I love hot weather. It’s one of my favorite season. But I won’t lie that it’s a bit unbearable without an AC. And since I can’t afford to waste my money on electricity, there’s no AC in the house. So all the heavy cooking/baking tends to be done in the early mornings when it’s still cooler weather, damp from dew and cooled by night breeze.
After making baked falafel, which took a long time, I knew I needed to bake something that would be faster. So I opted for spicy cajun shrimp. It’s amazing. You have try this recipe from Culinary Colleen. I haven’t tried it with other food but I’m sure it would be good for vegetables like okra or asparagus.
Since the main meal is quite spicy, I decided a sweet and tangy salad would be a good option. Of course, make sure to keep the dressing super light, meaning lemon and salt. Don’t let the salad overpower the cajun shrimp. It should compliment and support each other’s taste. The spice is spicier when the salad is cool and calm. The fruits will be sweeter when the savory is spicy and rich.
Ingredients for Salad
- Batch of lettuce, about 2-3 cups chopped
- 4-6 medium strawberries
- a small handful of blackberries
- 1 grapefruit
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup of crushed unsalted pistachios
- lemon juice, as needed
- salt and pepper, as needed
Recipe for Spicy Cajun Shrimp can be seen at Culinary Colleen
1. Chop up lettuce, dice strawberries, and cut grapefuit and avocado. You can use crushed pistachios or serve as is.
2. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice and throw a dash of salt and pepper for taste. I love using the truffle salt. Gives it a more earthy taste.
3. Mix well and serve with the spicy cajun shrimp.
I admit, I LOVE the color of this salad. It’s absolutely vibrant and fresh and inviting. Colors draw my appetite so much.
Though I have to admit I cheated a bit and didn’t have all the salad since I had a dinner date with a friend. But I did taste it pretty good from the bit I had. My boyfriend devoured it all.
I did order salad to keep within the goal: Larb Gai, spicy lime chicken. I will have to make this one day.
