Hi Guys! I have been having a bit of a whirl-wind month of work and traveling (for fun and for work)and am so happy to be home and desperately trying to get back on track in all ways. Why is it so easy to get off your routines when you are traveling? What do you guys do to keep some normalcy when you are working too much or on the road? In the mean time, I am getting it together this week!
Like getting back to sleeping normally (PSA- if you create a complex ideal sleeping environment for yourself at home featuring your special mattress, your special pillow, your special weighted blanket, your special white noise machine, your special AC cranked up to Antarctic temperature, etc, then you are in for a real rough nights sleep when you travel and realize your hotel room isn’t very special when it comes to your weird sleep rituals.)
And how about exercising!? Wouldn’t it be cool if I started that back up again? I normally box and do Muay Thai 4 days a week, but have not lifted a finger in weeks. Except to dip fries in ketchup and hold my wine glass and clack away on my keyboard.
And then comes a healthy eating program. Isn’t it so weird how if you drink cocktails every night and eat French fries like 3 times a day that your pants get tight?!
Gah… I think I have painted the picture and I imagine that most of you have been there more than once! It’s time to try to balance things out a bit. Less wine, more gym time and much fresher food! This salad seems like a really great place to start.
This is a big bed of fluffy, peppery baby arugula, topped with creamy avocado, crisp radishes, crunchy carrots and sweet spring English peas. Then comes the garlicky, gingery prawns (yum!!) and the slightly sweet Ginger-Carrot Vinaigrette which is as flavorful as it is pretty.
This is happening tonight, and I am going for this type of eating all week so that I can smack things back in line!
What is your favorite go-to “I’m eating healthy this week” meal?
- Pan-Fried Ginger Prawns:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound large shrimp or prawns
- Ginger Carrot Vinaigrette:
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon raw ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons honey or agave (optional- omit if you are paleo)
- 1 cup chopped carrots, steamed or boiled until fork tender
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- kosher salt to taste
- Salad:
- 8 cups fresh baby arugula
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 cup blanched peas
- 4-6 carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
- For the Pan-Fried Ginger Prawns:
- In a bowl or plastic bag, combine the olive oil, garlic, ginger and salt and mix well. These can marinate up to 8 hours in this mixture.
- When you are ready to cook them bring a large heavy skillet to temperature over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and all of the sauce, ginger and garlic and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through and golden around the edges, 1-2 minutes on each side. Set the shrimp aside.
- For the Ginger Carrot Vinaigrette:
- Combine all of the ingredients in the jar of a blender and puree until creamy. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
- To assemble the salad, pile the arugula and then top with sliced radishes, carrots and avocado. Add the shrimp to the top of the salad and then drizzle with the dressing. Top the salad with the blanched green peas and sprinkle with fresh chives and serve immediately.
LOVE the colors and textures!!!
LOL! What is this nonsense about less wine? Kidding. I’ll join you. But only if you serve this salad!
Such a lovely bowl! All the colors and textures! Makes me ready for Summer!
I think this is my perfect meal!
For step two are you suppose to add the shrimp to the olive oil, garlic, and ginger? Or are you just marinading the olive oil, garlic, and ginger (without the shrimp)?
Ah! I just saw it’s confusing. Marinate the shrimp in that combo for up to 8 hours!