An Inspired Cook

On our recent visit to the Florida Keys we enjoyed some really tasty seafood.  On the last day we packed our bags and started the drive back to the mainland to get ready to catch our flight home.  We stopped in Islamorada to have lunch and found this lovely restaurant called Lazy Days where we enjoyed an ocean view lunch from the second story patio.  I was intrigued when I read the description of the “Billings Salad”.  It was a big bowl of salad greens topped with Coconut Shrimp, Fried Cream Cheese, Apples, Grapes and Caramelized Walnuts with a Raspberry Vinaigrette.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, I had never heard of fried cream cheese except in a Won Ton and as it turns out, the cream cheese filling tasted just like that.  Their fried cream cheese was in the shape of large flat triangles and was warm and creamy.  The shrimp and cream cheese completely covered the top of the salad. This salad looks very similar to the salad I had at Lazy Days although I made a couple of substitutions.  It’s such a  hearty salad and the warm cream cheese really compliments the rest of the ingredients.  Whoever created this salad is genious!  I’ve never had anything quite like it.

Lets start with the vinaigrette, it always tastes better when all the flavors have time to fuse together.  I used fresh raspberries, red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey with salt and pepper to taste.

I rinsed the raspberries and heated them in a small sauce pan.

In just a few minutes the raspberries start to break down, releasing their juices.

Strain the raspberries into a medium bowl.

After all the seeds have been discarded you have a small amount of thickened raspberry juice.

Add 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar.

And 1/2 cup of olive oil.

Add honey to sweeten the vinaigrette.  I used 1 1/2 tablespoons but you can use more or less depending on your preference of sweetness.  Also add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes approximately 1 cup.

The cream cheese mix needs 3 hours to prep.  Start by combining cream cheese, salt, sugar, and green onions in a food processor.

Blend until all the cream cheese is smooth and creamy.

Scoop the contents from the food processor and place in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

When the cream cheese has chilled and is firm, use a 1 1/2 inch scoop to make cream cheese balls.  Lay them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Place in the freezer for 2 hours.

While the cream cheese is in the freezer, get the shrimp prepped and ready to go.  It’s quite similar to the process of coating and frying the cream cheese.  You can find my recipe and instructions here.  Or if you prefer, there are numerous packaged frozen coconut shrimp that can be baked in the oven or pan fried.

The cream cheese should be frozen after 2 hours.  Set aside 3 bowls filled with flour, whisked egg and panko crumbs.  First step; coat the cream cheese in flour.

Next coat it in the egg wash.

Final step, roll it in the panko crumbs.

Set them back on the baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer and bring temperature up to 350 degrees.  Use a metal slotted spoon to drop the cream cheese balls in the hot oil for 1 minute.

Remove from the hot oil and place in a bowl lined with paper towels.

To assemble the salad, place your greens on the bottom.  I used a spring mix but you could also use romaine, red leaf or green leaf or any combination.  Top with chunks of apples, dried cranberries, candied pecans, 6 coconut shrimp and 3 fried cream cheese balls.

This is what how the cream cheese looks when you break into the coating. It’s warm and creamy and tastes so good along side the rest of the salad.

Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette and enjoy!




Coconut Shrimp and Fried Cream Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Leafy Greens, can be any combination of Spring Greens, Romaine, Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce (enough for 4 servings)
1 large Apple, cored and cut into chunks
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup Candied Pecans (I used Trader Joe’s Candied Pecans)
24 Large Coconut Shrimp, You can find my recipe and instructions here.  (Or you can use packaged frozen Coconut Shrimp.  Prepare according to package instructions.)
Fried Cream Cheese, recipe follows
Raspberry Vinaigrette, recipe follows

To assemble salad: Layer with leafy greens on the bottom, add chunks of apples, dried cranberries and candied pecans.  Lay shrimp and fried cream cheese on top.  Drizzle raspberry vinaigrette over salad.

Fried Cream Cheese

8 ounces Cream Cheese
2 teaspoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Green Onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup Flour
2 Eggs, whisked
1/2 cup Panko Crumbs or more for coating
Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil for frying

Prep cream cheese 3 hours prior to frying.  Combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and green onion in a food processor.  Process on high until all ingredients are well combined and the cream cheese is soft and creamy.  Scoop the cream cheese mixture into a bowl with a lid and refrigerate for 45 minutes.  When the cream cheese has chilled and appears firm, use a 1 1/2 inch scoop to make cream cheese balls.  Lay them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Place in the freezer for 2 hours.

Assemble 3 bowls with the flour, whisked eggs and panko crumbs.  Coat each frozen cream cheese ball first in the flour, next in the whisked egg wash and finally roll in the panko crumbs.  Place cream cheese balls back on the baking sheet with wax paper.

Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or fill a deep fryer with vegetable or canola oil.  Heat to 350 degrees.  Drop coated cream cheese balls with a slotted metal spoon into the hot oil and fry for 1 minute.  Remove from hot oil and place in a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Makes 12 Fried Cream Cheese Balls

Raspberry Vinaigrette

6 ounces Raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 tablespoon Honey, add more if you prefer a sweeter vinaigrette
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat raspberries in a small saucepan over medium heat.  The berries will break down and begin to release their juices.  Strain the raspberries into a bowl leaving behind the seeds.  You should have approximately 1/2 cup of thickened raspberry juice.

Whisk in red wine vinegar, olive oil and honey until the mixture becomes emulsified.  Add more honey if you prefer a sweeter vinaigrette.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes approximately 1 cup

Makes 4 large salads