Sweet Heat Shrimp, Mango and Avocado Salad

Often when Luke goes out of town, I either use that time to catch up on happy hours with friends and eating out, or I make a large vat of homemade mac and cheese and live off of that for several days. Since neither of those are particularly healthy options AND I've got a wedding to look forward to (no date yet!), I needed to focus on some gentle, nutritious meals for one. This salad was simple and FAST to make, and I made it to the gym afterwards feeling energized and not stuffed. You'll love the sweetness of the mango and honey, creaminess of the avocado and the little kick of the red pepper. Give it a try!

Sweet Heat Shrimp, Mango and Avocado Salad

1/4 pound shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 lime
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups spinach
1 Ataulfo mango, diced (these are the little yellow ones you might know as Champagne mangos - SO addictive)
1/2 small avocado, diced
1-2 small radishes, thinly sliced

Preheat a nonstick skillet with olive oil on medium high heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then cook 1-2 minutes on each side, until curled up and pink. Place in a bowl and top with honey, lime and red pepper and toss to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, mango, avocado and radishes and toss. Top with spinach and toss to combine and dig in!

Mango Chicken Curry

When life gives you mangos, make curry! That may not be an obvious conclusion for many, but I've recently started experimenting with making curry, and this was my best yet, which I based off of the Chicken Curry recipe in the March issue of Cooking Light. I used a smooth, ripe Ataulfo mango, but any ripe variety would be tasty in this dish!

Mango Chicken Curry

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips

2 14-ounce cans coconut milk

3 tablespoons red curry paste

2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted and chopped

3 cups cooked Jasmine rice

Heat a large, nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then saute until browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet. Heat additional tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat and saute onion, garlic and peppers for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Set aside with Chicken.

Combine the coconut milk and curry paste in skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in mangos and cook about 2 minutes, then add chicken and vegetables. Serve with Jasmine rice.

Pecan Pork Chop Salad

With just a few simple ingredients, this simple salad will knock your socks off. Looking for an easier approach? Skip breading the pork chops, and just grill them. Then toss the pecans in the salad.

Pecan Pork Chop Salad

Canola oil (1 inch high in pan)
4 1-inch thick pork chops
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups pecans, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces spinach
2 mangos, peeled, pitted and diced

For dressing:
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet on medium heat and warm oil until it maintains 350 degrees (if you place the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, bubbles should rise up). Dredge the pork chops in flour, then dip both sides in the beaten egg. Finally, coat both sides with the crushed pecans mixed with salt and pepper. Place in skillet and cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until crust is golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool 5 to 10 minutes.

In the meantime, toss together spinach and mango. Once pork has cooled, slice into bite-sized pieces and add to salad.

For the dressing, whisk all ingredients together, then drizzle over salad.

Mango Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad, but I try to mix things up every time I make it. We just did a mango testing at work for some recipes coming up, which inspired me to try dried mango in my chicken salad- the result was surprisingly refreshing and tangy!

Mango Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 package dried mango, diced
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
3/4 cup light mayo
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Buns for serving (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate at least one hour or preferably overnight. Add more or less mayo depending on your preferred chicken salad consistency.

Chipotle Salmon Burgers

By now you know I love a good burger, and this is my favorite salmon burger recipe. I tried this recipe from Cooking Light last year and have made a few tweaks. I've stayed surprisingly close to this recipe and highly recommend it!

Chipotle Salmon Burgers

1/4 cup red onion
2 garlic cloves
3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds salmon
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/3 cup cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
6 Kaiser rolls
1 large avocado, cut into slices (optional)

Combine onion and garlic in a food processor. Add chipotles and oil and pulse. Add salmon, lime, cilatnro and salt and pepper. Next shape in 6 patties. Cook on a large skillet over medium heat about 6 minutes on each side. Serve on rolls with avocado and Mango Mayonnaise (see below)

Mango Mayonnaise

1/2 cup light mayo
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients and serve on salmon burgers.

I served with roasted squash, which consists on 3 summer squash, sliced on the diagonal, roasted with salt and pepper, olive oil, crushed red pepper and garlic. Cook about 15 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Top with chopped cilantro.

Macadamia Nut Mango Chicken Salad

After being sick for a week, I wanted my first visit back to the kitchen to be a bright one full of flavor, colors and nutrients. This fun salad was simple and tasty.

Macadamia Nut Mango Chicken Salad

2 cups macadamia nuts, divided
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, pounded 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 can diced pineapple
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and chopped
1 bag lettuce mix
1/2 cup dressing (I used a Papaya Poppy Seed dressing)

Crush 1 3/4 cups macadamia nuts either by hand in a plastic baggie or pulse in a food processor and place in a shallow dish. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat until about 350 degrees. Make sure chicken is thin. Place flour and eggs in shallow dishes. Dredge chicken in flour and shake, then dredge in egg and shake off extra. Pat in crushed nuts to make sure thoroughly coated. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts, then place in skillet (in batches if needed). Cook about 5 minutes on each side, until juices run clear. Place on a paper towel-lined plate and let rest 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized pieces.

