Summer Shrimp Salad

Life. Is. Good. Thanks to the help and support of 199 incredible backers, I successfully funded my Kickstarter campaign for my first cookbook, Bowls of Love. The book is in progress, and it will be published this Fall. Now that the campaign is over, I can get back to recipe writing, cooking, story-telling. I decided I needed a super summery lunch today while I worked on the book outside on the balcony. I crafted a summer shrimp salad bursting with flavor from mango, lime, and lemon balm. You could serve this over a bed of lettuce or in martini glasses as an appetizer for your next dinner party. It is the perfect meal or snack when you aren't in the mood for a hot dish on these beautiful Spring and Summer days. For an extra refreshing treat, refrigerate it for 30 minutes prior to eating..

Summer Shrimp Salad: Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled & deveined

- 3 small ataulfo mangoes, diced (about 1.5 cups)

- 1 large cucumber, diced (about 1.5 cups)

- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh lemon balm or mint

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- zest and juice from 1 lime

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil a pot of water

2. When water is rapidly boiling, add raw shrimp (with the tails still on)

3. Cook for 2 minutes then cover pot and remove from heat

4. Let shrimp cook for 5-10 additional minutes until shrimp is pink and cooked through

5. Strain and rinse the shrimp and set aside

6. Add mango cucumber, lemon balm, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl

7. Remove the tails from the shrimp, chop into bite-sized pieces, and add them to the bowl

8. Mix well to combine and serve! Note - this tastes extra good if you refrigerate it for 30 minutes so it is extra chilled and the flavors can meld