Its been a one-month hiatus since my last posting from Thanksgiving. In between, we spent 5 days in an all-inclusive resort. Needless to say, we indulged in drinks and food. Its time to make up for the over-eating! To close the year, I decided to post a healthy recipe. I am not a fan of raw vegetables, but this is one salad that I can eat over and over again and it tastes good every single time. It is easy to prepare, always refreshing, and most importantly zero fat!

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 4 Tbsp + 1 tsp Thai fish sauce
• 4 Tbsp + 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1/3 cup minced shallot
• 3 Thai bird’s eye chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 12 large shrimps, peeled and deveined
• 1 medium large green papaya, peeled, seeded, and shredded
• 1 medium carrots, shredded
• a handful of green and red grapes, halved
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro and additional leaves for garnish
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts for garnish

Directions

1. In a blender, combine the lime juice, shallots, garlic, palm sugar, and fish sauce. Pulse until smooth. Set the dressing aside for 15 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until ready to use.
2. Marinade the shrimp in a few tablespoons of the dressing prepared in step 1. Add enough to coat all the shrimp.
3. Cook the shrimp in a shallow pan over medium heat on the stove. Set aside until ready to serve.
4. In a salad bowl, toss the papayas, carrots, grapes, tomatoes, and chopped cilantro with the remaining dressing until well combined.
5. Serve the shrimp on top of the salad.
6. Garnish with the chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves. Enjoy.