Thai-Inspired Shrimp Jar Salad

Here we go again! (I know it may seem soon, but I left 2 of the 4 cobb salads with my Aunt, so I needed something else for lunch) After the somewhat epic failure of our last salad (it was delicious, but too high in calories AND fat), I have gone to the opposite extreme this time. For whatever reason, I was just standing down at work the other day, and carrots, edamame, red peppers, shrimp and peanut sauce popped into my mind. To I whipped out the iPhone and made a note, and thus this salad was conceived. The only issue was finding the time. Between dog sitting, trivia, real work, and getting back into the dating saddle, the most opportune time to make this salad was between midnight and 1:00 this morning. But, as I said in the intro, this is about finding the time, so that was the time I found.

I started with the dressing first this time, making sure that it was going to be both tasty and lower in calories. I based it off a recipe I found online at the "Skinny Fork," and mixed it all up in one of my absolute favorite vintage kitchen tools:

Yup, a vintage 1990's Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing shaker. This is one of my favorite tools, and my preferred method for making chocolate milk (with Quik Powder, of course). I ended up grating the ginger with a micro-plane, and skipped the sesame seeds. Either way, I added a little extra rice vinegar, and ultimately a little bit of water to thin the dressing a bit, and that seemed to taste pretty good without being obscenely high in calories.

For whatever reason I decided that I needed to roast the edamame, because I believe that sleeping is for squares. I roasted 2 cups of thawed, shelled edamame at 375 for about 17 minutes with a dusting of cumin, garlic salt, onion salt, dried basil leaves and a splash of olive oil to coat them (I literally dumped everything into a tupperware container and shook it vigorously before dumping it onto a baking sheet).

Next I tackled the shrimp. For cost reasons, and because I think they taste better, I bought raw shrimp, peeled them and sauteed them with a clove of garlic (pressed), some salt and pepper, and the most minuscule ration of olive oil imaginable (yay for OO in a can)! I absolutely LOVE how quickly shrimp cook up.

I let both the shrimp and edamame cool while I cut, washed and dried the lettuce, and chopped up the scallions and red pepper (I was a lazy cook and bought shredded carrots in a bag).

I did cut up the shrimp a little bit (thirds and halves) and then it was assembly time:

Dressing
Carrots
Scallions
Red Peppers
Edamame
Shrimp
Cilantro
Lettuce

The hardest part of the process was the Shrimp Shucking, that took a good portion of forever, but otherwise, an easy salad with very delicious and LIGHT results!

Recipe for 6 salads (Quart-size)

Dressing:

1 1/2 T Brown sugar
3 T Canola Oil
4 T Rice Vinegar
1 T Sodium Soy Sauce
2 T Jif Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
1 T Ginger Root, Grated
2 Garlic Cloves, Pressed
1 t Sesame Oil
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Sriracha
2 T Water

Salad:

1.14 pounds raw shrimp peeled
1 clove garlic pressed
Salt & Pepper to taste
Spray Olive Oil

2 c. Frozen Edamame thawed
Cumin
Dried Basil leaves
Onion salt
Garlic salt
1 t Olive Oil

10 oz shredded carrots
6 scallions chopped
2 red bell peppers chopped
1 head romaine lettuce chopped
Cilantro leaves (fresh) chopped

Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients together (I prefer the shake in a container method) and portion into the bottom of each of six 1-quart mason jars. 
2. Season edamame to taste and sprinkle with olive oil. Spread on a flat baking sheet and roast for 13-17 minutes turning once. 
3. Peel shrimp and season with salt a pepper, cook with little olive oil over medium heat turning often until pink and tender. Cut shrimp into bite-sized morsels. 
4. Once cooked ingredients have cooled, assemble the salad: dressing, carrots, scallions, peppers, shrimp, cilantro, lettuce. 
5. Store upright in sealed jars. To serve, shake lightly to distribute dressing and contents, pour out into bowl and enjoy! 

I was very pleased with this salad. It is very light, protein-packed, and easy. I would probably throw a lime wedge in the top in the future and squeeze that over the salad just before eating to just add an extra shot of flavor.

Dressing Calories

Salad Calories

For whatever reason MyFitnessPal does not let you use your recipes as ingredients in other recipes, so I have had to display the calories separately for the dressing and the actual salad, but total calories is 296 for the jar!