When the temperature starts to rise, I find myself craving cold meals, especially fruit based soups and sandwich salads. These salads can be an excellent use of leftovers and the possibilities in variety are extensive.
The framework for it is quite basic, consisting of the main ingredient(s) of the dish, ingredients for contrasting texture, and dressing for flavor and as a binder to hold everything together. This particular application came about while looking at the left-overs from a shrimp boil I made for dinner, consisting of shrimp, corn and baby potatoes. This seemed like a great start to a nice seafood salad.
The Main Ingredient:
- Shrimp, cooked and chopped. I prefer mine with some larger and some finer pieces.
Supporting Cast:
- Corn, cooked and removed from cob.
- White Onion, finely chopped
- Baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved or quartered.
Dressing:
- Mayonnaise
- Zest and juice of a few limes
- Chili or cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix dressing and add to chopped shrimp and vegetables. Chill before eating.
Optional variations include adding fresh cilantro or finely chopped jalapeno peppers for more “bite”.
Following Alton Browns rules for sandwich craft, use soft bread for soft fillings like this (I prefer a croissant). Another good option is to stuff a fresh tomato for a bread free lunch or dinner.
Extemporary Eats 