THAI SHRIMP SALAD

It’s going to be wonderful.

So tell me, how was your weekend? We never talk about that! We should talk about it. Mine was arl gerd. My mom and sis were up for a quick visit, which consisted of us listening to the new JT nonstop, especially, “that coat and tie song!” as my mom says. Then they left and Aaron and I got the garden tilled. We got the lettuces and the herbs in. He built a sweet trellis for our berry patch. S’gern be peeeeeemp.

Are you gardening yet? Get anything in the ground this weekend? I still need to tackle our window boxes. I usually go with bright orange and red geraniums and begonias. With ivy on each side, all spilly and cascadey. It’s just so dang gorgeous! I think I’ll do that this week.

Are you bored?

We can talk about this super simp to the shrimp Thai salad instead. (I didn’t even know that was going to happen.)

See that greenish water in the noodles right below those words I just typed just 10 seconds ago? It’s green because it’s the same water I used to cook the sugar snaps in. Planet saving, you guys. I want to say boom right now but I don’t want you to flick my face.

So the way this goes is, you blanch your peas. You cook your noodles. (all that takes, what, five minutes? six? seven?)

You sear your shrimp. You slice up some fresh peppers, cherry toms and romaine. You grab some fresh herbs and crunchy peanuts. You put your right foot in. You take your right foot out. You whisk together a zingy dressing and you shake it all about.

Build build build, layer layer layer. You do the Thai shrimpy salad and you turn your mouth around.

That’s what it’s all about.

Thai Shrimp Salad:

What it took for 2 huge awesome salads:

* 6 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 Tbs. soy sauce
* 1 tsp fish sauce
* 1 tsp sambal oelek (or more if you dig a little kick!)
* 1 Tbs. brown sugar
* 3 Tbs. lime juice
* 1 Tbs. minced red pepper (sweet or hot, your call)
* 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 cup sugar snap peas, blanched and cooled in an ice bath
* 2 bundles vermicelli noodles, boiled and rinsed under cool water (you can use the same water you boiled the snap peas in)
* 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
* 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers
* cilantro, mint leaves and crushed peanuts for garnish
* pinch of coarse salt and freshly ground peanuts

Make your dressing! In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 Tbs. oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, sambal oelek, sugar, lime juice and the minced red pepper. Taste that. Ridiculous.

Now, heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and sear on one side for 2 minutes. Flip and sear another minute.

Then you just build! Throw some romaine in the bottom of a couple of salad bowls. Then add some vermicelli noodles, the snow peas, peppers, tomatoes, shrimp, cilantro, mint, and some good crushed peanuts. Shake up (or whisk) your dressing one last time and then drizzle it over the salads.