Shrimp and Corn Salad, studded with juicy tomatoes and flavored with fragrant basil is a summer favorite.
The version is quick and easy, certain to enter your rotation. You can use pre-cooked shrimp, or cook them from scratch on the grill or stovetop. Whatever gives you less stress!
Summer stress is more common than you might think. Wait, summer is supposed to be fun, right?
Did you forget about vacations and cookouts to plan, travel, schedule changes, and so much more. Don’t let summer stress get you down!
This issue of Good and Good for You Living shares
- Best Life Living tips on how to Destress the Summer
- This issue’s Self Care Technique shares new important news regarding Fish Oil.
- Ideas and Inspo on what to look for when buying shrimp that’s good for you and the planet.
Read on for more — and your fave new summer recipe for Shrimp and Corn Salad!
Best Life Living Tip
Stress can mess with your head. National Geographic has a great feature on stress in the June 2024 issue. It’s an eye-opener!
Stress is change. It can be normal stress like bad traffic making you late. It can also be the death of a close friend or the persistent worry about finances.
It can also be Summer Stress in the form of travel anxiety, keeping the kids occupied while they’re out of school, and yes, body issues during swimsuit season.
As we all know, stress comes in many shapes and forms, but the one constant is that it is a form of change.
Traffic patterns changed which made you late and caused stress. Death is change, Unexpected bills are change. The quote in the article that resonated so deeply with me was by Dr. Greg J. Norman, “feeling like you don’t have the necessary resources to meet that demand for change.”
Here are Five Ways to deal with Summer Stress inspired from EHS in Houston:
- ID the culprit — figure out exactly what’s causing you stress to better manage it.
- Give yourself some grace. Be realistic about how busy your life can be!
- Stay healthy! Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. Kicking back a bunch of beers to relax is not always the best answer.
- Get serious with a schedule so you can plan fun!
- Find the help you need. Is it a mental health professional? A trainer to help you stay motivated at the gym? A mindful drinking app?
You can do it!
Self-Care Technique
Supplements are a tricky subject. Some folks swear by them and others insist they are modern snake oil, offering promises that can’t be made or kept. Some supplements are so mainstream they can be purchased in bulk at Costco. I’m looking at you Glucosamine and Fish Oil.
“Fish oil is a dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids. Your body needs Omega-3 fatty acids for many functions, from muscle activity to cell growth. Omega-3 fatty acids are derived from food. They can’t be manufactured in the body,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
Medical News Today reports fish oil may not be the cookie-cutter solution it seems to be. The reported study shared, “Regular use of fish oil supplements might have different roles in the progression of cardiovascular disease.” It seems it may cause healthier hearts to be more at risk yet less healthy hearts may benefit.
Like many of you, I take vitamins and supplements. It feels like we’re being healthy when we eat a handful of vitamins and supplements. We’re doing something. And, sometimes it is, but we always have to be careful what we put in our bodies.
Seven Minute Salmon on virginiawillis.com
What Foods Contain Omega-3s?
Get your nutritional supplements from food sources. The National Institute of Health states natural Omega-3 sources include:
- Fish and other seafood (especially cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines)
- Nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts)
- Plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil)
Ideas and Inspiration from Experts
Excited to see Seafood Watch and the Monterey Bay Aquarium mentioned in the New York Times regarding shrimp consumption.
I have been Blue Ribbon Chefs Committee member for over a decade. I consider it my honor and duty to help communicate to consumers the importance of the sustainability of seafood.
According to Seafood Watch, “Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the United States. In fact, on average, we each eat nearly six pounds of shrimp every year! ”
I eat seafood at least once a week, usually fish – and shrimp every other week or so. (I stock up when I visit the coast and keep bags frozen in the chest freezer!)
If you are trying to incorporate more seafood into your diet, please give Seafood Watch a follow on IG and check out the website.
Point it Out for WW
Many of you have asked again for the WW points. I relent! Ha. I don’t follow WW quite so religiously now, but I get it. I am being lazy and you can’t fault me too much for that.
This Shrimp and Corn Salad is a streamlined version of a super-cheffy uber-complicated recipe in my second cookbook, Basic to Brilliant, Y’all that calls for a homemade stock for cooking the corn, sauteing the shrimp in unfiltered corn oil, and garnishing with popcorn. Seriously, all the things. It is transcendent.
This much more sane and simplified Shrimp and Corn Salad is a snap to put together and still pretty darn good. It’s only ONE point per serving. BOOM!
Here’s how to peel shrimp and you can use pre-cooked and peeled for this Shrimp and Corn Salad — or saute, boil, or grill them.
You do what’s easiest for you! Destress the Summer.
Bon Appétit Y’all!
Virginia Willis
Shrimp and Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn on the cob with husk
- 1 pound medium shrimp cooked and peeled
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano more for garnish
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook corn in the microwave until hot and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the microwave and let rest for 2 minutes. Remove corn husk. Set aside to cool. Remove corn from cobs and place in a large bowl.
- Add the shrimp, tomatoes, parmesan, basil, lemon zest, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with additional Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish.
Nutrition
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