more pricey than the cost of a fish head.  You can also use vegetable stock, or water.  If you use water, some white wine added to the vegetables will add to the flavor.
• We successfully avoided stirring the dish as it cooked, and it’s completely against the rules evidently, but I also covered the pan partially with a baking sheet for part of the cooking time.  I was worried about ending up with soggy pasta and unopened clams, although in other recipes I’ve tried, 6 minutes is usually enough to steam open the clams.
• So what are the rules?  This article published in Fine Cooking discusses authentic paella and it’s short and sweet.
• Here’s another version of Fideua, or Spanish Pasta by Mark Bittman which includes scallops but uses a surprisingly low amount of liquid.

More Paella Recipes:

• Cast Iron Paella at Macheesmo
• Paella La Rambla at Kitchen Butterfly
• Fisherman’s Paella at gastronomy
• Seafood Paella at Wrightfood
• Paella Amongst Other Things at La Tartine Gourmande
• And this version at Food & Wine which is on my list to try next — and I won’t wait as long as I did this time to make it.  It includes chicken, Spanish chorizo, and sole.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve written here and I’d like to say it’s because we’ve stopped eating — our waistlines would most likely appreciate it if we had — but sadly, that is not the case.  With my youngest son’s last year of high school recently drawn to a close and my own reinstatement as par-boiled domestic engineer coinciding with that of my son’s accomplishment, I’ve been distracted.  I’ve spent 31 years raising my children and had a busy career for much of it, so one might think that with endless amounts of time to look forward to, I’d roll up my sleeves and get on with whatever I’d wanted to do when time didn’t allow.  Instead, I’ve been involved in perfecting the fine arts of avoidance and procrastination.  Meals I’ve prepared have been relatively simple and those I’ve experimented with and taken the time to shoot have had photos languishing on my hard drive waiting for even the tiniest hint of motivation.  It seems that impending empty nest syndrome is alive and well in Paradise.

My son will be off to college late in August and so I’ve spent quite a bit of time taking stock of our lives.  Sounds heavy, doesn’t it?  Somewhat like pushing away from the table after a huge holiday dinner vowing never to eat again — unless it’s light and healthy, of course.  From a non-food perspective, this would mean we’re taking things lightly this summer — the summer before we’re sans children in residence.  The summer before we look at one another and say, “Where did all those years go, and how did we get to be this old?”

Time flies.

It seems that light, uncomplicated, and nutrient packed food is in order — like salmon.  Maybe we can dupe our bodies into thinking they’re spry again.  It’s a start, right?

This recipe is quick, tasty, and requires little or no prep.  Perfect for warm weather and relaxing times.

Grilled Pancetta Wrapped Salmon Skewers

1/4 c. + 2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 green onion, sliced very thin

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper

1 lb. salmon

4 oz. pkg. pancetta

In a small bowl, lightly mix 1/4 c. olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, onion, salt, half the pepper and set aside.  Heat grill to medium high.

To make the skewers, slice skin from the salmon and discard.  Mix 2 T of olive oil with the remaining pepper and rub over both sides of the salmon.  Cut into even cubes about 1″ in size.  Unroll each pancetta circle, and using two for each cube of salmon, wrap one around 4 sides, then a second to cover the remaining sides, securing it with a toothpick.  Continue until all the salmon is wrapped.

Wipe a grilling basket with an oiled paper towel and set salmon pieces inside.  Place the basket on the grill and cook covered about 2 minutes before turning once.  Cook an additional 2 minutes until salmon is just cooked through.

Drizzle the parsley sauce over and serve the remaining quantity for additional dipping.

