Mexican Caesar with Shrimp Salad

Name: Mexican Caesar with Shrimp Salad
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 3-4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Taylor Farms Mexican Style Caesar Salad Kit; 1/2 cup cooked quinoa; 1 cup baby arugula; 1/3 cup black beans; 1/4 cup sliced cucumber; 1 grilled corn on the cob; 8-9 Large Peeled Shrimp; 1 & 1/2 tsp paprika powder; 1 tsp cumin powder; 2 tbsp chopped parsley; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 & 1/4 tsp chili powder; salt to taste; black pepper to taste; juice of 1 lime

With its chopped romaine lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese croutons, toasted pepitas, shredded parmesan cheese, and a creamy Mexican Caesar dressing seasoned with lime juice, jalapenos, cilantro, and spices, our Mexican-Style Caesar Salad Kit is loaded with bold, spicy flavors in each bite. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t add even more to the mix. In this case, that means topping it with everything from chili lime shrimp and quinoa to grilled corn on the cob and black beans — plus even more veggies. Enticed yet? Yeah, you should be, because this is one show-stopping salad.

Total TIME:
25 minutes

SERVINGS:
3-4

CREATED BY:
Fig and Olive Platter

Ingredients

1 Taylor Farms Mexican Style Caesar Salad Kit
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup baby arugula
1/3 cup black beans
1/4 cup sliced cucumber
1 grilled corn on the cob

Chili Lime Shrimp

8-9 Large Peeled Shrimp
1&1/2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1&1/4 tsp chili powder
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl, add the lime juice, minced garlic, parsley, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let the shrimp marinate for about 10 minutes.
Grill or pan-fry the shrimp, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
In a large serving plate, add the romaine lettuce from the Taylor Farms Mexican-Style Caesar Salad, top it with the arugula, quinoa, black beans, cucumbers, corn, chili lime shrimp, croutons, and cheese from the kit. Serve dressing on the side until ready to eat!

Wait… Has the Caesar Salad Always Been Mexican?

Ready to have your mind blown? While the salad kit in this recipe is a “Mexican-style” Caesar, what if we told you the original Caesar was actually invented in Mexico? It’s true — despite its association with Italian cuisine, the Caesar salad actually originated in Mexico. But don’t worry, the name isn’t a misnomer.

Here’s how it happened: In the 1920s, Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant and restaurateur, owned a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, called Caesar’s Place. Legend has it that on a busy Fourth of July weekend in 1924, Cardini concocted the salad using ingredients on hand to impress his hungry customers. With romaine lettuce, garlic, croutons, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and a coddled egg, he created a simple yet flavorful salad that became an instant hit.

The salad was originally prepared tableside, allowing diners to witness the spectacle of its creation. Its popularity quickly spread, and soon, variations of the Caesar salad appeared on menus across the United States and around the world. Today, the Caesar salad remains a timeless classic, and you’ll find plenty of variations — including our “Mexican-style” version, which riffs on the original recipe while adding in Mexican-inspired flavors. We can only assume Cardini himself would approve.

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