Happy Monday, everyone! Do I have a delicious recipe to share with you today. Over the weekend, I worked on a small inspiration shoot of a themed summer table setting that I will be posting tomorrow – looking forward to sharing that with you. But first, I wanted to share with you the meal that inspired the table setting…my ‘Tropical Shrimp Salad’.
I LOVE this recipe because not only is it healthy but this salad combines a whole lot of freshness from a variety of sweet fruits such as mangos, pineapples, apples and tomatoes, crisp vegetables include red bell peppers, cucumbers and leafy baby arugula, and topped with garlic-flavored, pan-fried shrimp. For added flavor, I included cilantro and for a little heat; minced jalapenos.
This entree can be served either for lunch or dinner. If you make this dish as a dinner option, you can serve it with a side of jasmine steamed rice. Want to serve this dish family style? No problem, layer the food items (noted in the recipe below) in a large serving bowl.
- 1½ pound, fresh shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- SEASONINGS
- 2½ teaspoons, extra virgin olive oil
- 10 garlic gloves, minced
- 1½ tablespoons, 'Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning'
- ¼ teaspoon, freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon, dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon, dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon, onion powder
- SALAD
- 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 large, cucumber, diced
- 1 large, red pepper, diced
- 1 med-large, jalapeno, minced (optional)
- 1 bunch, fresh cilantro, removes leaves from stems
- ½, lemon, freshly squeezed
- ½, lime, freshly squeezed
- 16 oz. container, fresh pineapple chunks
- 16 oz. container, fresh mango chunks
- 2 granny smith apples, diced
- 5 oz. pack, baby arugula
- Fill a bowl with cold water to place, set aside. This is where you will place all your deveined shrimp.
- Devein the shrimp by peeling the shell from it. Use a pairing knife to make a shallow slit along the back from the head end to the tail end, remove and discard.
- Return shrimp into the bowl of cold water.
- Once all the shrimp are peeled and deveined, carefully pour out all the water from the bowl and rinse the shrimp in cold water several times.
- Be sure there isn't any left over water in the bowl (you can place a paper towel over the shrimp and carefully tilt the bowl to it's side to release any leftover water.
- Be sure to wash your hands clean from handling the raw shrimp.
- Add the top seven seasonings to the shrimp and mix well, making sure the shrimp is evenly coated. Place clear wrap on top of your bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Prepare your salad by dicing and combining the tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno, and in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Squeeze half of a lemon and lime in the bowl, set aside.
- Remove about 8 chunks of pineapple and mango from its original container, dice, place in a bowl and refrigerate. (Since apples can turn brown quickly, you will peel and dice when you are ready to plate your food).
- Once your shrimp has marinated, drizzle some olive oil in a medium-large size, nonstick skillet and let it heat up on medium-high heat. Carefully add the shrimp in the skillet, the shrimp should sizzle on contact.
- Cook shrimp until opaque throughout - about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Transfer cooked shrimp onto a plate, set aside.
- Remove your two prepared bowls from the fridge.
- Peel and dice your apple, set aside.
- To plate your food, begin your fist layer with a handful of baby arugula, then drizzle a small amount of olive oil, the second layer will be a combination of the diced apples, mangos, and pineapples. The third layer you will add a large spoonful of the combined tomatoes, cilantro, cucumbers and peppers. Top the salad off with a few shrimps.
- Enjoy!
And if you haven’t guessed what my tabletop theme is already…stop by tomorrow to check out my ‘beach-themed’ tablescape inspiration!
–Pictures and recipe by Rose Angel Lopez
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