Too Hot to Cook

Pandalus Jordani Make the Meal

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

I love summer.

In Seattle it’s rarely too hot to cook, but when it is, I enjoy the challenge of eating well with little to no cooking.

When the weather forecast a week of temps in the toasty high 80s, I did some thinking.  Heat can rob you of energy so easy meals are in order. But, even if it’s sweltering, my family likes a protein-rich meal.

My solution was pandalus jordani –  Oregon pink shrimp. Summer is the peak of the harvest season (April to October) for these fresh petite shrimps. Pre-cooked and ready-to-use, they meet my criteria for lazy summer meal prep.

They would be great tucked into Vietnamese Salad Rolls, tossed into a cold Asian noodle dish or an old-fashioned pasta salad, but I took an easier route to dinner on the deck with a simple shrimp salad. With good ingredients, simple shines.

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

In my garden I found garlic chives, thyme, golden oregano and basil.  I steered away from mayonnaise to keep this salad sparkling and clean tasting, opting for lemon and a little good oil.

You can feel good about purchasing these shrimps for two reasons:

1. The Oregon pink shrimp fishery was the first shrimp fishery deemed sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. (The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program lists them as a Good Alternative.)

and

2. It’s harvested domestically, a significant attribute since 90% of shrimp consumed in the USA is imported.

They’re good for you, too. A 3 ½ ounce serving of raw small shrimp has 14 grams of protein, is an excellent source of B12 and selenium and a good source of copper. The pigments that give cooked shrimp a pinkish color, the carotenoids astaxanthin and xanthophyll, may have anti-inflammatory benefits.  

Another bonus – leftovers made a solid lunch with fresh-picked garden tomatoes, rainbow radishes and grilled flatbread.

Shrimp Salad with Summer Herbs & Lemon

 Any soft garden-fresh herbs will do. Double the recipe to have some leftover for a lunch or two.  

Serves 3 to 4

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs such as lemon thyme, thyme, golden oregano or basil

2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic chives or chives

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 1.2 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon zest

1 ½ to 2 tablespoons avocado, canola or olive oil

1 pound cooked baby shrimp

Salt and ground white pepper, if desired

1. In bottom of a medium bowl, stir together herbs, chives, red onion, parsley, lemon juice and zest. Stir in oil.
2. Add shrimp (drain and discard any excess liquid). Stir gently to blend well with dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding a little salt and white pepper if you like.  Cover and chill for an hour for flavors to blend.
3. Serve with tossed greens, spoon onto flatbread or crackers or pile into  halved pita bread.

References

1. Oregon’s once-tiny shrimp fishery has grown into a multimillion-dollar business, Oregonlive.com, May 9, 2013
2. Oregon shrimp in the pink: tasty and now sustainable, by Greg Atkinson, The Seattle Times, April 20, 2008.
3. Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch 
4. The Food Processor, ESHA Research
5. Shrimp by Bethany Crzesiak, MS, RDN Food & Nutrition Magazine May/June 2018.

© Lorelle Del Matto 2018