as a kid, i was not an adventurous eater. i had a very standard order at every restaurant we ever went to. caesar salad, a diet coke and cheesecake for dessert. everywhere i went. it wasn't that i didn't want to try new things, it was that i never wanted to be disappointed. and even though i can't remember the last time i ordered a diet coke or a caesar salad at a restaurant, homemade caesar salad was the first thing i ever learned to make. it was the only thing i wanted to learn to make because then i could snack on it while i was preparing it. 

this recipe is the salad i grew up eating for most special occasions and family dinners at our house. my absolute favorite. the cheese and croutons have gotten a bit fancier but it is still the same old salad. a salad so good that my former roommate lish often serves it at her holiday table. it's a winner.

lemon caesar salad serves: 2 prep time: 5 minutes active time: 5 minutes total time: 10 minutes ingredients: 4 cups mixed greens or romaine lettuce (you want a lettuce mix that has some good crunch to it). .25 cup fresh grated parmesan. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 egg. 1 tbs worcestershire sauce. 2 tbs lemon juice. .25 cup olive oil. 1 cup seasoned croutons. pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. 

start by getting your garlic and oil soaking together for the dressing. 

in a bowl or jar, combine the minced garlic and olive oil. set it aside until right before it's time to dress the salad. you can do this step up to a day in advance. i often keep garlic olive oil on hand in the kitchen to use for all kinds of dishes. 

when you are ready to eat, toss your lettuce with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. 

top the lettuce with the parmesan and croutons. 

to finish the dressing, combine the egg with the olive oil garlic mixture, the worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. 

whisk or shake until completely combined. 

lightly dress your salad to your taste. toss, season with fresh pepper and serve. 

xo, a

lemon caesar salad
serves: 2
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups mixed greens or romaine lettuce (you want a lettuce mix that has some good crunch to it). .25 cup fresh grated parmesan. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 egg. 1 tbs worcestershire sauce. 2 tbs lemon juice. .25 cup olive oil. 1 cup seasoned croutons. pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
start by getting your garlic and oil soaking together for the dressing. in a bowl or jar, combine the minced garlic and olive oil. set it aside until right before it's time to dress the salad. you can do this step up to a day in advance. i often keep garlic olive oil on hand in the kitchen to use for all kinds of dishes. when you are ready to eat, toss your lettuce with a pinch of salt in a large bowl. top the lettuce with the parmesan and croutons. to finish the dressing, combine the egg with the olive oil garlic mixture, the worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. whisk or shake until completely combined. lightly dress your salad to your taste. toss, season with fresh pepper and serve. 

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.