The Most Delicious Meal Ever.

I'm a meat and potatoes girl. Always have been. There's nothing I love more than potatoes, be they baked, mashed, creamed, fried, sliced, au gratin, or spiced. So when I chose to include a recipe for "Saffron Rice Shrimp Salad" on my weekly meal plan, I knew there was a good possibility I would hate it. But guess what? This is quite possibly my new favorite thing to eat.

I got this recipe from "Cooking for 2" magazine (Winter 2009), which is produced by the same folks that make my other favorite magazine ("Simple and Delicious"), Taste of Home.

This recipe will serve two, and is supposed to take only 15 minutes to make, but cooking the rice takes 20, and if you forget that you still have to cook shrimp, it'll be another 5.

For the dressing, you'll need (I didn't try this, but I'm pretty sure this dish would still be awesome without this dressing):

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbs cider vinegar (I used a little less of regular)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the meal proper, you'll need:

• 1 cup torn Bibb or Boston lettuce
• 1 cup torn Romaine (I just used a baby spring mix from the bag...)
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup cooked saffron rice (because I am cheap and lazy, I just use single-serve packets that are 75 cents each. Be careful, because if you get saffron on your favorite scarf, it WILL NOT come out.)
• 1/2 lb COOKED large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (totally forgot to add this, but still delish)

The Process:

1. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the first eight ingredients; shake well. If you'd like to use your Nalgene "Life Is Good" water bottle becase you don't have a salad dressing mixer, or even a cocktail shaker, feel completely free. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
   
2. Divide lettuce between two plates; top with avocado, rice, and shrimp. Sprinkle with cilantro; drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately, and with a big glass of Shiraz (because Michael Pollan told you to).

It will look like this:

And see how my plate is so ridiculously full? It's because I'm eating off a salad plate. My mind is so easily persuaded. Pretty good, no? Especially considering that three days ago, my fridge looked like this: