Recipe of the Week: Spring Shrimp Pasta Salad

Makes 6 servings

• 1 pound brown rice pasta or whole wheat pasta (I like Tinkyada’s brown rice vegetable spirals.)
• 1 cup red, yellow and orange bell peppers, sliced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 6 cups baby spinach
• 2 lbs. medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails attached (or 4-5 per person)
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic granules
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
• Olive oil cooking spray

Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
2. Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender to make a vinaigrette dressing (refrigerate left-over).
3. Toss pasta with vegetables and 1/2 cup of dressing.
4. Separately marinate the shrimp in 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic and fresh parsley.
5. Let shrimp and pasta salad chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
6. Coat a nonstick grill pan with a little olive oil cooking spray and grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes per side. You can also sauté the shrimp in a frying pan if you prefer.
7. Serve 1 cup of pasta salad over 1 cup of spinach and 5 shrimp.

Variations:

• You can also make a vegetarian dish by omitting the shrimp and adding in 1/4 cup of raw nuts and 1/2 cup garbanzo beans to the pasta salad (or use your favorite raw nuts and/or beans).
• Experiment with your favorite spring vegetables.
• Substitute left-over chicken for shrimp.