Colorful Shrimp Salad

Last week was all about simplification, but life does need celebration!  This week’s recipe is a very festive and colorful dish to bring to any celebration.  The recipe is at least 20 years old and was given to my mom by a very fun loving person.  To my amazement, this recipe is perfectly acceptable for my children and their food allergies and is also gluten free.  They ate it and they loved it!

I also couldn't help but notice the striking similarity of shapes and colors of this salad with another recent celebration.  To celebrate my parent’s birthdays, my sister and I indulged them with an art adventure at SAGE Art Academy in Pueblo, Colorado.

Shrimp Salad Appetizer

2 pounds medium raw shrimp

1 lemon thinly sliced to maintain the cross section

1 orange, thinly sliced to maintain the cross section

1 cup pitted black olives, well drained

1 medium red onion thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped pimento

Marinade

¼ cup canola oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Dash of cayenne pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley, loosely packed
1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Shell and devein shrimp.  Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and add shrimp. Cook for 3 minutes, drain at once, rinse in cold water, drain again, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine lemon slices, onion, black olives, and pimento and toss well. 

In a smaller bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade, canola oil through mustard seeds.  After dressing ingredients are combined, add them to the bowl with the citrus slices.

Combine shrimp with the marinade and cover and chill for no more than 3 hours. 

Serve with toothpicks and arrange on a large platter atop a bed of fresh, clean, dry leaf lettuce.