Maybe you think of grilled chicken as the standard topper for a Caesar salad, but you'll hail Caesar when this twist on the classic hosts a favorite friend from the sea.

12 large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
Olive oil cooking spray
Black pepper
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 medium-size red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup small cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons Caesar Dressing (recipe follows)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
2 lemon wedges, for serving

  1. Season the shrimp with black pepper.
  2. Coat a skillet with olive oil cooking spray and heat it over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook it until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Set the shrimp aside.
  3. Place the lettuce, bell pepper, tomatoes, salad dressing and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and toss to mix.
  4. Divide the salad between 2 salad plates and top each with 8 shrimp. Serve with lemon wedges and more Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 2

There's always room on top of a Caesar for the old standard: grilled chicken breast. Grilled salmon's another tasty possibility.

Nutrition Info:
1 portion (without dressing) provides:

Protein: 1 serving
Calcium: 1 serving
Vitamin C: 4 servings
Green leafy and yellow vegetables and fruits: 3 servings

Caesar Dressing

A traditional Caesar dressing is made with raw egg. This eggless version is better suited for the pregnant gourmet who wants all the taste of a great Caesar salad without any questionable ingredients.

1 teaspoon chopped garlic
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
2 anchovy fillets (optional) drained and coarsely chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
Salt and cracked black pepper

Place the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, anchovies, if using, and Parmesan cheese in a blender or food processor and puree to form a smooth dressing. Season with salt and cracked pepper to taste, adding more olive oil and/or cheese, if desired.

Makes about ½ cup

Nutrition Info:
1 portion (¼ cup) provides:

Calcium: ½ serving
Vitamin C: ½ serving
Fat: 1 ½ servings