A Summer Salad with a Mexican Flair

We're on the last Friday of the school year and I couldn't be happier.  I'm ready to kick off summer and spend some time with my boys.  I'm sure my tune will change come August, but for now I can't wait to have them home.  The other selfish part of me can't wait to sleep in a little longer.  My internal alarm clock is set for 6:30, but I can usually silence that and sleep a couple of extra hours when I don't have to be awake :)  My boys are finally getting to the age where they sleep a little longer in the mornings, too.  And when they do wake up before us, they're really good about finding something to do...like playing with their "guys" or drawing.  

We got to celebrate our oldest yesterday and watch him receive an award for "bookworm of the class" during his award ceremony at school.  He was SO excited.  He's my extremely tender-hearted one and when he found us after the ceremony he had tears in his eyes.  I asked him if he was upset about his award and his response was, "No.  I'm half happy crying/half sad crying.  I'm excited about my award, but sad first grade is almost over."  Bless him.

I took him out for a little one-on-one time after his awards ceremony.  Dad had to go back to work and I thought it would be a great afternoon for some ice cream and some fun at the park.  He was beside himself.  He loves our date days.  So do I.   I was really proud of myself for resisting a DQ vanilla waffle cone when I had the chance to indulge.  That's a rareity. I came home and whipped this dish up instead.  And the best part was the lack of guilt I felt after eating :)  Win/win....but I'm still thinking about that waffle cone.  

CHOPPED SPINACH SALAD WITH MEXICAN SHRIMP and CILANTRO AVOCADO DRESSING

Mexcian Shrimp via  Healthy Feels Happy

1 lb. raw (peeled & deveined) shrimp

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

3/4 tsp. salt

pinch of dried oregano

2 tsp. coconut oil

2 TBSP. low sodium chicken broth

2 cups baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup corn, drained

1 cup black beans, rinsed & drained

1-2 avocados, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

First up, let's prep the shrimp.  This will take no time once you get it going.  Love these kind of meals!

There was no one at the counter when I tried to order my shrimp, so I opted for a bag of frozen raw shrimp instead.  Once they were thawed out, I peeled and deveined them.  That took the longest.  

Now mix together all the spices in a large bowl (cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano) and then add the peeled shrimp.  Toss to coat shrimp thoroughly.  

Add the coconut oil to a large pan and heat on medium high.  When the oil is heated, add the shrimp to the pan.  Be sure that each of the shrimp are sitting in the pan and not on top of each other so that they all cook evenly.  Heat until shrimp are cooked through (pink on the outside, white on the inside), transfer to a plate/dish, and set aside.  

Pour the chicken broth into the same pan and heat on low.  As the broth heats up, start scraping the spices from the pan and mix to combine with the liquid.  Continue to mix the liquid with the spices until the broth thickens.  Turn off the heat and return the shrimp to the pan.  Mix the shrimp with the broth mixture until coated.  

Now go ahead and chop your spinach then transfer to a large bowl.  Add the drained/rinsed beans & corn, chopped cilantro, avocado,  and then toss in the shrimp.  Mix together until combined.  I went ahead and added about 2 tablespoons of dressing to the salad.  Instead of making my own dressing, I phoned it in.  This is one of our favorites.....

I'm not typically a huge fan of bottled dressings, but we absolutely love the flavor of this!!  

I also think THIS DRESSING would be amazing with this salad.  

The shrimp would definitely be delicious on their own if you aren't a fan of salads.  I *almost* served it with a side of roasted asparagus, but Mr. Spouse was REALLY hungry and I knew I needed something that would fill us up a little more.  

As you can see, quick and easy!  And the flavor was outstanding.  We'll definitely be revisiting this salad in the warm summer months to come!!!

I'm also planning on trying out some of these mouthwatering salads I've been pinning...223 of them to be exact.

  If I can get to even 5 of them, I'd be ecstatic ;)  We all know how that works!!