This healthy, satisfying and delicious salad is perfect for these hot summer days and nights. In Traditional Chinese Medicine red leaf lettuce, cucumber, tomato, lemon, cilantro and avocado cool the body internally. Onion, corn, shrimp and cajun spices are warming and balance the other ingredients. The cajun spices give the shrimp a good flavor but are not overly spicy hot.

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As written this recipe will serve 4 hungry people.

Ingredients

•  3 to 4 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3 small cucumbers sliced
• 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
• 2 avocados peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup cooked corn kernels from 2 fresh cobs or frozen cooked and drained corn. I boil or steam the corn in the morning before I make the salad.
• 1  large red leaf lettuce chopped
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 lb large raw shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp cajun spice
• 2 cloves garlic pressed
• Pinch salt
• 3 Tbsp olive mild or extra virgin
• Juice of 1 large lemon about 3 Tbsp ( lime juice is ok too)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro (1/2 cup chopped)
• 1 tsp sea salt or 3/4 tsp table salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Preparation

1. Place the shrimp in a medium sized bowl, add 1 tsp cajun spice, 2 pressed garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Gently stir and toss to combine ingredients well.
2. Heat large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp butter and melt. Once butter stops sizzling, add shrimp in a single layer and sauté 2 min without disturbing. Turn shrimp over and sauté another 1-2 minutes until just cooked through. Don’t overcook shrimp because they will become rubbery. Place cooked shrimp on a plate and set aside to cool.
3. Chop red leaf lettuce into bite size pieces. Add lettuce to a very large bowl. Add the rest of the vegetables and gently mix /toss together. Add the shrimp to the salad bowl and gently toss.
4. For the salad dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together 3 TBS lemon juice with 3 TBS olive oil add a pinch of salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper and wisk again. Stir or wisk in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Drizzle dressing over the salad then gently toss and mix to be well combined. Serve and enjoy.

Toasted pine nuts (about 1/2 cup) can be substituted for the corn. Also grilling the corn instead of steaming or boiling adds another nice flavor to the salad. This recipe was inspired by Natasha Kravchuk at natashaskitchen.com.

This salad is so good I make it once a week during the summer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Stay Well,

Dr. D