Tropical Shrimp Salad

For most of my life I have avoided mangoes. Mostly because they made my tongue swell and my lips itch and then break out into tiny bumps. Okay, okay, that sounds like an allergy to me too. I don't know what made me try them again, but I did about a month ago, and joy!!! No reaction. This opened up a world of new dining possibilities. Like this salad! It's crispy, sweet, and a little bit spicy. You'll marinate the shrimp first, then make the mango and avocado salsa and dress the salad.

I saw some in the market the other day, so I grabbed them. They were super tart and sweet, so I decided to pair them with some avocado. It seemed like the perfect match for some spicy shrimp and ta-da! This tropical salad was born. My last recipe was Hawaiian themed--are you sensing a theme here? I am READY for summer. I am willing the seasons to change by cooking ahead of schedule.

Anyway, pour these shrimp over romaine for a light summer lunch or over Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice for more of a hearty bowl. In my personal opinion, it would pair reaaaaaaaaaally nicely with a crisp Sauv Blanc. Just me?

What You'll Need:

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1-2 teaspoons diced green chilis

• Juice of one lime

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• salt and pepper

Dressing:

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon diced green chilis

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 4 teaspoons lime juice

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

• salt and pepper

Salad:

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

• 1 mango, peeled and diced into cubes

• 1 medium jicama, peeled and diced in to cubes

• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced in to cubes

• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

What I did:

1. Pour the olive oil, cumin, chilis, lime juice and garlic into a large resealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp, seal the bag and mix all of the ingredients together to coat the shrimp with the marinade. Let the shrimp marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad ingredients.

2. Next, make the dressing by whisking the mustard, chilis, honey, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro together in a bowl. Season the dressing with salt and pepper as needed.

3. Heat a sautee pan over medium high heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side until opaque. Remove from the heat immediately.

4. To create the salad, toss the lettuce, mango, avocado and jicama with the dressing. Then, top the salad with the shrimp.

5. Sprinkle some cilantro on top like you're the Salt Bae.

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