Shrimp Salad

This is my very first blog.  I am excited to be able to share my love of cooking with you.  My goal is to blog about the recipes that I make in my kitchen for my busy family.  I promise to share both the successful and the unsuccessful recipes. (Even chefs have their share of recipe failures.)  I am looking forward to taking this journey with you.

Tomatoes are the name of the game this week.  The 3 tomato plants in my garden are loaded with red tomatoes.  (Sweet 100, Roma and Better Boy)  I have been incorporating fresh tomatoes into almost every meal since they are at their peak.  Tonight's dinner was southwestern shrimp salad.  With the temperatures reaching nearly 100 this week, I thought a fresh from the garden salad would be the perfect summer meal.  I paired our salad with some fresh pineapple and baked tortilla chips with salsa.

Southwestern Shrimp Salad
Juice from 2 limes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, diced
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
Spinach and butter lettuces 
fresh cilantro for garnish

Combine lime juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic and red pepper flakes in a skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Add shrimp and saute until almost pink.   Add corn and cook until shrimp is pink.   Remove from heat and let cool.   Stir in black beans, green onions and tomatoes.  Divide lettuce between 4 serving bowls or plates.  Top with shrimp mixture and pour any remaining liquid over the salad.  Garnish with  avocado and cilantro.  I didn't need any additional dressing but my husband added salsa to his salad. 

Bon Appetit!