The quest to eat as well as possible on as slim a grocery budget as possible continues. Now that I'm employed as a homemaker (while I search for more gainful employment) I have a little more time to do research on recipes that include ingredients we already have. We're going to visit friends over Memorial Day, so I've accepted the self-imposed challenge of cleaning out the fridge/freezer/cupboards until then. I'm finding that one of the keys to this kind of lifestyle is being comfortable with regarding recipes as nothing more than suggestions and being willing to substitute often. I made this last night, using up some beans I'd cooked from scratch in the crockpot a few weeks ago and then frozen, half a bag of shrimp, and a few other little leftover items. I substituted some frozen corn for the fennel, omitted the carrots, included dried dill instead of fresh and cooked beans instead of canned, and I served it on arugula instead of watercress. And it was still delicious! Perfect for a warm summer night's dinner.

Shrimp and White Bean Salad with Creamy Lemon-Dill Dressing

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped fennel bulb
• 1/3 cup julienne-cut carrot
• 1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1 1/4 pounds cooked peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces trimmed watercress (about 1 bunch)

Preparation

Combine reduced-fat mayonnaise, yogurt, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, dill, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add fennel and next 4 ingredients (through beans); toss well to combine.

Combine oil, watercress, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons juice, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Divide watercress mixture evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with 1 1/2 cups shrimp mixture.