I'm always trying to come up with a fun, healthy play on the things I ate growing up in South Louisiana. Seafood boils are attached to some of my favorite memories of growing up. It seemed like every Friday night we'd get together with friends, family, neighbors, and whoever wanted to join and boil whatever was in season. Regardless of what we were boiling - crawfish, crab, or shrimp, we'd throw it all into salted, seasoned water and boil, having a vino, beer, or cocktail while we waited ... telling lots of old stories and jokes!

Potatoes, onions, corn, garlic, and any other veggie we thought sounded fun, were always in the boil ... always served with what we called "dip," the cajun version of Thousand Islands dressing with lots of garlic and spices. So when I was at the farmers market recently and trying to come up with something fun to do with all the fresh okra, corn, tomatoes, and onions, I decided on this. I'm calling it the "Cajun Niçiose."

You'll find almost everything we threw into the boil in this salad with the "dip" transformed into a cajun salad dressing!

I must add, because I'm a health coach and obsessed with making food delicious, fun, and incredibly healthy at the same time -

Shellfish is an excellent source of iodine, selenium, and zinc - great for inflammation, thyroid health, and your immune system. I used crab here, but you could swap it with shrimp, oysters, even chicken or salmon - whatever you like.

Okra is an excellent idea if you have gut issues. It's full of fiber but also, when cooked, has somewhat of a mucusy inside - which is excellent for your gut! It can soothe the intestines, helping with gastric ulcers, and can even decrease inflammation in the bowls.

As always, lots of garlic, onions, and herbs in this dish - all amazing immune boosters!