As I write this, I’m at LaGuardia Airport in New York, waiting for a flight to take off. I have one of those quick day trip work meetings, out at 5am and back at 9pm.
Although it’s a long day, I have always enjoyed trips like these. In my first job, I barely ever traveled. In my second job, all I did was travel.
With that second job, I did plenty of quick trips all over the country. I traveled all around the world, too – England, Belgium, even Africa.
Of course, while I prefer to fly at normal hours of the day (ie 9am-5pm), I’ve always kind of enjoyed the “rat race” at the airports.
There’s something invigorating about seeing everyone racing around, making flights, rushing off to meetings, finishing work on laptops and closing deals on the phone, while making through security.
However, after over a year of traveling every week, it was a breath of fresh air when I quit that job and started Inspiralized.
Every once in a while, I do miss “corporate life.” I miss lunch dates, coworker banter, happy hours and well, getting dressed in the morning. Sometimes Lu gets home around 7pm and goes, “Are you STILL in your pajamas?”
I can’t help it! I want to be comfortable while I cook – that uniform usually consists of spandex and a cruddy t-shirt I don’t mind spilling oil on or staining with beet juice.
When I do run errands, though, I put a little effort in – I’ll put on some mascara, wear jeans and maybe, just maybe – I’ll blow dry my hair.
Anyway, while I do miss certain things about working in “corporate America,” I wouldn’t trade in what I’m doing now for any job in the world – I’ve found my happy place and I’m here to stay.
So today’s recipe is made obviously with jicama. I was looking through my Recipes index the other day and I realized that I only had one jicama recipe (I have more jicama recipes in the cookbook than the blog!) – so I had to change that.
Jicama is typically found as a garnish, thrown atop a bed of greens or used as a cole slaw – it’s very popular in Mexican cuisine.
Jicama is one of those very underrated veggies, I think – it’s got a nice, crisp flavor and it’s low in calories. It takes on any seasonings you add very well and it’s crunchy – perfect for summertime slaws and light weeknight meals.
This simple lime dressing with cilantro is all you need with the jicama – it freshens everything up, gives a bit of tang and works nicely with the chili powder and creaminess of the avocado and sweetness of the corn.
The shrimp is the “cherry on top” – the rich flavors of the paprika and garlic powder seasoning shines with every bite and offers a filling but lean protein.
Alright, they just announced that my flight is boarding. Wish me safe travels!
In just a short 14 hours, I’ll be back in my apartment, chilling in my jammies again.
Have you spiralized a jicama yet?
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Time to prepare: 25 minutes
Time to cook: 10 minutes
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
18 medium shrimp, defrosted, deveined, shelled
½ teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
For the salad:
1 ear of corn, shucked
1 medium jicama (1 pound), peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and insides cubed
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
For the dressing:
juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Place an ear of corn into a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes or until corn is fork-tender and then drain into a colander and set aside.
Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the shrimp and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes and flip over, cooking another 1-2 minutes or until shrimp is opaque. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
In the large mixing bowl, toss together the corn (shave the kernels off the cob with a knife), jicama, chili powder, avocado, cabbage and cilantro. Pour over the dressing and toss thoroughly to combine.
Divide into bowls and top with shrimp.
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