Spinach Salad With Prawns And Avocados

I live by the ocean and so there are always an amazing array of temptations in the seafood section of my local market. And at the harbor. And at every restaurant, too. So I succumb, over and over, to the siren song of each wonderful fishie that comes along in its season.

Take prawns, for example. They look like little aliens, really, and de-veining them is a slow chore, but if they’re completely fresh and approached with a light hand, there’s nothing quite so clean tasting.

Then there’s my need (and desire) for fresh: fresh vegetables, fresh flavors, fresh colors.

Enter the dinner salad. Piled with a quarter pound of prawns, spinach is tossed with halved cherry tomatoes and slices of avocado. I made a quick vinaigrette using lemon-infused virgin olive oil and champagne vinegar, and the result is ocean-y, with bites of velvety avocados and bright bursts of tomato on the tongue.

A word about avocados: avocados are the only fruits that ripen only after they are picked. Ripen a hard avocado at room temperature until the skin gives a bit, but before the skin becomes loose. After that, it can be stored in your refrigerator for up to ten days.

Do we really need a recipe? Well, just in case…

Spinach Salad with Prawns, Avocado, and Tomato

For each serving…
As much spinach as you desire…start with 2 cups
1/2 an avocado, sliced
1/4 pound of prawns, steamed or tossed quickly in oil until opaque
6 cherry tomatoes, halved

A vinaigrette of…
3 parts lemon-infused olive oil
1 part champagne vinegar

Garnish…
A few grains of coarse crunchy sea salt

Toss, compose, admire, devour.