Shrimp Salad on Avocados and Arugula

Shrimp Salad on Avocados and Arugula

There’s nothing quite like sitting down to a tasty lunch on a gorgeous San Francisco weekend and looking out at the city with good friends.  I used a recipe I found at Taste of Home as the inspiration for this recipe.  I have to say that tarragon is a spice I haven’t explored much, but it works really well in this recipe; I can see it moving into more regular rotation on the spice rack.

I’m back on trying to bring down points values wherever possible (you know, so as to reduce the impact of serving lunch with a side of brie and honey), so I made a few adjustments: using 1/4 of an avocado instead of half and using light mayo instead of the full fat version.  The flavors are so good in this salad that you don’t even miss the extra fat.

I seasoned the shrimp with salt, pepper and red chili flakes and cooked it about 1 minute on each side.

I also dressed some arugula with a light vinaigrette and used it as a bed for the salad.  Keep it to 2 Tbsp. to preserve the points value.

WEIGHT WATCHERS PLUS POINTS: 5 per serving (not counting wine and cheese)

This one works really well with Sauvignon Blanc.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 4-1/2 teaspoons capers, drained
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and divided into quarters

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Spoon onto avocado quarters. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Guacamole Chicken Salad, Black Beans and Taco-Seasoned Sweet Potatoes

Guacamole Chicken Salad, Black Beans and Taco-Seasoned Sweet Potatoes

As the week wears on, I occasionally find myself entering Safeway on my way home from work, weary from the week, hungry from the day, and looking for a quick and delicious solution to everything.  This dinner has become a go-to for that scenario.  It’s easy, quick and very tasty.  A quick turn through the produce aisle, a brief stop in the butcher department and  a drive by past the tortilla end-cap and you’re checked out and eating dinner before you can say “arriba!”   The original inspiration came from a blog I read on The Bitten Word 

Guacamole Chicken Salad

* 1 cup cooked, diced chicken breast (I used pre-cooked southwestern chicken strips available in the butcher’s department of Safeway)
* 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
* 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and finely chopped
* 2 roma tomatoes, cored and diced
* 1 minced jalapeno
* 2  limes,  juiced
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper or to taste

Combine chicken, cilantro, avocados, tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños, lime juice and salt and pepper.  Mix well and refrigerate.

Black Beans

• 1 can black beans, partially drained and mashed
• 1/2  16 oz. jar Salsa Verde, medium heat
• 2 Tbsp Chipotle Pepper Plant Sauce (this is optional, but gives the beans a really nice smoky taste)

Combine mashed beans, salsa verde and pepper plant sauce in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until piping hot.

Taco-Seasoned Sweet Potatoes

• 1 large sweet potato, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning (use more to taste)

Preheat oven to 400°.  Toss sweet potatoes, oil, and seasoning in a large bowl until sweet potatoes are well coated.  Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 4o minutes.

Once everything is done, arrange on a plate with your favorite tortillas (ours are a flour-corn combination from La Tortilla Factory) and enjoy.  Though I’d love to say we had it with authentic margaritas, tonight we paired with a cheap, Merlot that shall remain nameless.