Meal Planning is quite possibly one of my least favorite things to do. I'm not a huge fan of the kitchen in general, so planning meals is very stressful for me. That said.... I have a huge desire to put healthy, well-balanced meals on the table for my family. Always a challenge when we don't usually get home until 6pm or 6:30!

I discovered this receipe a few years ago in a Quick Cooking Magazine, which is published by Taste of Home, I believe. I grabbed the photo from their website. My whole family loves this recipe. My husband isn't a fan of regular taco salad because of the hard corn chips. This recipe actually asks you to fry up tortilla strips -- which is quite a bit tastier, and definitely not as hard as regular chips.

I don't have a meal planned for tonight... this might just fit my bill!

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 envelope taco seasoning, divided
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons diced green or sweet red pepepr
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 package (8 ounces) ready-to-serve salad greens
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 can (8 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Directions: Remove shrimp tails if desired. Place shrimp in a bowl; sprinkle with half of the taco seasoning. Set aside. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine 1/2 cup oil, onion, vinegar, green pepper, garlic, coriander and sugar; shake well and set aside.

In a skillet, stir-fry tortilla strips in remaining oil; drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with remaining taco seasoning. In the same skillet, saute shrimp for 8-10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

In a large bowl, combine the greens, tomato, beans, shrimp and tortilla strips. Just before serving, shake dressing and pour over salad; sprinkle with cheese and toss to coat. Yield: 6-8 servings.