Shrimp Salad for Dad

You can see the recipe for shrimp salad with step-by-step photos on my blog, if you want the full version.  But I thought it would be nice to post it here and encourage you all to make it in memory of dad.  (Sorry to those who are allergic to shrimp.  Make a version with cubes of ham and cheese instead, or look at the end of the recipe for more idea for ingredients.)

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad
(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn years ago and later updated for the South Beach Diet.)

1 cup (dry) Dreamfields macaroni
2 cups thawed frozen precooked shrimp, cut in 1/2" pieces (save some of the juice)
1 cup diced celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
2/3 cup mayo (or use 1/3 cup light mayo and 1/3 cup regular mayo, do not use fat free)
1 T reduced shrimp "juice" (Liquid saved when draining shrimp which has been boiled to concentrate the flavor)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. whole celery seed

Thaw shrimp overnight in refrigerator, keeping it in the bag so you can catch the "juice" when you open it. (In a pinch you can also thaw it inside the bag in a bowl of barely warm water.) Drain shrimp well, reserving the liquid that accumulates in bag. (I usually dry shrimp with a paper towel if they're quite wet.)

Put liquid drained from shrimp in small saucepan and simmer until reduced by at least half. (This will concentrate the shrimp flavor and evaporate the water.)

Cook macaroni in large pot of salted, boiling water for about 9-10 minutes, or until soft but still slightly chewy. Be careful not to overcook. Drain macaroni and cool, but don't rinse. 
 

While macaroni cooks, dice shrimp, celery, and green onions and put in bowl with a snap-on lid. Mix dressing ingredients together. When macaroni is cool, mix it into shrimp mixture in bowl, then gently fold in dressing. (You may not need all the dressing if you prefer your salads to be more dry.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. This is best if chilled a few hours before serving. Will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

I have made this with small "salad " shrimp or larger medium shrimp, but I greatly prefer the flavor and texture of the larger shrimp. I cut each medium shrimp into about 4 pieces. You could add other ingredients like olives, diced red peppers, cucumbers, or hard-boiled eggs to this recipe.

(By the way, if you change your blogger dashboard under settings/global settings/new editor it's easy to make those "read more" breaks in your post.)