Mango and Black Bean Salad with Sesame Shrimp...and some Kitchen Mistakes

Many great things in life have been created by mistake or unintentionally. Take the potato chip, for example. Legend has it that potato chip inventor, George Crum, was a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, New York. One diner complained that Crum's French fries were too thick for his liking and sent the fries back. Out of spite, Crum decided to irritate the guest by producing fries too thin and crisp to skewer with a fork. The plan backfired as the guest loved them and other diners began requesting Crum's potato chips.

Other unintentional creations? Ice cream cones, chocolate chip cookies, gooey butter cake, and yes, even America's favorite: Viagra.

Where am I going with this? Well, if you can only imagine, I recently botched a recipe as a result of a 'cut and paste error.' You see, I usually bring my laptop into the kitchen with me, but after one too many spills, errant crumbs, and sticky fingers, I've decided to start jotting recipes down or printing them out, lest I lose my laptop to grease splatter. After realizing that I used the salad dressing ingredients for the shrimp marinade, I figured it was too late and continued on anyway. Like many great inventors, I found my creation to be a delight anyway. BTW, this is tongue and cheek- I obviously don't consider myself to be the great George Crum's protege :)

The following recipe for Mango Black Bean Salad with Sesame Shrimp is a perfect dish for the summertime. It's light and refreshing, with a sweet and spicy zing added by lime, sugar and red pepper flakes. I added a little corn for extra color, and extra cilantro because I love it so much. Hubby suggested trying the dish with avocados next time, so if you have some on hand, give it a whirl.

Oh, and if you make this dish, you'll of course notice the ingredients for the shrimp marinade are the same as the dressing ingredients...therein lies my mistake :) Though the end result was tasty shrimp, it may be just as easy to simply season and marinade the shrimp with some olive oil, garlic & salt and pepper.

Mango Black Bean Salad with Sesame Shrimp
4 servings

Shrimp Marinade

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used less, but only because I ran out!)
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust according to desired heat level)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons olive oil for

Salad
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 small-medium mango peeled, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen - thawed)
1-2 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sesame seed, for garnish

Dressing
juice from one lime
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (or 6 tablespoons) rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust according to desired heat level...remember, you can always add more later!)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic and sesame seeds. Cover and place shrimp in refrigerator until ready to cook, up to 2 hours.

2. In a small bowl, create the dressing by whisking together lime juice, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes and ginger.

3. In a separate large bowl, combine black beans, cucumber, mango, corn, green onions and cilantro. Pour dressing over mixture, toss to coat well, and set aside.

4. In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Saute shrimp until cooked thoroughly, turning once, about 2-3 minutes. Top the salad with the sauteed shrimp, sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy.