Take A Bite

Last weekend while in Scottsdale, we landed right around lunchtime. After arriving at the resort, we dropped our bags and joined friends who had already arrived at a lunch spot on the property. Traveling puts me in a constant state of hunger. I was in a must-eat-now kind of mission that anything would suffice. I ordered a shrimp wrap that came with sweet potato tots. Yes sweet potato tots...pause for salivation.

Besides the tots the wrap was full of crisp lettuce, avocado, and shrimp. It was fantastic, I can't quit get across how good it was. My mom and sister ordered the shrimp cocktail that came with this amazing salsa/cocktail sauce combo. I could eat it with a spoon it was so good. I asked the waiter for my own little serving and proceeded to dip my wrap into it. I've recently really become a sauce person, so just go with me on this one.

Not only did this lunch suffice, but left me craving it everyday since. I made quick note to recreate it as soon as I got home. Recreated it, loved it, and have pretty much eaten it everyday since. Looks like my plan worked! A few tweaks here and there and my own version of the salsa/cocktail sauce amazingness makes me feel like I am back in Paradise Valley. Now if only I can recreate those sweet potato tots...

Shrimp Wrap with Zest Cocktail Sauce
yields 1 wrap

Ingredients:
1 Flatout wrap Light Original
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
handful of spinach
1/2 roma tomato, chopped
1/4 avocado, chopped
thinly sliced red onion
handful of frozen salad shrimp, thawed

Zesty cocktail sauce:
2 Tbsp. your favorite cocktail sauce
2 Tbsp. your favorite salsa

Directions:
Thaw your shrimp according to package directions. Salad shrimp are the little baby kind that are super easy to thaw and super easy to cook. In a small pan over medium, heat a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until bright pink and slightly roasted. This gives the shrimp a little extra flavor.

Heat your Flatout wrap in the microwave for 10 seconds. This will make it more pliable when rolling your wrap up. Spread the dijon mustard over the whole surface. Top with spinach, then layer on tomatoes, red onion, avocado and shrimp. Starting from the short length end, begin rolling, tucking in all your components as you roll so things aren't spilling out. No need to fold in the sides with these wraps. Once you get it all rolled, place two toothpicks through to keep it in place while you slice it down the middle.

Mix the cocktail sauce and salsa in a small bowl. Serve the wrap alongside and eat up!

This is a quick meal that comes together easily for lunch. I made it yesterday while having the day off and also made an extra, wrapped it in foil, and packed for my lunch at work today. My lunch break just went from 0 to 100 quick. Enjoy!

Annie

I've had the idea for this dish for a while, but just got around to making it. I don't know why it took me so long because the actual recipe cooks up in less than 15 minutes.

This single girl/poor college kid/quick dinner dish totally elevates all the scenarios I just mentioned. It's gourmet, cheap but super easy and definitely fits the bill for a satisfying dinner. Or brunch if you want to get fancy on a lazy Sunday morning.

I recently discovered you can buy a box of instant grits just like instant oatmeal. Microwave oatmeal is a regular part of my daily routine, but now grits, oooooh man! Growing up I remember mom always asking, grits or oatmeal? It was always the decision between sweet or savory? Really because I would either douse my grits with a pound of butter or my oatmeal with a cup of brown sugar. The only problem was that I had to wait near 20 minutes for my breakfast to be ready. I don't have that kind of patience anymore, so hello to instant grits!

Microwave grits, a little cheese and some frozen corn and shrimp make for an ulti single girl meal! The recipe is clearly for a single serving, but it would be super easy to double or triple.

Single Serving Shrimp and Grits
serves one..obviously

Ingredients:
1 package of instant grits
some type of cheese-Parmesan, Gouda, cheddar etc.
1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
6 frozen or fresh shrimp
1/4 cup frozen corn
fresh minced garlic
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
juice of 1/4 lemon
fresh cilantro

Directions:
If using frozen, make sure to first thaw your shrimp. I do this by running them under luke warm water until thawed.

Heat your olive oil or butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add your corn and shrimp to the pan, throw in some garlic and a little bit of cayenne. Don't go to crazy on the cayenne, unless you like things spicy spicy! While your shrimp is cooking, microwave the grits according to package directions. It's probably something like add 1/2 cup of water and microwave for 1 minute.

Stir in the cheese and season your grits with salt and pepper to taste. (I like mine really salty!) By now your shrimp should be cooked though. Take off the heat and squeeze lemon juice over the shrimp.

Pile the shrimp and corn over your cheese grits and garnish with chopped cilantro!