Spiced Shrimp with Black Bean, Corn Salsa and a side of Cilantro Coconut Rice

Last night's dinner reminded hubby and me of vacation. We're not sure if it was the coconut rice that added a tropical flair, the spiced shrimp reminding us of summers, or if we're just very stressed. It's certainly been a long week for us with him attempting to overcome a deathly flu during finals, and long & tiring work hours for me. Yesterday wasn't any better, but luckily this dish came together so quickly that even a stressed out me could put it together. If only I had made a pina colada to go along...

The shrimp is nicely spiced with chili powder, garlic and cumin before being sauteed with corn, black bean, salsa, and lime. I was a little weary of the amount of chili powder used since I'm a weakling with spicy foods, but rest assured that if you use a milder salsa, it tempers the kick and I didn't notice any spice at all. The cilantro coconut rice was a perfect accompaniment - lightly flavored and sticky - just how we like our rice! Sorry for the lack of rice photos, but we gobbled this up too quickly. There's no time for photos with hungry, stressed out folk. :)

Spiced Shrimp with Black Bean, Corn Salsa
(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed or fresh corn, when in season
3/4 cup bottled salsa
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Olive oil cooking spray

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat.
2. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes - 5 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque. Do not overcook. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice. Remove shrimp from pan. Add corn to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in salsa, cilantro, and beans; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice and add shrimp back to pan. Toss shrimp with bean and corn.
   

Cilantro Coconut Rice
Courtesy of Rebecca from CLBB

1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup rice
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp kosher salt
juice of half a lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Add rice, and stir to coat, saute for 1 minute or so. Add coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is mostly absorbed. If rice does not appear fully cooked and water has evaporated, add a tablespoon or two of additional water. Once cooked, remove from heat, and remove cover, add lime juice and cilantro, stir and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or so.