Greek Chopped Salad with Shrimp

The beauty of a chopped salad is that you can used whatever raw veggies you have on hand - cucumbers, red peppers, purple cabbage, celery - they are all contenders. Here is what I did with what I had on hand. And I always have shrimp in the freezer to make a full meal.

Of course equally beautiful is that chopped salads are not only quick to prepare (use prepared cold cuts like rolled ham to go even faster), but they are also obviously healthy.

1/2 purple onion, sliced

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 Tbsp water

1 dozen shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp Pimenton, smokey Spanish paprika

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Greek Yogurt dressing:

3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp good real mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp prepared horseradish

1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups mixed greens - I just used shaved Iceburg lettuce

2 cups broccoli flowerets

1 cup small cauliflower flowerets

1 carrot, sliced

1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted

8 grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 lb favorite soft cheese, diced - I had dill Havarti but feta might be even better

1/2 lemon, in wedges

Mix the onions in a small bowl with the vinegar and water and toss well. Allow to pickle while preparing rest of dish.

Heat a stainless steel or cast iron skillet very hot (do not use non-stick). Turn on your fan - this may smoke a bit. Mix the shrimp with the oil, paprika and coriander in a small bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

Tip the shrimp into the hot skillet and shake to assure a single layer. Then do not disturb the shrimp - no stirring! Step away from the shrimp; allow the shrimp to sizzle and brown vigorously for about 1-2 minutes. Use tongs to flip each shrimp and cook another 1-2 minutes until the shrimp are just cooked through. Remove shrimp to a plate.

Now whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Divide the greens as a bed on two plates. Top with the rest of the chopped veggies and cheese. Drain onions and divide between both salads. Lightly dress each salad and lay half the shrimp on top of each salad. Sprinkle with some lemon juice. Serve salads with extra lemon wedges and remaining dressing on the side.

Serves 2.

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