What better dish for these sparkling Australian spring days then a delicious salad. Pam Powell‘s new book, Beautiful Salads (Voyageur Press) has a fantastic selection of healthy, nutritious and delicious choices. This colourful, spicy grilled shrimp and strawberry salad with spicy strawberry vinaigrette is a mighty good start!
Serves 6–8
Pistachios add a wonderful crunch to the combination of shrimp and strawberries in this spicy, sweet, refreshing salad. Pistachio nuts have a delicate, subtle flavor and are a good source of calcium, thiamine, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin A.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp. strawberry preserves
4 tbsp. minced sweet Vidalia onion
⅛tsp. powdered allspice
¼ tsp. fresh lemon thyme
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. finely ground black pepper
½ cup light and buttery-flavored olive oil
⅛tsp. cayenne pepper
Salad
16 fresh MSC-labeled Oregon pink shrimp, peeled (2 per person)
5 oz. spring greens
2 c. sugar snap peas
1 lb. fresh strawberries
½ bulb kohlrabi
2 ripe but firm avocados
½ c. roasted green pistachios (see recipe on page 15)
Method
Prepare the vinaigrette Place all ingredients except for cayenne into a small blender. Pulse-whirl together just until smooth and completely blended (about 10 seconds). Pour vinaigrette into a small glass jar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to make salad. Use 1/4 c. vinaigrette with the cayenne pepper blended well for the shrimp marinade. Add the cayenne pepper a little at a time, and taste as you add.
Prepare the shrimp Pour ¼ of the vinaigrette over the peeled shrimp, toss to coat, and marinate for 1 hour. Place shrimp on grilling skewers. To preheat the grill, set all burners on high heat, and close the lid. Heat for 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 500–550°F. Turn down to medium heat, and with the lid down, cook the shrimp 2 minutes on each side. Shrimp will turn pink when done. Let shrimp cool until read to assemble salad.
Prepare the produce Wash and dry the spring greens. Wash, dry, and cut the sugar snap peas diagonally. Wash and dry the strawberries and then remove the stems and cut into fourths. Wash, dry, peel, and grate large the kohlrabi. Cut the avocados into uniform bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the saladArrange half the greens on a pretty platter, sprinkle with half the shredded kohlrabi, half the pistachios, half the avocados, half the sugar snap peas, half the cooled shrimp, half the strawberries, and then repeat. Just before serving, drizzle spicy strawberry vinaigrette over the salad.
Images and text from Beautiful Salads by Pam Powell, photography by Alison Bickel. Voyageur Press RRP $39.99
