Mediterranean Potato Salad with Shrimp and Feta

My mother-in-law shared the recipe for this incredibly flavorful potato salad which is overflowing with juicy shrimp, crisp summer vegetables, tasty feta cheese, and the most tantalizing lemon and basil dressing ever.  I highly recommend it!

Mediterranean Potato Salad with Shrimp and Feta

makes 10 cups (adapted from Cooking Light)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salad:

• 1 1/2 pounds cooked baby red potatoes, quartered (about 5 cups)

• 1 pound medium shrimp, cooked and peeled

• 1 cup red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

• 1 cup yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

• 1 cup red onion, cut into thin strips

• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

• 2 tablespoons Kalamata olives, chopped and pitted

• 3 cups thinly sliced Romaine lettuce (added just before service)

Directions

To make the dressing:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small jar; cover and shake vigorously.

To assemble the salad:

1. Toss all the remaining ingredients (except the lettuce) together in a large bowl with the dressing.

2. Add the lettuce just before service. Enjoy!

Notes

• Consider removing uneaten lettuce before storing leftovers because it will wilt and become soggy.  

• The recipe doesn't call for tomatoes, but I think they would make an excellent addition.

Spicy Pickled Shrimp

This is my take on a recipe I recently spied on a wonderful blog called One Perfect Bite.  These tasty shrimp are wonderful and there's no way you can stop at just one!

Despite the long list of ingredients, the recipe is a snap to put together. The hardest thing about making it is the 4-hour wait to sample the finished product.

Okay, okay, I confess, I nibbled while I waited. 

Start by slicing a medley of bell peppers. Love all the bright colors.

Peel and devein 2 pounds of large shrimp. I used 16-20 size (that means there are 16-20 per shrimp pound). I reserved the shrimp shells to make stock.

Time to make a simple seasoning mixture that tastes very much like Old Bay.

Next the shrimp are tossed with the seasoning mixture and the juice of one lemon.

The shrimp are then steamed in a basket suspended over about an inch of water to which the reserved lemon rind has been sliced and added.

The moment the shrimp are done, they are chilled on ice to stop the cooking process. Don't be tempted to use ice water because that would wash all the yummy seasoning away (the shrimp are super yummy to eat at this point).

And lastly the shrimp and sliced bell peppers are added to the marinade ingredients that were whisked together in a large bowl and the mixture is chilled for 4-72 hours.

Try really hard not to swipe a shrimp every time you walk by the fridge.

Mmm, Mmm - Hubby and I loved these.  Totally Delish.  Enjoy!

Spicy Pickled Shrimp

makes 2 pounds

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pounds large or jumbo raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• juice of 1 lemon, rind reserved

• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced

• 1 small green bell pepper, sliced

• 1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced

Seasoning Mix (Old Bay copycat):

• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

• 1 teaspoon sweet Paprika (*2 3/4 teaspoons of Old Bay Seasoning may be substituted)

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar or white vinegar

• 3 cloves garlic, pressed

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 2 medium shallots, finely sliced

Directions

1. In a small bowl, make the seasoning mix by combining the celery seed, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper and paprika; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, place the prepared shrimp and sprinkle with the juice of one lemon; stir and set aside (save the lemon rind for later).

3. Sprinkle shrimp with seasoning mix and toss well.

4. Steam shrimp in about an inch of water that has the reserved lemon rinds cut up and added to it. Steam just until the shrimp are done (as soon as they turn pink); chill shrimp in ice.

5. In a large bowl, make the marinade by whisking all the marinade ingredients together.

6. Add chilled shrimp and sliced bell peppers to the marinade and toss to coat.

7. Refrigerate for 4-72 hours.

adapted from oneperfectbite.com