Roasted Shrimp and Potato Salad

It's hot. And sticky. Again. Fall begins on Wednesday and yet in San Diego the weather forecasters tell us that we're experiencing a burst of Florida summer. Florida, please take back your tropical muggy days and nights. This isn't the weather we signed up for.

I'm so over green salads and smoothies. I want something more substantial--but I can't bear the idea of making a stew or baked chicken or something else that requires the oven on for a long time. So, here's a minimalist approach to a dish that won't get you all hot and bothered--a filling salad featuring roasted shrimp. Roasting shrimp is my favorite way to prepare it. It's quick and I love the sweetness, the juiciness, and the hint of crunch that it gives the seafood. And marinated in this garlicky smoky olive oil really turns the shrimp into a flavor bomb. I combine them here with boiled baby potatoes, along with green onions, kalamata olives, garbanzo beans, and my consistently wonderful go-to vinaigrette. Pile the mixture onto a bed of arugula or other greens--or just enjoy it on its own--and you have a meal that will get you through a steamy day.

Roasted Shrimp and Potato Salad
(printable recipe)
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined3/4 pound baby potatoes
3 green onions, sliced
1 dozen kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1 cup garbanzo beans
Garlic Dijon vinaigrette (recipe below)

Garlic Dijon vinaigrette:
Makes 1 cup

1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together all the ingredients but the olive oil to blend. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Let sit for at least an hour to let the flavors come together. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Directions
1. Prepare the vinaigrette, per the instructions above.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika. Marinate the shrimp in the mixture in the refrigerator while preparing the potatoes.
3. Add potatoes to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a summer. Cook potatoes until a knife easily goes through them--about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and let cool.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove shrimp from the marinade and place in a single layer of a baking sheet lined with silpat. Roast for six to seven minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

5. While shrimp is cooking, slice the potatoes.
6. In a large bowl, mix together the shrimp, potatoes, olives, scallions, and garbanzo beans. Add the vinaigrette and mix well. Let sit for about 10 minutes so the potatoes absorb the dressing. Serve on a bed of lettuce or on its own in a bowl.

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