Coctel de Camarones (shrimp cocktail)

My friends and I got together for an appetizer party this weekend. Everything was so delicious. I ate so much I couldn't eat again for 24 hours. Seriously!

The last three times this group has gotten together this dish was requested. It's so fresh and flavorful. But how can anyone go wrong with shrimp, avocado, and cilantro.

COCTEL DE CAMARONES (shrimp cocktail)

2-3 lbs.frozen shrimp, large or medium, cooked, cleaned, deveined.
1 bottle Clamato juice
1 small bottle clam juice
1/4 bottle ketchup
1 Tbsp. (+ or -) Tabasco, to taste*
3 lemons
4 tomatoes, diced
3 cucumbers, diced
2 avocados, diced
2 ribs celery diced
2 green onions
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 bottle shrimp cocktail

Rinse frozen shrimp thoroughly and let set in cold water for 10 minutes.

Place shrimp in large bowl. Add Clamato juice, clam juice, ketchup and cocktail sauce to shrimp. Add Tabasco and squeeze lemon juice over the top. Add diced tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, celery, and green onions in bowl and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 12

* Another option is to finely dice 2 jalapeno peppers instead of using Tabasco.

Calico knows how to make a great salad

Calico, my sous chef, loves to help in the kitchen. The thing is, she's amazingly great at cooking. This day was a special day because she was going to make lunch for someone very important to her, her mom.

She wanted to make a salad, so we made our grocery list and headed to the market where she selected the ingredients.



Calico knows the importance of reading all the labels to check for healthy ingredients and freshness.

When we got home she quickly got to work mixing, tasting, dripping, tasting, sloshing, and tasting. She feels it's important to taste things after each addition just to make sure it's perfect.


She doesn't stop tasting until she is satisfied with the results...or full. Whichever comes first.

A great chef knows when she needs to take a break and rest. A well-rested chef is less likely to make mistakes. We all know mistakes can leave even the greatest chefs crying on the floor in the middle of the kitchen. So, naps are very important.



After Calico's rest she is ready to serve her mom lunch. The salad she chose to make was quick and easy, and except for the cutting, she did it all herself. Not bad for a 2 1/2 year old.

Calico's mom loved the salad so much she asked her for the recipe.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD

2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes
5 1/2 oz. fresh mozzarella balls
2 avocados
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. coarse-grain mustard
several fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces
20 black olives
salt and pepper


Cut tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and place in a large serving dish. Drain the mozzarella balls and add to tomatoes. Cut avocados flesh into bite-sized pieces and add to salad.

Mix oil and vinegar, and mustard together in a small bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle over the salad.

Sprinkle the basil and olives over the salad and serve at once.

Serves 4