The summer season brings late nights, intense heat and humidity, and vacations. All of which don’t leave me wanting to use my oven all that often if I can help it. We actually just got back from a little road trip to Gulf Shores, AL and I did not want to have to cook dinner, but the little man in my house (and the grown man) felt the need to eat. Sigh, vacation is definitely over.
I have found an easy way to make nutritious, delicious and filling meals without turning on the gas. Most of the time I make salads with rotisserie chicken or tuna fish sandwiches, but when I really want to mix it up I make this crazy simple shrimp salad. Honestly, it’s more of a shrimp salsa that can be eaten alone, made into a lettuce wrap or put on crostini, if you’re feeling fancy.
The recipe is super simple:
-1 bag frozen shrimp
-1 red bell pepper
-½ medium red onion
-2 avocados
– 1 to 1 ½ mango
-Cilantro
-Salt to taste
-Fresh lime juice from 1 lime
-olive oil to taste
The best thing about this salad is it is completely made to your taste. If you like more onion, add the whole thing. If you want to add an ingredient, like corn, then have at it!
I chop the bell pepper, onion, mango, cilantro and avocado and combine them in a bowl with salt, olive oil and lime juice. I let the mixture marinate while defrosting and removing tails from the shrimp. Then, I toss them in the bowl with the other ingredients, add some more salt, stir it all together and let it rest in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. It’s absolutely fine to eat as soon as you’re done mixing, I just prefer to let it all chill. If you choose to make a lettuce wrap or crostini you can prepare the lettuce or bread while the salad is in the fridge.
There it is! A great easy, yummy, oven free meal for stress-free summer nights!