If you've been following our Foodie Friday series here on the website then you know every week I love to toss a challenge to our favorite foodie, Jill McCoy and see what's cooking.

This time I am actually bringing a challenge from a mutual friend of ours. This friend is looking for a vacation lunch dish that would fit perfectly in a beach side condo menu. My friend and a bunch of her girlfriends are doing Orange Beach in a few weeks and the dish had to be healthy, light, refreshing, and not screw up the sexy curves on display in a bikini.

Here is what Chef Jill came up with for our ladies of leisure and of course anyone who is looking for an elegant but easy salad that's filling but not fattening. Prepare yourself for a fresher than fresh Shrimp, Crab, and Avocado Salad.

Right now is the perfect time to get shrimp. Whether you're meeting the boats in Delcambre or making a stop at Joe Patti's in Pensacola. The shrimp are decadent and delicious and when you combine them with another Acadiana favorite, crab, you have got my attention. Up next the amazingly flexible, flavorful avocado. Some people think avocados can only be used for guacamole, some people would be wrong. The avocado adds a unique flavor and delicious texture up against the shrimp and the crab.

Those are your featured players in the dish but one of the subtle stars of this flavor profile is another southern summertime celebrity. Watermelon. That's right a little watermelon and a tight dice on some red onions give this salad all the energy of a well planned surprise party. It is so delicious.

If you add in Jill's suggestion of the Mango Lime Vinaigrette that she borrowed from the Food Network then you are in business with a lunchtime, dinnertime, sexy salad that leaves your taste buds tingling with the desire for more. The good news is you can have some more and not worry about the waistline since this protein packed salad will satisfy your hunger and your need for tasty adventure that is the perfect compliment to your vacation getaway.

 

**Jill McCoy is a former announcer at 97.3 The Dawg who has turned her focus to cooking. She is currently enrolled at a prestigious culinary school in Austin TX. She also works in the kitchen at one of Austin’s finest restaurants. Jill also maintains her own food and lifestyle blog, Salt and Pepper 2 Taste. She is a regular contributor to 97.3 The Dawg every Friday**

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