Mediterranean Spiced Shrimp Salad
Nourishing. Colorful. Quick. Easy.
This week I took a non-intentional deep dive into the Mediterranean countries and the spices in this region - and I sort of went down a deep rabbit hole with this article and the spices of the 16 Mediterranean countries. There are many spices used in mediterranean cuisine, but I chose dried oregano, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, paprika, cumin, and ground black pepper. The aroma is astounding. II used this spice mixture when cooking the shrimp and the eggs and also sprinkled it on top at the end. A side note: I prefer my eggs as a mixture of scrambled (but not whisked before) over boiled in my salads just to add some more texture.
This salad is a perfect balance of healthy fats, fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, leafy greens, and acidic, cold raw veggies. And the spices are packed with phytonutrients that help us fight cancer and other chronic diseases. The Siete chips on the salad just fuel my obsession of them and add a crunch (sometimes I scoop up part of my salad because, you know, I like to live a little).
I absolutely love being able to look down at a full, colorful plate and name every ingredient that is on my dish. Simple, simple, simple. Let’s get back to basic foods.
This salad serves 4-5 large servings, but honestly you can add more or less of what you like and make it work for you.
Ingredients:
Large salad mix
1 tablespoon of dried oregano, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, paprika, cumin, and ground black pepper, mixed together in a bowl
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 canned black beans, rinse and drained
4-5 pasture-raised eggs (1 per salad serving)
2 medium cucumbers, chopped into small quarters
3 small Roma tomatoes, diced into large chunks
Sesame seeds
Organic feta cheese
3-4 ripe avocados
Eggplant and Olive Bitchin’ Sauce (so freaking good)
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350*F.
Mix spices together in a bowl and set to the side.
Thaw your shrimp and prep for cooking. Drizzle the shrimp with 2 tbsps of olive oil and half of the spice mixture. Bake shrimp for 9-13 minutes.
Chop tomatoes and cucumbers while the shrimp bakes and set to the side. Dice avocado for salad topping, as well as drain and rinse your black beans.
Also while the shrimp cooks, prep your salad mixture on the plate and cook your egg, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 of the rest of the spice mixture.
Start with your greens and make your salad, topping with veggies, egg, shrimp, feta, sesame seeds, black beans, avocado, and a side of chips.
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