While chicken cooks, combine remaining macadamia nuts, mango, pineapple, bell pepper, lettuce and dressing in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

I realized that I hardly ever cook with shrimp, which is surprising because it's so versatile and tasty. I went for a simple Asian dish that has tons of great vegetables and flavor. And, this meal was extra special because my best friend Brittney surprised me and came in town. As you may recall from an earlier post, she loves my Polynesian Chicken, and this closely mirrors that. Here's to old friends!

Sweet and Sour Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, deveined and tails off
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, halved, seeded and chopped
1 small can diced water chestnuts
2 mangos, peeled, pitted and chopped
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cut shrimp into bite-sized pieces and toss in flour. Heat oil and butter in a nonstick skillet on medium high heat. Saute shrimp about 3 to 4 minutes until warmed. Remove and cover with foil. Cook garlic, onion and bell peppers in remaining oil in pan for about 5 minutes. Add water chestnuts and mango and saute additional 2 minutes.

Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, water, ketchup and cornstarch in a saucepan and heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, 5 to ten minutes. Stir in 3/4 of mixture into vegetables and add shrimp. Serve over rice with additional sweet and sour sauce on the side. If desired, serve in lettuce cups for an added crunch :)

Hawaiian Hamburgers

This is a new creation that I was SO excited to try this weekend. Inspiration actually came from a few different places for this one. My friend Brittney loves making a version of this burger with her boyfriend, which reminded me that I absolutely love the Hawaiian Fajitas at Hula Hut (I get them every year for my birthday). I was excited to use a whole pineapple, I've never cut one before! It was actually really simple though and totally worth it.

Hawaiian Hamburgers

2 red bell peppers, halved, seeded and cut in strips, divided

1 red onion, diced, divided

1 poblano pepper, halved, seeded and cut in strips

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large ears corn

1 pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch rings

2 pounds ground sirloin

1/4 cup cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

1 lime, zested and juiced

Sliced cheddar cheese

1 (6 ounce) can pineapple juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

6 kaiser rolls, sliced

Sliced tomato (optional)

First, fire up the grill. Combine red pepper, onion, poblano, salt and pepper and olive oil on a large sheet of foil, reserving 2 tablespoons each of red pepper and onion. Cook veggie mixture on the grill on foil about 20 minutes until soft. At the same time, cook corn on grill as well, in shuck, or wrapped in foil. Once veggies are removed, cook directly on grill about 5 minutes on each side, or until nice grill marks are formed.

While veggies are cooking, combine remaining peppers and onions, sirloin, cilantro, salt and pepper, lime juice and 1 tablespoon soy sauce and then form into 6 patties, about 1 inch thick. Cook on grill about 5-8 minutes on each side or until done. Top with cheddar cheese for last minute of cooking.

While burgers cook, combine remaining soy sauce, lime zest, pineapple juice and brown sugar in a sauce pan and simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Place kaiser rolls on grill for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted.

For serving, place patty on kaiser roll with grilled pineapple, sauteed veggies, pineapple teryaki glaze and sliced tomato. Serve with grilled corn and grilled mango.

All Star Fiesta Salad

I have several go-to ingredients that if I pick them up at the store, I know I can make something delicious out of them. They include:

Avocado

Red Onion
Garlic

Bell peppers

Lime

Cilantro

Mango

Chicken

For last night's thank you dinner, I made salmon. Jacala, my friend and Megan's roommate, doesn't like salmon, however, so I grilled her a nice piece of chicken for the pineapple teriyaki glaze. That meant I had leftovers, so I decided to make a festive salad for tonight! I made sure to pick up my go-to ingredients last night (well, most of them), along with a few other all stars :) This salad is inspired by a recipe for work that our spokesperson Ingrid Hoffmann created, Mango, Chicken and Avocado Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (shameless plug, but I can't help where inspiration strikes!)

All Star Fiesta Salad

Grilled Chicken, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper (about 1 to 1/2 cups)

2 mangos, peeled, pitted and diced

1 avocado, cubed

1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded and diced

1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed and slightly roasted

1 roma tomato, diced

1/2 can black beans, rinsed

1/4 cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted

4 ounces romaine lettuce

Olive oil

2 limes

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped and divided

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil with the zest and juice of 2 limes and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Add in additional olive oil as needed for correct consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste along with a dash of cayenne pepper. Toss into salad and add remaining cilantro. Serve with crushed up tortilla chips for added crunch!

Obviously ingredients can be removed or swapped as desired. I rarely make the same salad twice, but I love trying new flavor combos. I love the pistachios in this recipe for the added crunch!


Now I have a question for you: What's in your all star salad?