Jerk Shrimp, Mango & Avocado Salad

I mentioned in a previous post that I hosted my first Pampered Chef party a few weeks ago. At that party, I ordered SIX new cookbooks!!! When the shipment arrived a few days ago, I was so excited I just didn't know what to do with myself! I have literally spent hours so far just looking through each recipe in each book. I've probably looked through each book about 5 times at this point. If you had told me even a year ago that I would grow to love cooking (especially new things) so much, I would have laughed in your face!


This recipe came from one of my new cookbooks and was actually fun to make! Although, I am probably a little biased because I was just excited to be able to use my new 5" Santoku knife so much throughout this recipe. This is a knife that also just came with the Pampered Chef shipment earlier in the week. If you only buy one Pampered Chef item in your entire life, then let it be the 5" Santoku knife!! I had no idea I could ever love a knife. This thing is amazing. I thought I had good knives before, but now I don't want to ever use anything else besides this knife. Other knives should be ashamed of themselves.


Ok, back to the recipe. Underneath the title in the cookbook, it says that "Jerk refers to an authentic Jamaican way to cook meat, poultry and seafood. But it's the combination of spicy and sweet seasonings that makes jerk what it is." I have never been a fan of hot/spicy foods. I think I just never gave it a chance. In the past, whenever I've had something that was hot/spicy, my face would turn red and I'd start coughing and look like a fool. I think that on a subconscious level I had already decided that I wouldn't like it. Well now I am trying to give hot/spicy things a chance and learn to appreciate the different flavors. Tonight's recipe was a great chance for me to do this since it uses both a Jamaican Jerk rub and a jalapeno pepper. 


The shrimp did have quite a kick to it, but the taste was delicious, especially when paired with the mango salad and lime dressing. Fantastic flavor combination! I can't believe I never gave stuff like this a chance in the past. Honestly, this whole recipe was just bursting with flavor! Made me feel like I was back in the Caribbean :-) Also, if you don't have the Pampered Chef Jamaican Jerk Rub, you can just use the Jamaican Jerk seasoning you can find in the grocery store. That's what I did!


A few notes from the cookbook: 1) To peel a mango, use the Santoku Knife to cut off top and bottom of fruit. Stand fruit upright, stem end down, on Cutting Board. Carefully cut of peel from top to bottom. Rub the top of the mango with your thumb to determine the direction of the large, flat pit. Slice off flesh alongside the pit. Cut flesh into cubes, and 2) Belgian endive is a small cigar-shaped head of white, tightly packed leaves with yellow tips. It becomes bitter when exposed to light, so it is best wrapped in a damp paper towel, then placed in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerated for no longer than  day. I actually substituted the Belgian endive with baby spinach leaves.


I used to stay away from avocados because I had no idea how to deal with them. But this short video shows you exactly how to cut and peel an avocado and how easy it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8si6bv_kcwk 


Enjoy!




Jerk Shrimp, Mango & Avocado Salad
Pampered Chef Spin on Salads
Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2007.


Prep time: 15 minutes  Total time: About 30 minutes  Yield: 2 servings


Dressing
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp lime zest
Dash of salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil


Shrimp and Salad
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp Jamaican Jerk Rub
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 garlic clove, pressed
16 large, uncooked shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails removed
1 firm, ripe avocado
1 head Belgian endive, separated into leaves
1 firm, ripe mango, peeled and cut into cubes
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
Lime wedges


1. For dressing, combine lime juice, sugar, lime zest and salt in Small Batter Bowl. Slowly add oil, whisking until well blended. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. For shrimp, in Classic Batter Bowl, whisk lime juice, jerk rub, oil, jalapeno pepper and garlic until well blended. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate 15 minutes.
3. Heat (10-in.) Skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles. Add shrimp and cook 4-6 minutes or until shrimp turns opaque and is cooked through, turning once. Remove from Skillet.
4. For salad, peel and slice avocado using Utility Knife. For each serving, arrange avocado slices and endive leaves on serving plate. Top with mango and bell pepper; drizzle with dressing. Arrange shrimp next to salad. Serve with lime wedges.