Shrimp Teriyaki Bowtie Pasta Spinach Salad - SHRIMP WEEK Day 1

Current events class... Are you all following the BP oil spill in the Gulf?  So many issues, and so many live's will be affected.  It is amazing the technology that is being used to attack the looming disaster and I pray that this will be enough to at least minimize the damage.

Among the very minor affects will be a disruption of the shrimp market.  And an even more minor affect will be a potential change in my eating habits.  Shrimp is one of the rare bargains here on the island.  Interestingly enough, the bargain is in the freezer section, with those 5 pound bags of pre-cooked shrimp.  So, I have been doing a lot of shrimp recipes lately.  So many, that I can use my back log of already cooked meals combined with the meals I have planned for the week to declare this...

SHRIMP WEEK!

So, with apologies to those of you (Joanne) that have minor or major issues with these beauties, here is the first of 7 of my favorite shrimp dishes...

First up is a terrific salad.  A FULL meal in itself.  This is an adaptation of a recipe I used for my "What to do with a Rotisserie Chicken" series.  "Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Bowties" is a HUGE hit.  A cool summer salad (it's always summer here in paradise), with lots of colors and tastes.  It was a simple matter of substituting the shrimp for the chicken...

But first, I did a simple brine for the shrimp.  Just a quick 15-20 minute soak in 2 cups of water, mixed with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup salt.  Brining does more good to raw shrimp, but even the pre-cooked shrimp will benefit from the salt/sugar bath.

Once the bath is finished, I rinsed off the brine and sautéed for just a few minutes (these are already cooked, just warming them up a bit) with a bit of teriyake sauce.

The salad is very easy to make.  Here is a copy of the original posted recipe, with the shrimp substituting for the chicken...

Spinach Salad With Teriyaki Bowties 
submitted by Melanie sisterscafe.blogspot.com

16 oz. Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 - 2 bags of fresh baby Spinach
2 small cans Mandarin Oranges
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 can Water Chestnuts
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted
2 cups torn cooked Shrimp

Dressing:
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce
5 Tbs. Sugar

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions, drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. Marinate cooked bowtie pasta in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce and pasta over the salad, toss together and serve. If it's just a few of you, make individual salad servings; keeping the salad and bowtie sauce separate for the rest of the week (no one likes a soggy salad).

This is one of our favorite meals (shrimp or chicken).  Jackie likes this lighter meal for her lunches during the week.  But the real testament to the taste and quality of the meal is that we have made and planned this meal for each of the two sets of guests that have visited us since we landed on the beaches of St Thomas!


I try to only serve the best to company... This is the best!

The shrimp was a fine addition.  The salt and sugar brine made for a very tender shrimp, as well as a little extra saltiness.


One hint, the spinach is much lighter than all the other ingredients.  You get a better mix if you mis all the stuff together, then pour that over the raw spinach and gently fold in the salad with the stuff.  Aggressive tossing will result in all the pretty good stuff going to the bottom and mostly spinach on the top.

Chicken or shrimp... This is one impressive salad!

See you tomorrow for Day 2 of Shrimp Week!

Do you have a favorite shrimp recipe that you have already posted... drop me a comment with a link.  I love the little buggers!