Chopped Salad with Shrimp

Of all of the summers to have record-breaking heat, it has to be this one, doesn’t it?  Of all the summers to be pregnant, it has to be the one with the record-breaking heat, doesn’t it?  But I can’t complain too much, as I just spent the past week at Dewey Lake in the Sister Lakes area of Southwest Michigan.  The uncomfortably warm weather doesn’t seem to matter as much when you have a lake right out your front door to jump into!  Most days we were there, I parked my big belly in a chair in the lake, and just enjoyed the water.  Thank god there weren’t any photos captured of that!

Eight and a half months pregnant plus 100+ degree temperatures = the need for easy dinners that don’t require the use of an oven.  Enter this chopped salad.  I was intrigued by the grilled lettuce, which I’ve seen before, but have never tried myself.  I don’t know that it was necessary, but it wasn’t bad.  And the combination of ingredients in this salad is perfect for this time of year.  I think the only thing missing was some crumbled bacon.  But then again, I could say that about every recipe!

Chopped Salad with Shrimp, adapted from foodnetwork.com, 4 servings

• 1 head romaine lettuce, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 ear corn, husk and silk removed
• 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 12 extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups mixed greens or 1/2 head butter lettuce, torn
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups store-bought tortilla strips