Notes:

• I adapted this from a recipe published in the June 2010 issue of Sunset magazine which calls for a more traditional threading of several salmon cubes onto longer skewers.  If you don’t have a grilling basket, this would clearly work better unless your grill grate has narrow gaps.
• If you don’t have a grill that registers temperature, in order to tell if the the heat is ready for cooking, hold the palm of your hand 5 inches from the surface of the grill.  If you can leave it there 2 seconds, then it’s about medium high heat.
• Searing the salmon pieces in a hot skillet or broiling them would be an alternative way to enjoy this recipe.
• The parsley vinaigrette is very nice.  I’m more inclined to use lemon or lime juice but enjoyed the red vinegar in this recipe, its acid just right for the richness of each bite.  I’m thinking that a good shake or two of dried pepper flakes would be a tasty addition next time.
• Pancetta is similar to bacon in that both are cured pork belly; however pancetta is not smoked.  If you substitute bacon, consider using only 1/2 slice of bacon per cube of salmon.
• We don’t often eat salmon because of its rich taste but enjoyed this recipe quite a bit.  The small portions were perfect for a light and very flavorful meal and would be a great addition to a party platter or as a starter course for a more formal dinner.
• Lucky is the person who can benefit from a couple of pieces left over the next day for lunch.  The flavor is still excellent if not more so.  Wrap well after cooled and then store in the fridge.
• I used wild-caught Alaskan Coho for this recipe.  It caught my eye because I hadn’t previously noticed it in the fish case at the market and it was less costly than the King Salmon normally sold.
• For information regarding responsible consumption of salmon and other types of fish, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch is always a great resource.
• Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids reported to be of benefit for a variety of health reasons, but you probably already knew that, didn’t you?  All things considered, the recommended number of portions of salmon per week is only one.

If you’re like I used to be, you try to get some exercise occasionally.  Actually, my efforts constituted more than trying for several years.  I rose before the sun at least four mornings a week on good weeks, stumbled into my car, and drove to my friend’s house hoping that my light knocking on her door wouldn’t wake the dogs.  I often felt that our trudging through the dark streets, sweating up one hill and huffing down the next had little effect.  Of course, my stamina had definitely improved, I no longer wheezed when trotting up the stairs, and most of my clothes fit better.  Unfortunately, the scale and I haven’t had an amiable relationship for years, so I rarely factored its results into my evaluation about whether my toiling was having any kind of noticeable effect.

How sad.

The last seven months of no exercise have taken their toll.  Although I’ve chosen to completely avoid my scale so can’t have the bad news confirmed, and my clothes haven’t quite taken on the appearance of a wet suit, I’ve begun to puff when I walk up stairs again.  My knees hurt, and my feet feel as if they’re carrying around a pack mule’s load.  So with little fanfare, and conscientiously avoiding any talk of a resolution, I’ve promised myself to take better care of my body.  I know how to do this and so I will.  It doesn’t mean giving anything up;  it means paying attention to what I eat, and how much.

It also means I have to get out of bed before the sun at least four mornings a week.  My good friend will join me two of those days, and I’m hoping I can get my husband to at least think about it on the other two. In the meantime, indulge me my veggies.

Have you ever made spring rolls with rice paper wraps?

Not Quite Authentic Spring Rolls

For the spring rolls…

Spring roll wrappers (Bahn Trang)

basil

cilantro

mint

cucumber

carrots

green onions

snap peas

avocado

cooked shrimp *optional*

For the dipping sauce…

6 T soy sauce

6 T rice vinegar

squeeze of fresh lemon

3 T sesame oil

2 tsp. ginger, freshly grated

sriracha

To prepare the spring roll wrappers, layer a few paper towels onto the counter and dampen them.  Pour warm water into a wide-bottomed bowl.  The water should be very warm, but not so much that you can’t dip your hand into it.  Place one of the wrappers into the water to soften completely, about 15 seconds or so.  Remove to the paper toweling.

Layer basil first, then the vegetables, followed by a couple of shrimp, then the mint and cilantro onto the wrapper.  Fold one portion over the filling tightly, fold in the sides, then roll snugly until completely wrapped.

Cut in half, dip, and crunch away.

