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For Electric Cooperative Members

The recipes we received for this month’s Salad Days contest ranged from simple vegetable mixes to elaborate conglomerations of varied ingredients. The winning recipe combined a smoky-sweet dressing with a little spice to make a memorable dish suitable to stand alone as a meal.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/8 teaspoons salt, divided
1/3 cup Thai sweet chile sauce
4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced into small pieces
1 tablespoon molasses or brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
16 ounces baby spinach
2 ripe avocados, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced into rings

  • Heat butter and olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Put half of shrimp into hot skillet, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté until pink, turning once. Cook about 3 minutes per side. Remove with slotted spoon into large bowl. Cook remaining shrimp, sprinkling with another 1/2 teaspoon salt and adding more butter and oil if needed.
  • When done, remove to bowl, pour chile sauce over all and stir to coat. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, fry bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to paper towel-lined plate.
  • Remove all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet, then add molasses, vinegar, 2 tablespoons water and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Remove from heat. Chop bacon into pieces and add to dressing.
  • Divide spinach among four serving plates. Top with similarly divided avocado and onion slices. Add six shrimp to each plate. Pour a quarter of the dressing over each salad.

Servings: 4. Serving size: 1/4 of salad. Per serving: 354 calories, 12.5 g protein, 24.6 g fat, 17.5 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g dietary fiber, 1,551 mg sodium, 7.6 g sugars, 76 mg cholesterol

Ann Baker, Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative