From Oonagh Williams of



Royal Temptations Catering

My friend Allyson gave me the original recipe, which used fresh jalapeño peppers and raw bell peppers. I don’t like the bite of raw hot peppers, so I prefer to use my own Mexican salad dressing based on hot pepper jelly, as it has a richer, more rounded flavor. I’ve also added celery or crisp apple for more crunch. Carrots, chunks of avocado, diced cucumber and halved grape tomatoes are also fine additions. The more you add, the more dressing you will also need to add. I have also made this with leftover barbecued chicken or grilled steak. Black beans are used for a wonderful contrast of color with the pink shrimp, mango and green herbs, as well as being an additional protein. Feel free to use cannellini beans or chickpeas if you prefer the taste.

For a video clip of this recipe: http://www.wmur.com/video/23844740/detail.html

Ingredients:

Salad

• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
• 1 ripe but firm mango, peeled and diced. You can also use fresh pineapple, nectarines or peaches. Seedless watermelon works well since it both produces juice and soaks up flavor of dressing.
• The green part of 4 green onions, finely scissored
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• ¾ -1 lb. cooked shrimp, rinsed and drained
• 2 stalks of celery, washed, quartered lengthwise and cut into fine dice (optional)
• Cashews or peanuts to garnish – optional

Dressing

• 2 tbsp hot pepper jelly, warmed in the microwave (To boost the heat factor, add gluten-free hot sauce, ground chipotles or chopped hot peppers)
• Grated zest/rind of half a lime
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (about half a lime)
• ½ tsp salt (or more or less to taste – shrimp can retain salt, and so can beans, so tread carefully)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil or other oil
• Pinch of garlic powder, or add crushed raw garlic if you like the taste

Directions:

1. Mix all salad ingredients together.

2. Add dressing ingredients to melted pepper jelly and stir well until dressing looks thicker and is well-mixed. It takes some stirring to get oil and other ingredients to blend together. You will see it happen, rather than oil just sitting there.

3. Stir dressing onto salad and leave in fridge for a few hours for flavors to mingle. The salad will keep in a fridge for 2 days. Serve over romaine or other green leaves, with gluten-free bread or warm gluten-free tortillas.