I know I’m not the only one to ever utter or think, “Oh my gosh, I’m just too tired to cook.” In the summer this happens at my home a lot. With The Captain working late and me feeding hungry visitors, I tend to have less energy to stand at the stove and prepare a bona fide meal. Last week I led two tours and walked nearly 20,000 steps. The idea of standing any longer than it took to get inside my boutique apartment to the bed was beyond comprehension.
However, we still needed to eat. Something easy, yet filling and of course flavorful. Even in my exhaustion, I wanted good food. The Captain will eat just about anything, so it usually gets down to what I would like to eat. Bottom line, whatever it was it had to be convenient.
Lately my taste buds have had a love affair with chipotle aioli. It seems this ingredient is the new condiment of choice at many restaurants and I have even seen it available by the bottle in some grocery stores. It’s creamy and spicy, a perfect combination.
A couple of weeks ago I discovered some fun and tasty salads at the grocery store. They were chopped salads with the dressing, croutons, etc. all in one bag. It can’t get any easier than that. By adding a few additional ingredients, I had a substantial dinner on the table, or in our case the TV trays, in about 30 minutes. There are a lot of varieties of these salads and I found my favorite, chipotle ranch. This is good stuff. I also love that the salad mix has kale in it because that’s a super food and then I feel good about myself because I’m eating a super food and being all healthy and that. Pay no attention to the fact that I had a 5th Avenue candy bar to build up the energy to even make the salad. Don’t judge…it was a long day.
To appease a hungry captain I knew I’d need to add a protein, so I opted for some shrimp. This is typically my go-to ingredient because they’re usually on sale and they cook up quite quickly. I made a marinade from fresh lime zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, and really good tequila. They marinated in the fridge for about 15 minutes and roasted up quickly in the oven. I tossed them into the salad and violà! A healthy, delicious meal in no time. The bonus is there’s very little clean up. I also added a few extras to the salad to give it a little more substance.
Summer in Juneau is a busy time for many of us and I absolutely love it. I tend to eat out more because of time, visiting friends and family, and simply being more social. However, we do need to eat at home and keeping it simple is the rule. Neither of us has a lot of time to cook, of course I mean me, because, WE know who does the cooking at our house. But, neither of us has a lot of time or energy, to clean up. To be fair, The Captain pitches in to help with the dishes quite a bit. The best part is that we spend a bit of quiet time together to enjoy the blessings living in Juneau has provided.
This week, I present a quick meal that takes a bit of help from the grocery store: Tequila–Lime Shrimp Salad. Halibut, salmon or even chicken will work great with this recipe.
Until next time…
Eat and enjoy,
Midgi
Tequila Lime Shrimp Salad
½ pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
Zest and juice of one lime
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 teaspoons good tequila
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Chopped salad mix (Chipotle Ranch Flavor)
1 avocado, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
Any other salad veggies you enjoy
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine lime zest and juice, tequila, cumin, pepper, salt, and olive oil in small bowl, pour into small resealable bag, and add shrimp. Marinate in refrigerator about 15 – 20 minutes. This is a good time for some wine.
Pour salad greens into large bowl, add chopped celery and any other salad veggies you enjoy. Toss with included dressing, set aside.
Roast shrimp in oven for 5 – 7 minutes, until cooked through. Be careful to not overcook.
To plate: add salad to bowl, top with avocado and shrimp, garnish with fresh cilantro.
