The Heirloom Pan: raw

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Mango Watercress Salad with Jerk Shrimp

This salad is the second recipe in my "Summer of Salads" series. It developed out of a strong yearning for a tropical fruit salad that was low-glycemic and well-balanced. This salad delivers on both accounts and provides a fresh and exciting alternative to the ubiquitous garden salad.

Recipe development for this salad was a bit of a process. I love mangoes so I knew that would be my key ingredient. Then, I did a little research and found this recipe from Caribbean Pot that provided me with an excellent base for the salad. I made a few modifications and ultimately decided that I prefer a 3:1 salad mixture of arugula and watercress. Otherwise, the watercress is too strong for my personal liking. To make the salad a little more complex, I added roasted cashew nuts, jerk shrimp, and raw green beans and tossed it in a homemade Allspice and Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing.

Mango Watercress Salad with Jerk Shrimp

Ingredients:

5-8 shrimp
1 container Grace Hot Jerk Seasoning
1 cup arugula
1/3 cup watercress
1/8 medium red onion, julienned
1/8 medium red bell pepper, julienned
1/4 cup raw green beans, snapped
1/4 ripe mango, cubed
1 tablespoon roasted cashew nuts

Directions:

Peel and devein shrimp. Rub generously with jerk seasoning and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Remove shrimp from refrigerator and cook using your preferred method -- grill, broiler, or stovetop. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the flesh turns pink. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large salad bowl, toss the remaining ingredients with 2 tablespoons of Allspice and Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing (recipe below). Transfer salad to a serving plate and top with cooked jerk shrimp. Enjoy!

Allspice and Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup tamari
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup safflower oil

Directions:

Place first nine ingredients in a blender and combine. With blender running, slowly pour in oil to reach desired consistency.

Note: This recipe yields about 2 cups of salad dressing, which will last approximately 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

More about me...

I grew up in the rolling hills of North Mississippi with four large garden plots directly adjacent to my home. I spent my summers sowing fields, eating fresh, homegrown produce, and steering clear of indigenous reptiles.

My first food memory is shelling purple hull peas with purple-stained fingers at our kitchen table, and most of the early part of my life revolved around food. As a family, we farmed the land. We hunted the woods. We fished the lakes. We raised our own pigs. We foraged the native foods that grew wild around us (such as blackberries, plums, muscadines, and poke salad). Quite naturally, we also did a lot of cooking. So, it's no surprise that I take the Virginia Wolfe approach to life: "one cannot think well, love well, sleep well unless one has dined well."

At age 23, I became pesceterian. Some people tell me, I've lost my southern roots. I find that absurdity pretty funny. I find solace in my buttery, delicious cornbread muffins. As I strive to live healthier and continue to expand my culinary repertoire, I build on the history and traditions that have brought me and sustained me thus far.