Yesterday I attended two parties.
Right? Party animal, right here. 😉
The first was a bridal shower for my cousin Jake’s lovely fiance Michelle and the second was an engagement party for the same happy couple. Aren’t they the cutest? I used to babysit Jake back-in-the-day and cannot believe he’s about to tie the knot! Where does the time go? 
Both shin-digs were just awesome. Family, friends, good food, lots of laughs and of course, lots of celebrating!
The shower was hosted at the beautiful house of one of my aunt’s friends. Not only did Sue, the hostess, provide the space for the event, but she also prepared lunch for the guests. Everything was absolutely delicious. From the peach tea cocktails and the enchiladas, to the orzo salad and frozen coffee dessert- she truly outdid herself with this party menu!
What stood out to me the most, however, was the amazing shrimp salad she made. It had gorgeous pink Florida shrimp, thick ribbons of pasta and a creamy dressing to tie it all together. Since eating this dish, I have been craving it. So naturally, I whipped up a version of my own, and it is out of this world!
This salad is light but succulent, with juicy shrimp, chunks of buttery avocado, ribbons of perfectly blanched zucchini, kernels of fresh sweet white corn- right off the cob, a zesty and creamy lime and cilantro dressing, and just a pinch of chopped red onion, fresh jalapeno and chopped cilantro. It can easily be whipped up with scallops, crab meat, grilled chicken if you’re not a fan of seafood, or omit the protein for a simple and delicious vegetarian dish!
- 12 cooked shrimp, peeled and cleaned- tail off
- the juice of 2 limes
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 zucchini blanched (directions-
- 1 cob of fresh white corn
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 red onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 fresh jalapeno
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
- PREP WORK: Finely chop the garlic clove and red onion. Remove the seeds and rib from the inside of the jalapeno and finely chop. Use a spiralizer or mandolin to create zucchini ribbons (you can also use a sharp knife to thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise) then add to boiling water for 1 minute to blanch. Remove the kernels from the corn cob. Finely chop the cilantro. Pit, peel and dice the avocado into bite-sized chunks.
- In a small bowl, combine the juice of 1 lime, half of the chopped cilantro, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and the chopped garlic clove. Stir to combine and then add in the shrimp and the avocado; and then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, Greek yogurt, the juice of 1 lime, the rest of the cilantro, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Add in the corn, onion, jalapeno, zucchini, shrimp and avocado. Stir gently to coat.
- Serve chilled.
