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Merrie’s Margarita Shrimp, and More

August 7, 2009

As I mentioned in my Peachy White Sangria post, I was at a farewell party Tuesday night for our friend Karen, who is moving out of town. (Boo! But yay for a reason to have a party!) Merrie hosted the gathering, and everyone knows when they go to Merrie’s for a party (or really, anytime) they’re going to be well-fed. We each brought a contribution to the meal, but on the whole Merrie outdid herself with a variety of foods, with lots of different complimentary flavors and nothing that was too heavy — that’s important when you’re trying to sample a lot of different dishes!

From top left and clockwise, Merrie made: Whole wheat panko-crusted chicken breasts that were marinated in Soy Vay (there was another batch done in a honey mustard marinade); Merrie’s Margarita Shrimp (recipe follows); a spinach, sliced strawberries, and goat cheese salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar; pasta salad with sun-dried peppers; a cumin-heavy bean salad; and some aloo gobi that Suzanne brought from Bollywood Bistro in Pleasantville. In the center of it all is Black Bean Confetti Salad. I should add that this meal came after an appetizer course and before fruit salad, cookie cake and a frozen yogurt cake from Purple Monkey. Clearly, no one went home hungry.

The stand-outs to me were the spinach, strawberry, and goat cheese salad, which is drizzled with balsamic vinegar (no oil). This is one of those recipes where the end result is so much more than just the flavors of the four ingredients thrown together. It’s creamy, sweet, and just a tiny bit bitter and acidic, all in the right proportions.

The other dish everyone raved about was Merrie’s Margarita Shrimp, which is like a red onion, mango, and avocado salsa tossed with tequila-marinated shrimp and in a tequila-based dressing. I would cook this at home without the shrimp, as a vegetable side to a barbecue. You could sub in chicken instead, also. I’m not usually a fan of mango (I can’t even stand the texture of it in order to cut one up for J., who loves them), but even I adored this salad. Here are Merrie’s instructions:

Merrie’s Margarita Shrimp

Marinate frozen shrimp in tequila (big pour), lime juice (one lime squeezed), olive oil (1 turn), and a pinch of salt. Let sit in the fridge for 3 hours or freeze for another time.

In a large bowl, combine: 2 diced mangoes, 2 diced avocados, half a diced Bermuda onion, a handful of cilantro (chopped) and the juice of one more lime.

Saute shrimp in marinade until shrimp are fully cooked and the liquid boils. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and add to the mango mixture. Add 3 spoonfuls of the boiled marinade and 1 turn of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Mix well and chill. Listen to “Margaritaville” (or 80′s music) as you eat and enjoy!

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Filed under: Salad,Thinking Out Loud,Veggie Mains,Veggie Sides

Tags: Bermuda, Black Bean Confetti Salad, creamy, cumin, Margarita Shrimp, Merrie Margarita Shrimp, Peachy White Sangria, Purple Monkey, recipe, Soy Vay, whole