Roasted Shrimp Couscous Salad

By Vianney Rodriguez 
on May 4th, 2015
In: Recipes

Hola I’m Vianney from Sweet Life here to share a few tips plus a delicious recipe for your next Ladies lunch.

This couscous salad is given a Latin spin with fresh citrus cilantro dressing, ancho chile roasted shrimp and queso ranchero.

Hosting a ladies lunch is a fun, delicious way to share time with your friends, enjoy a great meal and catch up. Instead of calling in a reservation. why not invite your girlfriends over to enjoy a leisurely stress-free lunch where everyone can kick back and simply enjoy each other’s company?  With no worries on dressing up or arranging a sitter for the evening, hosting a lunch instead of dinner allows everyone a few hours to unwind, enjoy a meal and go on with their day.

This couscous salad is given a Latin spin with fresh citrus cilantro dressing, ancho chile roasted shrimp and queso ranchero.

The idea of hosting shouldn’t stress you out with visions of spending countless hours in the kitchen chopping and dicing, leaving you exhausted and reaching for the phone to order pizza.  No pizza here.  After all, a ladies lunch should be enjoyable for everyone, including you.  Trust me, it’s simple to host a ladies lunch. All you need is a few things, most of which can be prepared ahead of time.

This couscous salad is given a Latin spin with fresh citrus cilantro dressing, ancho chile roasted shrimp and queso ranchero.

A simple table setting – a few colorful linen napkins, contrasting colorful plates and beautiful glasses will make your table warm and inviting. Set the table the evening before for less to do.

Fresh flowers – When shopping at the grocery store for your ingredients, pick up a few bundles of fresh flowers to place in small vases in the table. A pop of color and freshness will make your table festive, plus your guests will love that you made the extra effort to pretty up the table.

A simple recipe – I like to keep my menu simple, delicious, yet hassle free. Today’s recipe for a couscous salad is given a Latin spin with fresh citrus cilantro dressing, ancho chile roasted shrimp and queso ranchero. This recipe requires little time in the kitchen and allows you to enjoy your luncheon with the ladies. I call it a win-win.

Kendall-Jackson Wine – what’s lunch with the ladies without a wonderful wine to sip on as you eat? I keep my home bar stocked with plenty of Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Pinot Gris which pairs perfectly with seafood and leafy greens.  Upon arrival, greet your girlfriends with a glass of Kendall-Jackson while you put the final touches on lunch.

This couscous salad is given a Latin spin with fresh citrus cilantro dressing, ancho chile roasted shrimp and queso ranchero.

Succulent ancho chile rubbed shrimp is roasted in the oven and combined with a tangy citrus dressing. Toss in cubed queso ranchero, thinly sliced radishes and serve over a leafy greens — this salad is sure to be a winner. I like to double the recipe to enjoy all week.

Find queso ranchero at the cheese counter. Mild and buttery it crumbles easily, substitute with queso fresco if you can’t find it.

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Roasted Shrimp Couscous Salad
 
Author: 
 
 
 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • Zest of 1 lime, plus juice
  • Zest of 2 lemon, plus juice
  • 2teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • 1teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 pounds large shrimp, deveined, shelled
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1½ cups couscous
  • 1½ cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 ounces queso ranchero or queso fresco, cubed
  • 6 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups fresh kale
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
 
Instructions
  1. To make roasted shrimp: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. In a bowl whisk together lime zest, lime juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, ancho chile powder, oregano and olive oil. Toss in shrimp to coat well. Place shrimp on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until shrimp is plump and opaque. Cool. While shrimp bakes make dressing: whisk together orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil, season with salt and pepper and set aside. To make couscous: Heat broth in a medium saucepan with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Once it is boiling, add couscous. Turn off heat and let sit. Set aside. Fluff couscous and put in a large bowl. Add roasted shrimp, cubed queso and sliced radishes. Stir to combine. Add half of dressing, stir to coat. Place in fridge until ready to serve. When ready to serve combine spinach, kale and cilantro divide evenly between four plates. Spoon couscous shrimp salad over fresh greens and serve with additional salad dressing.
 
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