Yesterday was the first day of summer! It shouldn’t surprise anyone that means a change in our food habits (clearly, Winter Isn’t Coming). And during the warmer months, when the kitchen begins to seem like a furnace, people start talking about “summer salads” and “light” dishes. As if you can’t slurp stew all year round! Well, in case you’re sick of the same green lettuce salads that tend to get a lot of play at this time of year we’ve got you covered! Luckily, inspired by our mothers, we’re cooking up some alternatives for you to seeming endless amounts of the same baby spinach and mushroom salad.
Eastern Market’s Shrimp Salad
First, a couple weeks back Stacy took her mother out to their beloved Eastern Market and returned with a plastic container of liquid. The story goes that Carol (Stacy’s mom) had purchased a container of a salad with fresh bursts of flavor, plump shrimp and an amazingly light and creamy herbed sauce.
But, I wouldn’t know. Because Stacy arrived home, handed me the empty container with mere drops of sauce and said “This used to have shrimps in it. Make it!” With that challenge in mind, I made my best and most delicious attempt at a shrimp salad!
Ingredients
- 1lb. shrimp (we used 21-30 shrimp), peeled and de-veined, wild-caught preferred
- 2 Tbsp lard*
- 1/4 C mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp honey (raw preferred)
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tsp chopped chives
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 1/2 Tbsp freshly chopped if you are a garlic fiend)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Melt lard in large skillet over medium heat. Cook shrimp in the lard until pink all the way through, about 2-3 minutes per side, until just turned a vibrant pink color - you still want them tender on the inside. Or, have your fish monger steam them for you!
- Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add shimp and toss to combine.
- Serve over a bed of lettuce or perhaps inside an infamous Against All Grain Tortilla.
Notes
*We didn't want you to die of shock from having a recipe post void of anything pig related. Rest assured, we're still committed to the over-marketing of Beyond Bacon and found a way to get an ingredient in! Of course, coconut oil or butter would work too.
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Ambrosia Salad
Next, my mother used to make a fruit salad she called “Five Cup Salad” because it contained only five ingredients (oranges, grapes, pineapple, sour cream, marshmallows). Now that I’m grown up, people tell me that this is called “Ambrosia Salad” and can contain any number of ingredients. With that in mind, I went to work on inventing the paleo-fied version of this dish I could. It’s not an everyday food, but the family was thrilled when we served this for a party!
Ingredients
- 1 C marshmallows, diced into squares about the same size as the fruit (3/4")
- 1 C coconut flakes
- 1 C drained diced pineapple, we used canned in juice
- 1 C drained mandarin orange sections, we used canned in juice
- 1 C drained pitted and halved cherries, we used Tillen Farms (bada bing was all our local store had, but online you can order Maraschino!)
- 6 oz So Delicious Greek Style Plain Coconut Milk Yogurt, Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt, or Full Fat Kefir, Yogurt or Sour Cream
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (we doubled the recipe for a large crowd). Fresh grapes would be a great addition if you like them!
- The marshmallows will melt a little bit into the liquid of the salad, which will thicken the sauce a bit. We recommend adding a few fresh marshmallows and diced cherries to the top before serving. Serve chilled.
Ambrosia Salad
Ingredients
- 1 C marshmallows, diced into squares about the same size as the fruit (3/4″)
- 1 C coconut flakes
- 1 C drained diced pineapple, we used canned in juice
- 1 C drained mandarin orange sections, we used canned in juice
- 1 C drained pitted and halved cherries, we used Tillen Farms (bada bing was all our local store had, but online you can order Maraschino!)
- 6 oz So Delicious Greek Style Plain Coconut Milk Yogurt, Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt, or Full Fat Kefir, Yogurt or Sour Cream
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Hope you’ll enjoy your next summer barbecue with our help!