Notes:

• You can find the spring roll wrappers at your local Asian market, or if you’re lucky, Whole Foods.  They’re made of rice, salt, and water and can be delicate until you get the hang of softening them in the warm water.
• It’s fun to change the fillings to whatever you enjoy.  I like loading them with fresh, raw veggies because they’re so healthy, and quite filling.  Two or three are plenty.
• The dipping sauce is fun to play around with as well.  Mine is an adaptation of a salad dressing I got from the back of a bag of soy bean sprouts.  We’ve tried a peanut dipping sauce which is also good.
• If you’re thinking about calories and counting on this, the wrappers are about 30 calories each.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

It’s only a matter of time once the hint of Fall teases me with cool afternoons that I start thinking of soup.  I’m not partial to any kind of soup in particular as long as it’s warm and satisfying.  Sometimes I long for a clear broth and others something silky and smooth.  This time, I was in the mood for something chunky with a bit of richness — like clam chowder — except I didn’t have clams.  Seafood chowder sounded excellent too, but I wasn’t sure the tilapia I had in the freezer would be the right kind of fish for that.  No, I’d have to settle for the plump pieces of shrimp I had and the sweet corn and potatoes that needed to be used instead.  I just needed to find  a recipe that wouldn’t take up an  afternoon to prepare.

I enjoy my recipe searches because in the process I compare and contrast general quantities of ingredients, consider the variety of spices used and admire an unusual spin here and there.  It’s always nice to find a version that is healthy without taking away the satisfying aspect of the dish, too.   Every once in a while, I find a recipe that stuns me.  In my search for Shrimp and Corn Chowder, I found a recipe that seems to be making its rounds, finding it posted at several different sites.  Serving six, it calls for one quart of half-and-half, one quart of heavy cream, and one-half cup of margerine. Seriously.  I just about fell out of my chair wondering why on Earth it was necessary to put that much fat into a recipe that could easily do with much lighter ingredients and avoid classifying it as diet food.

Thankfully, I found a great recipe at Nook & Pantry, and although I didn’t follow it exactly as written, my version is not too far off.  Shrimp & Corn Chowder anyone?

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

4 ears sweet corn, kernels removed

6 oz. bacon

1 lg. shallot, chopped

3 lg. cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, trimmed and diced

3 T flour

1/4 tsp.  hot paprika

2 dashes cayenne

4 c. good vegetable stock

2 c. milk, 2%

1 lb. fingerlings, cubed, peelings on

1 lb. lg. shrimp, shells & tails removed

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in the bottom of a medium soup pot until brown, but not yet crispy.  Remove the bacon to some paper towels to drain and pour off all but 1 T of the bacon fat.  Add all the vegetables, stirring over medium heat, cooking until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute stirring occasionally.

Stir in the flour and paprika, coating the vegetables with it and allowing it to cook for a minute or two.

Add the vegetable broth, stirring any flour bits from the bottom of the pot as you pour.  Add the milk, corn, and potatoes and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook just until they turn pink and are cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes:

• This is a hearty chowder with bits and chunks of vegetables or shrimp in every bite.
• The hot paprika is such a wonderful addition to this.  A little bit goes a long way, but if you’re someone who isn’t fond of heat don’t worry.  You’ll have just the slightest hint of warmth at the back of your throat and its quite pleasant.  The pimenton picante or hot paprika I use is made by Chiquilin and is a product of Spain.  If you can’t find it at your market, La Tienda is a great source for Spanish products like paprika and they sell quite a few varieties.
• This recipe makes enough for six good servings and since there are only three of us, we enjoyed it left over even though I worried about the texture of the shrimp with reheating.  Reheat low and slow and the shrimp manages just fine.
• In case you’re wondering about the recipe I mentioned at the beginning of this post, just the heavy cream and half-and-half alone in that recipe racks up almost 6,000 calories of saturated fat.  I’m still amazed!
• I’m thinking I’d like to put a southwest spin on this next time adding a few roasted poblanos and a bit of cilantro.

