California Chopped Salad

O.K. So I have been a bit busy these last few days and while I have been cooking, I have not had the time to tell you about it.  We replaced all the storm windows in our screen porch, finished painting the outside of our house, finished up swimming lessons…we have had a full week!

This is a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe and while I don’t love and follow every chef on the Food Network, she is one I have been loyal to long before she became so well known.  My husband I have regular cravings for the Chicken Piccata and Lemon Spaghetti from her first cookbook, Everyday Italian.  I think the only other person I am so dedicated to in the food world is Ina Garten.  But that is another day.

This is so fresh and tangy and scrumptious, my family ate every last morsel.  To be fair, my husband will eat just about anything and I seem to have the only two kids in the universe who aren’t picky.  Even so, this was an exceptionally good meal.  Hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we did.  I already have it on the menu plan again for next week!

California Chopped Salad-recipe modified 1/26/13
Inspired by Giada De Laurentiis

1 head romaine lettuce, cleaned, trimmed and chopped
1 c frozen corn, defrosted
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise or quartered if very large
8 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tomatoes, chunked, or 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

Dressing:
3 T lemon juice
3 T olive oil
1 T honey
salt and pepper

Toss the shrimp and zucchini in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  If the shrimp is not large enough to grill, skewer the seafood and grill over medium hight heat with the zucchini, until shrimp is just pink and the zucchini has grill marks and is just cooked.  Cube the zucchini and shrimp into bite sized pieces. Add the romaine to a large serving bowl or platter.  Add the remaining salad ingredients.  Whisk all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad.  Toss lightly.  Serve and enjoy!