often when i'm busy, i find myself relying more on salads as a quick go to meal. most dishes require time for prep, cooking, resting and serving. that is way too many steps when i have twenty minutes at home in between class and my next job. so i keep a few different lettuces, cheeses, nuts and fruit (fresh and dried) on hand to toss together in a bunch of different combinations depending on my mood. if i'm lucky and have extra time, i'll grill up some chicken or shrimp to pop in. you could even throw in some tuna if you had some and wanted an extra protein boost or beans would do the trick for that too. 

but the key to a good salad is the dressing. and vinaigrette's are super easy to make (5 minutes or less) and can be stored on hand for up to a week. i love this one because it uses things i usually have on hand and is delicious with pretty much anything you could put in a salad. 

apple cider vinaigrette
serves: 1 cup
prep: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: less than 5 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup good olive oil. .25 c apple cider vinegar. 3 tbs orange juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 2 tbs finely minced shallots. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 

in a bowl or small food processor, combine all of your ingredients. 

whisk or blend till well combined. 

if you want a very smooth vinaigrette i recommend blending. if you like it a little lighter with small bits of shallots, i recommend whisking. 

serve or keep in an airtight container for up to a week. 

xo, a

apple cider vinaigrette
serves: 1 cup
prep: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: less than 5 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup good olive oil. .25 c apple cider vinegar. 3 tbs orange juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 2 tbs finely minced shallots. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper.
in a bowl or small food processor, combine all of your ingredients.
whisk or blend till well combined. if you want a very smooth vinaigrette i recommend blending. if you like it a little lighter with small bits of shallots, i recommend whisking.
serve or keep in an airtight container for up to a week. 

even though we are only on the third day of twenty-seventeen, i feel like so much has already happened. 

i've never really been someone who is good at "relaxing." maybe that's why i like yoga so much. even in my relaxed state i like to move around. unless my butt is parked in the sand somewhere, i'm terrible at sitting still. so after two days off at home, celebrating our anniversary and a new year, i was ready to attack. 

in two days i've already filled january's calendar. i picked up a few more yoga classes and a couple more spin classes as well as a cooking demo. and somehow i still found the time to cook and shoot this tasty salad as i prepped and planned for two collaborative photo shoots today. and i topped it off this morning by teaching my first class of this week's 13 classes i'm teaching. 

basically, i'm going for it this year. when planning to start our own business, we always knew that the first couple of years would be intense. and here we are. in the middle of it all. and i'm embracing it. 

i've declared this the year of growth. growth in my personal life, my yoga practice, my cooking, my business, my family. growth in everything. and the first things i'm working on are more quick, easy and satisfying dishes. gone are the days where i get to spend all day barefoot in my kitchen making stews and all day sauces. i need low work, high impact here people! and i'm starting out with a bang. this shrimp packs a huge flavor punch, is healthy and quick and easy to prepare. triple threat. 

spiced shrimp salad
serves: 1
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 12 minutes
ingredients: 5 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (4 oz if you need to get another size). 2 cups mixed greens. handful of cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 tsp cumin. 1 tsp paprika. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 handful seasoned croutons. 

start by mixing half your salt and pepper, all the cumin, paprika and mustard together in a small bowl. 

whisk in 2 tbs of the olive oil until it makes a paste. 

pat your shrimp dry and remove the tails. you can easily remove the tails by pinching the base of the tail, lightly squeezing and then pulling it away. 

discard the tails and rub the shrimp down with the spice rub. 

in a pan, combine the shallot, 1 tbs of the olive oil and a pinch of remaining salt and pepper over medium heat. cook the shallots until they are starting to brown. stirring every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes. 

while your shallots are cooking, make your dressing. in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and whisk to combine. set aside. 

in a salad bowl, combine your lettuce, croutons and tomatoes. drizzle with dressing and toss well to combine. 

when your shallots are cooked, add in your spiced shrimp and cook till pink and cooked through, flipping once. about 3 minutes total. 

top your salad with shrimp and salad and serve warm. 

xo, a

spiced shrimp salad
serves: 1
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 12 minutes
ingredients: 5 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (4 oz if you need to get another size). 2 cups mixed greens. handful of cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 shallot, thinly sliced. 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 tsp cumin. 1 tsp paprika. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 handful seasoned croutons.
start by mixing half your salt and pepper, all the cumin, paprika and mustard together in a small bowl. whisk in 2 tbs of the olive oil until it makes a paste.
pat your shrimp dry and remove the tails. you can easily remove the tails by pinching the base of the tail, lightly squeezing and then pulling it away.
discard the tails and rub the shrimp down with the spice rub.
in a pan, combine the shallot, 1 tbs of the olive oil and a pinch of remaining salt and pepper over medium heat. cook the shallots until they are starting to brown. stirring every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes.
while your shallots are cooking, make your dressing. in a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and whisk to combine. set aside.
in a salad bowl, combine your lettuce, croutons and tomatoes. drizzle with dressing and toss well to combine.
when your shallots are cooked, add in your spiced shrimp and cook till pink and cooked through, flipping once. about 3 minutes total.
top your salad with shrimp and salad and serve warm.