I’d love to say it’s salad weather here, but if you are fortunate to be a resident of San Diego, then you know that not only have we been experiencing the typical overcast weather we lovingly refer to as May Grey, but are definitely headed into a serious June Gloom.  Although I am one who doesn’t need the sun shining each day, the marine layer is extremely thick right now, and temperatures have been in the low 60s.  It’s more like sweater weather and is quite gloomy.  In fact today, it’s been drizzling all morning, and I can’t help but wonder about the outcome of  outdoor plans made by those who expect our normally perfect weather, and are now disappointed.

We are salad lovers, and that means salad is a year round treat regardless of the weather.  Recently, my husband said he needed to lose a few pounds, so that usually translates to salad for dinner with no carbs on the side.  That doesn’t mean I make more salad than I normally would.  Instead, it means I’m able to try new combinations of flavor, adding more ingredients, and warming it up a bit with something cooked.

I’ve heard others mention they don’t care for warm salads, and far be it from me to criticize someone’s taste for salad — with the exception of the “canned pea-Velveeta cubes- smothered in Miracle Whip” concoction which leaves me nearly speechless.

This shrimp and spinach salad has more than one kind of “heat.”  If you’re not one for cooking your salad ingredients, then consider what chili heat can do for your taste buds.  It’s satisfying and healthy.

Spicy Shrimp and Spinach Salad

6 c. baby spinach
1-1/2  c. snap peas
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil + 2 T
1/4 sweet onion, chopped
1 red jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. turmeric
juice of 1/2 lemon
shrimp for two
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss the spinach, snap peas, and tomatoes.  Set aside.

Heat 2 T of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the onion, cooking until softened.  Add the jalapeno, ginger, and spices, stirring to mix well and cook for 1-2 more minutes.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil and heat.  Add the shrimp and sautee until the shrimp is opaque and pink.  Do not over cook.  Squeeze the lemon juice over and season with salt and pepper.

Divide spinach between two dinner plates and add the snap peas and tomatoes.  Pour the shrimp mixture over each plate and serve.

Notes:

• I rarely use fresh shrimp.  It’s not for any reason other than I always have frozen shrimp.  Whether it’s with tail, or completely peeled, it’s in my freezer.  It comes in handy for occasions such as this.  Usually I measure out the amount of shrimp I want to use and put it in the fridge to thaw over time.  But often, I haven’t planned and so find myself with frozen shrimp in a strainer so I can submerge it in a large pan of water.  Either way, it makes for a quick meal.
• Yes, shrimp is in that sea food group that we often hear is more healthy than eating meat.  To me, it fits in the category of sometimes, but not always, just like meat.  Here’s another source of information on the subject.
• If you’re one of those who doesn’t enjoy a warm salad, then saute the shrimp and allow it to cool to room temperature.  Or, parboil the shrimp ahead of time, chill it, and marinate it briefly in the dressing which doesn’t have to cook at all if you prefer it that way.  I haven’t tried it, but know that it would work.  It depends on how much heat you want from your spicy ingredients.  For me, cooking tones down the heat.
• This would be a perfect salad to feature grilled anything if you need a reason to cook outside celebrate summer.  Trust me!
• Speaking of spice — use any kind of chili you prefer.  I happened to have an overly ripe jalapeno, so that’s what went into this salad.  I love chilis, but have to say that this salad was extremely spicy!  I was surprised by the heat because often the longer a jalapeno sits, the more mellow it becomes.  Not in this case!  If you don’t enjoy chili heat, then leave it out.  Increase the amount of onion, and/or add some garlic.
• If you’re not a spinach lover, then use a different green.  But choose something that has nutritional value if you can.  We love spinach!
• The sweetness of the snap peas with this combination is very pleasant — especially if the chili is very hot.  Cucumber would also be a nice addition.  Definitely avocado.
• Forget the salad — I’m wondering about the shrimp over rice.
• After you enjoy this salad for dinner, listen carefully to catch your husband downstairs later sneaking about and pouring a bowl of cereal.  So much for his diet!
• This salad was inspired by a recipe from the February 2009 issue of Food & Wine in an article featuring “hearty winter salads.”  Yes, this one’s hearty, indeed.