Hearty Spinach & Apple Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette & Pistachio Crusted Shrimp.

Tonight I made my family dinner. This recipe was inspired by a few things: eating something different, eating something healthy and eating something that contained lots of greeny-green ingredients. This is my Hearty Spinach & Apple Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette and Pistachio Crusted Shrimp.

Recipe

Spinach, one bundle or pre-washed package
1 Golden Delicious Apple, fine slice
1 Jar Marinated Artichokes
2 Cup Pistachio Nuts, finely ground + more for garnish
Basil
1 lb. medium size shrimp, raw (peeled & devained) or precooked, tail on
2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


Vinaigrette
1 Avocado
2 Garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1/2 cup Basil, rough chop
Juice of 1 lime
3 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Start by washing your spinach, then lay out to dry on a paper towel, then into a large bowl. Next, thinly slice apples. Squeeze lime juice over apples to keep them from turning brown. Drain artichokes and add to spinach bowl with the apples. Meanwhile, in a food processor finely grind 1 cup of pistachio nuts and pour into a shallow dish. Then coarsely chop about ten leaves of basil and add to the pistachio bowl with a dash of salt and pepper.

Now make the vinaigrette. In a blender or food processor, mix avocado, garlic, basil, lime juice, honey and white wine vinegar. As the ingredients are being blended together, stream in extra virgin olive oil until dressing comes together and makes a smooth, creamy liquid. Season with salt and pepper.

Begin to wash your shrimp and roll out over a paper towel to collect excess water. By the tail, roll shrimp in the pistachios, repeat until all shrimp have been covered. Heat medium saute pan over medium low heat and place 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil, wait until butter is melted pan. Place each shrimp in by the tail for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Add to spinach and apples. Serve yourself some salad and dress with vinaigrette as you please.

Keywords: Fruit, Nuts, Seafood, Veggies