Riches to Rags Cooks: Mexican Grilled Shrimp Salad

For the second post in my new cooking series, I selected a recipe that appeared simple enough to prepare yet had a promising mix of diverse flavors. I found this Mexican Grilled Shrimp Salad on the Real Simple website at this link.



1/4 cup pepitas
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small head romaine lettuce
1/2 small jicama or 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco, or Feta (2 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pepitas on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven, tossing once, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the cayenne, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, Worcestershire, jalapeno, garlic, the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add the lettuce, jicama, onion, pepitas, and shrimp and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the Cotija.

A few adjustments I made:

- I like spicy. No, I LOVE spicy. If you don't love spicy, I would suggest using only 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne and 86-ing the jalapeno.

- I skipped the jicama and the Granny Smith. I realize either would add crunch as well as tartness to the dish but I wasn't feeling it.

- What the hell is Cotija? I had a hard enough time trying to find queso fresco here in Arm Pit, Illinois - there was NO WAY I was huntin' for Cotija.

Super easy to make and tasted DELICIOUS. I give it four out of five stars. (Mouth hated it, natch. I mean, it had LETTUCE in it, and he is allergic to ALL THINGS GREEN AND/OR LEAFY.)

This is a good dish for starter cooks - quick, easy, and has amazing flavors that will impress the pants off your date!

Buen provecho!