Light Dinner for 2: Spanish inspired Gambas with Shirazi Rice Salad

Spanish inspired Gambas with Shirazi Rice Salad.

Since being a stay at home mom, I've come to appreciate my time with Rumi.  It gives me the opportunity to not only give him my unconditional love, but I get to teach him about the world around him.  Every milestone, every giggle, and every meltdown I'm there with him along the way.  Teaching him and showing him his world is priceless!!
Being a stay at home mom also means we solely rely on my husbands income.  So we budget like any family does relying on one income. And, since a big part of our budget goes towards groceries, I have to do my very best in utilizing what I have in the pantry, fridge and freezer without having to make an unnecessary trip to the grocer.
I was inspired to make this dish based on left over rice (that I would normally toss in the trash), vegetables I had in the fridge, and shrimp I purchase in bulk and keep in the freezer.

Shirazi salad is a popular Persian salad from the city of Shiraz (my mom's home city).  It is a a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions tossed with mint and lemon vinaigrette.  It's the perfect summer salad!!

This recipe is my version as I've added basmati rice and Spanish inspired shrimp for a light dinner for 2.

For Shrimp:
10 medium sized shrimp, shelled, deveined, butterflied
a teaspoon of the following spices:
garlic powder, Spanish smoked paprika, chile pepper, salt/pepper
Zest of half lemon
Juice of half a lemon

Marinate for 10 minutes.  You'll notice the shrimp turning pink as the lemon juice partially cooks the shrimp.  At this point, in a small sauce pan heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil and saute your shrimp until it's done.  You'll know shrimp is done once it turns pink.  Remove from heat and set aside.
Make your warm dressing:
In the same sauce pan with the pan juices from the shrimp heat the pan on medium high heat until the sauce reduces to about 3 tablespoons.  Set aside.

For the salad:
1/2 cup left over rice
6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
half a cucumber, medium diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp. dried dill or 3 tbsp. fresh

Lemon vinaigrette:
Juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
garlic powder
s/p

To assemble:
Toss the salad with the vinaigrette.  Pour a heaping pile of the salad onto a plate, place 5 shrimp on top and pour 1/2 of the warm dressing on the shrimp and along the border of the salad.

This salad is light, yet filling. Perfect after workout dinner!