Shrimp is regarded as a healthy food alternative to red meat because of its low-fat, high-protein content. Besides being available in all kinds of sizes, shrimp has a delicate flavor that comes to life in any dish it is thrown into. Whether you add it to a salad, gravy, or cook it over a fiery barbecue grill it doesn't fail to disappoint in texture and taste. Charred Shrimp with Chili and Garlic Salad Dressing What You'll Need:

• 1 cup of jumbo shrimp (deveined)
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 3 cloves of garlic (finely sliced)
• 2 tablespoons of chili flakes
• A handful of cilantro (fresh)
• ½ teaspoon of mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons of low-fat cream
• Olive oil
• 1 cup of shredded lettuce
• ½ cup of cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup of sliced olives (deseeded)
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation: Take a deep dish and fill it halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Then, on medium heat, poach the shrimp and let it simmer in the boiling water for five minutes without the lid on. Remove these from the water and let them sit on kitchen roll paper. The grill should be nice and hot before you place the shrimp on it (use long toothpicks as makeshift skewers if you don't have any on hand). Using a wide brush meant for coating food, slather the shrimp with the olive oil and sprinkle a pinch (or two) of salt over them. Then, place these over the grill, gradually letting them char. Keep an eye on them since they don't really take time to cook. Once charred, place them aside on kitchen roll paper. Take a wide, deep-bottomed pan and drop the butter into it with a little olive oil to avoid it from burning. Sauté the garlic, cilantro, mint, and chili flakes for about a minute. Turn the gas off and transfer the contents of the pan into a mixer, adding the cream last. Blitz the contents briefly for five seconds and then pour this into a bowl; keep it aside. Meanwhile, in a big salad bowl, add the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and lemon juice. Then, to this, add the grilled shrimp and pour into the bowl your salad dressing using salad spoons to mix it all up. Once everything has been evenly coated, you can garnish the dish with more cilantro if you'd like. Shrimp Tossed with Macaroni and Fromage Sauce What You'll Need:

• 1 cup of large shrimp (deveined)
• 1 cup of macaroni pipes
• 100g of Parmesan cheese
• Two tablespoons of low-fat cream
• 1 tablespoon of butter (unsalted)
• ½ cup of chopped spring onions
• 2 green chilies
• 1 teaspoon of white vinegar
• ½ cup of green capsicum (julienned)
• ½ cup of sliced black/green olives

Method of Preparation: Take a medium-sized pot and drop into it the macaroni once the water comes to a boil. Wait for the pasta to soften; if it sticks to your teeth when you eat it, it isn't done yet. If it's still chewy, but doesn't stick, it's al dente (perfectly cooked). Poach the shrimp in boiling water, but on medium heat for five minutes; turn the gas off and let the water simmer until the shrimp turn pink and the tails curl upward. Remove these and place them on one side and get started on the dressing until the shrimp cool down to room temperature. Take a bowl and mix together the cream, butter, shredded Parmesan cheese, finely sliced chili (you can deseed these if you want to cut down on the heat), and vinegar. Mix these together nicely until you get a thick creamy mix and stir it with the other salad ingredients. Next, add the shrimp and macaroni, nicely coating everything in the dressing in an even amalgamation. It doesn't get any cheesier and creamier than this. These salads are a piece of cake to make, with easy-to-use ingredients that you can very well interchange and play with until you find what works well for your palate. It's a nice way of keeping things fresh and new when it comes to salads, especially if you're into the habit of preparing these yourself on a regular basis. Buon appetito!