Mangia Monday!

Monday Morning
Faces, sculptured in sunken gloom, throng the streets in despairing and anxious haste. Being once again, habitually, shocked by the terror and cruelty of reality, as the clock starts its journey along the rails of another week of the same.
-John O'Connell

Hello! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! As usual mine just FLEW by!! I am always amazed at all the activity that you can cram into two days - no wonder why I am always tired on Monday! Do you feel the same? Mondays are my day of rest, no major cleaning, simple meal, just doing the basics! In honor of my Mondays I have a easy-peasy recipe to share! Enjoy!


Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:

* 2 Packs cherry tomatoes, halved (red and yellow)
* 4 Tbsp lemon vinaigrette (recipe below)
* 3 Tbsp shallots, peeled and finely diced
* 16 oz cooked shrimp, thawed and tail tips removed
* 2 avocados, peeled, pitted & diced
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 head green leaf lettuce
* 1 loaf Italian bread, grilled

Directions:

1.) Place tomatoes in bowl.
2.) Add lemon vinaigrette, shallots, & shrimp; toss gently.
3.) Allow mixture to sit at room temp 10 min for flavors to mix.
4.) Add avocado & season to taste with salt and pepper.
5.) Stir gently to combine.
6.) Portion lettuce on 4 serving plates.
7.) Top lettuce with shrimp salad.
8.) Serve with grilled Italian bread.


Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon minced shallot
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.) Whisk all ingredients in bowl to blend.
2.) Season with salt and pepper.
(This can be made 1 day ahead, store in refrigerator)

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

“To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist -- the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one's vinegar.”
-Oscar Wilde

Hello! I hope you had a great weekend! Mine was busy, yet fun and it still is not over! For those of you who over-indulged this weekend I have a simple, yet satisfying salad recipe for you. It is a quick, one dish meal - serve with bread and you are good to go!

“Friends are the Bacon Bits in the Salad Bowl of Life.”
-Unknown


Curry Yogurt & Almond Chicken Salad
Serves 8

Ingredients:

* 4 cups celery, diced
* 1/2 cup red onion, peeled and minced
* 4 cups red seedless grapes, halved
* 1 Rotisserie chicken, dice meat
* 12 oz curry yogurt dressing (recipe below)
* 2 heads green or red leaf lettuce

Directions:

1.) Put celery, onion, grapes, chicken in a bowl.
2.) Add dressing and coat well.
3.) Arrange lettuce on plates.
4.) Top lettuce with chicken mixture.
5.) Serve immediately.

"Salad - Freshens without enfeebling and fortifies without irritating."
-Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Curry-Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 1/4 cup lowfat plain yogurt
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon low-fat milk
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.) Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
2.) Whisk until well mixed.
3.) Thin the dressing with milk, if desired.
4.) Chill well before using.

Silly Joke of the Day:

What do you get if you cross a chicken with a cement mixer?
.....A brick layer!

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!