Shrimp Avocado Grapefruit Salad with Some Random Acts of Kindness

Shrimp, Avocado and Grapefruit Salad 

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light and serves 4.

Cook's notes: This fresh citrus salad is light and filling as a main dish entree. Adding in red onion balances out the tart and pomegranates give it a pop of color and crunch. A time saver is using fully cooked frozen shrimp that is thawed, deveined, peeled and tail on. Directions include cooking steps if using  fresh shrimp. 

Salad Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 12 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large grapefruit or two blood oranges
• 1 cup red onion strips
• 1/3 cup pomegranates seeds
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 peeled avocado, cut into 12 wedges 

Salad Directions:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 ½ teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle shrimp with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; keep warm.
• Peel and section grapefruit over a bowl.
• Add 2 cups lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 3 avocado wedges; divide shrimp and grapefruit or orange sections evenly among servings and drizzle with citrus dressing.

Citrus Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 3 TB. lime juice
• 2 TB. honey
• 1/3 cup olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp.Dijon mustard

Citrus Dressing Directions:

• Add to blender ingredients and mix well.
• Refrigerate until needed.

 

The nightly onslaught of news can be depressing. Often I wish to hear more good things happen. I propose a segment that would regularly run at the end of the newscast showing some random acts of kindness and maybe a follow-up how it spiraled into some unexpected happenings.

Random acts of kindness are a means by which we make a deliberate attempt to brighten another person's day by doing something thoughtful, nice, and caring.
Here are some proposed ideas or create your own.

• Send someone a hand written note of thanks.
• Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason.
• Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
• Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter.
• Cut your neighbour’s lawn.
• Walk your friend’s dog.
• Give a compliment about your waiter / waitress to his / her manager.
• Send someone a small gift anonymously.
• Let someone jump the queue at the bank.
• Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café.
• Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.
• Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.
• Hold the train door open for someone rushing to get in.
• Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.
• Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.
• Talk to a homeless person and have a “normal” conversation.
• Pick up some rubbish in the road or yard which would otherwise be lying around.
• Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.
• Recommend a competitor to a potential client.
• Give another driver your parking spot.
• Be more courteous to merging traffic.
• Help an elderly neighbour carry the rubbish out.
• Tell all your family members how much your appreciate them.
• Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train / bus.
• Buy an inspirational book for a friend.
• Send a thank you note to a person who has helped you in the past.
• Smile a lot.