Crab and Avocado Salad

We’re having landscaping done at our house. It was an unnecessarily long road to getting quotes, to getting blue prints, to getting the work actually…in progress. However, both Wednesday and Thursday when I got home from work, it was like pulling up to a surprise party. I was very unsuspecting of what I would see. Wednesday, I came home to a bobcat in my front lawn with large portions of what used to be grass transformed into flower beds.

As someone who has never mowed a lawn in my entire life, I don’t know the first thing about landscaping. All I can say is…it looks like a TON of work.

Now that we have this beautiful landscaping my plan for putting in a raised vegetable garden next year may need reconsidering. We don’t have any backyard to speak of, but our side yards are good-sized. I just don’t know that I want to deter from the now attractive landscaping.

What problems, I know. The good news is, I am days away from my first CSA delivery and it is to include kale, arugula, snap peas, radishes, and mint. I am for sure making some of this Creamy Radish Dip and some mojitos.

As for the greens…more salads, please!

My friend, Kristin, sent me this recipe after she tried (and loved) it. I’m always up for recipe recommendations (hint, hint!) and Kristin definitely knows my style when it comes to food. Seeing as it contains both crab and avocado which are both included in my top 3 favorite foods of all time…it was a no-brainer.

I can see adapting this salad to include a bunch of the goodies that are to come in my CSA boxes this summer. I’ll stick with the crab and avocado, though. Mmmm!

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Crab and Avocado Salad from Food Network

1/2 lb haricots verts or green beans
2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 lb lump or claw crabmeat
1 avocado, halved, pitted and diced
2 romaine hearts, chopped
2/3 cup croutons
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the haricots verts and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water; set aside.

Puree the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.

Toss the crabmeat, half of the avocado and about 1 tablespoon of the yogurt dressing in a small bowl. Toss the romaine, croutons, haricots verts and the remaining avocado with the remaining dressing in a large bowl.

Divide the romaine salad among plates, top with the tomatoes and place some of the crab mixture in the center.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Information (per serving): 266 calories; 12 g. fat; 69 mg. cholesterol; 580 mg. sodium; 24.3 g. carbohydrate; 11.3 g. fiber; 20.8 g. protein; 7.5 g. sugar

Result: Crab and avocado, oh my! The creamy and slightly tart dressing is perfect for the bold flavors, and rich, creamy ingredients of this salad. The croutons add a great crunch – don’t miss’em! Enjoy…this one is a keeper!

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 TGIF!!! 😀

Be well,