SHRIMP SALAD RECIPES

What my mother could do with shrimp! From shrimp salads to shrimp dip (a demand, no less, at every family gathering) she treated us! And shrimp was a treat, one of my father's favorites, until he would receive huge shipments of fresh caught Gulf shrimp in coffin sized Styrofoam containers from friends in Louisiana. Of course, they were not picked over, and had to be cooked right away. We would pitch in and for hours, peeling and deveining shrimp until we could barely stand the smell of it...for awhile, at least. Sadly, today, when grocery shopping, you have to check the labels. Most shrimp are farm raised. The flavor is good, quality to me a little bit mushier. I prefer to have the fresh caught, which usually means a trip to the fish store. Hard to find in the Midwest, but some grocers have fresh caught.

Shrimp is refreshing in summer time weather, and always welcome in the winter time for it is rich and filling.

According to Shrimp Facts for children (Wikipedia) the shrimp is a..."small marine decapod crustacean with 10 jointed legs on the thorax, well-developed swimmerets on the abdominal segments, and a body that is compressed laterally. Shrimp differ from their close relatives, the lobsters and crabs, in that they are primarily swimmers rather than crawlers."

Anyway, enough of my musing and let's get down to the recipes! Following are two recipes for shrimp salad. The second recipe serves a lot and I enjoy making it for picnics, church functions, whatever! I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

WARNING: Make sure your guests are not allergic to shellfish.

You will need:

2 pounds cooked shrimp, chopped.

1 to 2 stalks celery chopped fine (your preference I like a lot of celery.)

2 green onions chopped fine.

½ large green pepper chopped into small pieces.

½ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (again, your preference)

1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh parsley

Pepper to taste (I like to use lemon pepper)

Place the chopped shrimp in a bowl; add in the celery, green onion and green pepper. Mix well with the mayonnaise, pepper and parsley. Refrigerate before serving and also, of course, if there are any leftovers.

Recipe Number 2

Shrimp Pasta Salad

1 box macaroni noodles or pasta shells (one pound size or 16 ounces) I like to use the shells

2 pounds cooked shrimp, cut into bite sized pieces. You may use the smaller shrimp and not bother to cut up, but make sure tails are off.

1 cup frozen peas

½ cup grated carrots

1 can pitted black olives (leave whole or slice)

3 stalks celery, chopped fine

4 green onions chopped fine

1 small can sliced water chestnuts (drained)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup to 1 cup mayonnaise

Pepper to taste, again I like Lemon Pepper.

About a teaspoon to teaspoon and a half of Seasoned Salt

2 teaspoons minced garlic (you know the kind they sell in jars?)

Optional 1 red radish sliced thin.

You will need a large mixing bowl. Cook the pasta according to the directions. In a large strainer, put the cup of frozen peas. After pasta is cooked, drain in the strainer or colander, right over the frozen peas. Rinse with cold water to cool and let sit for a few minutes so as not to let noodles be too wet. Shake the colander to intersperse the hot pasta with the peas, so they thaw evenly.

Mix in the mixing bowl the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add one teaspoon seasoned salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic. Mix well. Add the cooked pasta and peas (which have thawed while noodles drain) carrots, olives, celery, onions and drained water chestnuts. Again, mix well.

Sprinkle top with some more parsley and ½ teaspoon Seasoned Salt. You can garnish with radish slices too, if you like, Cover tightly and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Also refrigerate leftovers, if there are any. Most of my guests take home "people" bags of leftovers. This salad lasts at least four to five days in fridge.