Home Sweet Home

Dormir 5
Originally uploaded by ondiraiduveau

We're back from Ormond, got in late last night just in time to unpack and hit the sack. As much fun as we had over the weekend, I was glad to be back in my own bed, all the kids under one foot and kitties curled up at my feet. (It is ridiculous how much I miss my cats when I'm away, my children accuse me of missing them more, lol!)

I got up early this morning and stepped on the scale with trepidation, nervous about how all the pizza and rich Valentines Day dinner would impact the numbers. WHAT? What? How is it possible that I lost 3 pounds this weekend? Could that daily walking have had that much impact? Or maybe I didn't snack as much? I'm going to do some thinking about it today, try to figure out what I did right over the past few days and how I can continue doing so!

It's Pizza Night at the Castle but I truly think I've had enough of the gooey cheesy stuff for a while. Instead I'm going to prepare myself a big salad with some shrimp, feel like I'm low on my veggies and this should do the trick. With a POINT value of only 1, I'll be able to enjoy a glass or two of chardonnay during happy hour. Oh, and my black feline Jezebel will also be pleased because she always gets a bite or two of shrimp. Spoiled? But of course!



Grilled Shrimp Salad

POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 4 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Works with Simply Filling

We all love grilled shrimp, but who's ever heard of grilling lettuce? Actually, it comes off the grill sweet and lightly wilted, just waiting for the dressing.

Ingredients

1/2 pound(s) shrimp, medium-sized (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 large head(s) lettuce, romaine
1 medium head(s) lettuce, radicchio
1 spray(s) cooking spray
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, aged variety
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions
Toss the shrimp, oregano, thyme and garlic powder together in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Cut the head of romaine in half lengthwise, leaving the root end intact, so that the leaves on each half are held together by the root. Cut the radicchio in quarters, lengthwise, leaving the root end intact, so that the leaves on each quarter are held together.

Spray the grill rack or a large grill pan with nonstick spray; heat the grill or set the pan over medium heat. (Note: Never spray nonstick spray directly into a heat source, whether a grill or a stove.)

Lay the shrimp on the grill or in the pan. Cook until pink and firm, about 3 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a serving bowl.


Spray a wad of paper towels with a nonstick spray and wipe the grill rack or grill pan quickly, being careful not to burn yourself.

Add the lettuces cut side down. Pressing down with the back of a large metal spatula or a small saucepan lid, cook until slightly wilted and marked from the grill, about 30 seconds. Transfer the Romaine to a cutting board. Flip the radicchio quarters to the other cut sides; grill 20 seconds more. Transfer to the cutting board.

Roughly chop the romaine and radicchio; add it to the bowl with the shrimp. Toss with the vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve at once. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.