Shrimp, Avocado and Iceberg Lettuce Salad

Summer has definitely arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina. Yesterday the temperature hit 95 decrees Fahrenheit, with 84% humidity but feeling more like 107 decrees. When it is this hot you really don’t want to turn on the stove and heat up the house.

Sure you can head out to one of your favorite restaurants for a meal, or you can stop by
your local market, pick up a pound of cooked shrimp, avocado, iceberg lettuce and eggs.

Fresh organic field greens make for a great salad but sometimes iceberg lettuce is the perfect base for a cool satisfying salad.

Here is one of my favorite quick, refreshing and easy to prepare salads.

Shrimp, Avocado and Iceberg Lettuce Salad

• Ingredients:
• 1 pound of cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
– Boiled fresh shrimp or boiled frozen shrimp
• ½ head of iceberg lettuce, rinse, pat dry with paper towel and chop
• ¼ sliced red onion
• 1 Ripe Avocado, cut in half and scoop out the avocado then slice
• 2 Hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
Options:
1 large tomato diced or cherry tomatoes cut in half

• Dressing:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon powdered garlic
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Dash of sweetener, agave or honey
– less than ¼ teaspoon, to add just a hint of sweetness

• How to Prepare:

• Peel, devein and remove tails from the boiled shrimp, sprinkle with a teaspoon of chili powder and set aside
– You can also purchase shrimp that is cooked, deveined and the tails removed
• Rinse, drain and pat dry the iceberg lettuce with a paper towel
• Chop the lettuce and toss in a large salad or mixing bowl
• Peel and slice the red onion and add to lettuce
• In a small mixing bowl whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, chili powder and sweetener
• Pour the dressing over the lettuce and red onion, toss
• Divide the salad into four plates
• Slice the avocado in half, remove the seed, scoop out the avocado and slice
• Peel and chop the hard boiled eggs
• Top each salad with ¼ avocado, hard boiled eggs and load on the shrimp
• Add fresh tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms or whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand