Let's face it, despite the crisp air, nice trips to the snow in Big Bear, Mammoth, or Tahoe and of course the fun holidays...the winter can sometimes bring you down a bit. Besides daydreaming about your warm-weather excursions try combating those winter blues by feeding your guests summer salads! Culinary Concepts and their blog were kind enough to share these recipes for you to try yourself prior to hiring them to produce it on a grand scale for your big winter day!
For the Ambitious…
Curry Dusted Shrimp Salad
(serves 4-6)
- ¼ cup plus 2 T Olive Oil
- Pinch Salt & Pepper
- 1 T Yellow Curry Powder
- 1 lb Shrimp (21/25 count)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 cup Mixed Micro-Greens
- ¼ cup Basil, chopped
- ¼ cup Mint, chopped
- 8 Maitake Mushrooms, torn
Dressing (recipe below)
In a bowl, toss shrimp with 2T Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Curry Powder. Set aside.
Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add 2 cloves garlic and bring to a high heat. When the garlic is golden brown and very aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard. Add the shrimp to the pan, sprinkle with salt and sauté until the shrimp have turned pink and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Toss the maitake mushrooms in the pan and sauté for a mere 30-45 seconds.
Toss all vegetables in a large bowl with the desired amount of dressing (recipe below) and distribute to plates, adding a pinch of salt and pepper. Place shrimp on top of the salad.
Yuzu Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup Yuzu Juice
- 1 T Mixed Lemon & Orange Zest
- 2 T Grated Ginger
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- 1 cup Olive Oil
- 1 T Minced Garlic
- 2 T Minced Shallot
- ¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 T Sesame Oil
- ¼ cup Mirin
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve
Easy Like Sunday Morning…
Summer Watermelon Salad
(serves 4-6)
- 4 cups Watermelon, balls or 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup Halloumi or Feta Cheese, broken up
- ¼ cup Mint, chopped
- ¼ cup Basil, chopped
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 T Lemon Zest
- Dash of Sea Salt & Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss. Presto!