Tested Low-Calorie Recipe: Shrimp & Mango Salad

I needed to quickly put together dinner, so I had to make do with what I had in my refrigerator. I knew I wanted something with shrimp and I'd eaten a mango for lunch, so from there I was able to find a Mango and Shrimp Salad recipe.

I was missing a few ingredients, the dressing didn't taste right and I tried the lettuce cups, which was too messy. Below is my revised recipe and customized for a very large dinner serving (351 calories) that can easily be shared for two (176 calories each). Try it and let me know what you think!

Low Cal So Cal's Shrimp & Mango Salad

INGREDIENTS:

10 jumbo shrimp (about 1/3 to 1/2 pound)
1 medium-sized mango (about 1 cup cubed)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (about 3 diced strawberry tomatoes)
2 cups of your favorite lettuce (romaine, green leaf or spinach work best)
1 cup water
OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt

For dressing:
1 teaspoon of chili sauce
    I used Srirachi Hot Chili Sauce
3 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a sauce pan, pour one cup of water and turn heat to high. Bring the one cup of water to a boil. Sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon of salt and add a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice if you want a more flavorful shrimp.

2. Add your uncooked shrimp to the boiling water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer 3 minutes or until the shrimp are done.

3. Drain shrimp. Set shrimp aside to cool. At this point, you may want to dice your tomatoes and cube your mango. Once shrimp are cooled, peel, de-vein, and remove tails.

4. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir until evenly mixed. Add salt, chili sauce or sugar to taste.

5. In a salad bowl, place shrimp, mango and tomatoes. Cover them with the mixed dressing and toss until they are evenly coated.

6. Add lettuce and toss until ingredients are well-mixed. Divide into two plates or enjoy the entire salad yourself! Bon apetit!

NUTRITIONAL INFO (per serving, recipe makes 2):

Calories: 176
Carbs: 34 g
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 9 g

This recipe has a nice kick to it, so be prepared for a spicy heat in the aftertaste. However, it is perfect if you like a little sweet and spicy (it's the new salty & sweet!). I think next time I may try it with avocado and maybe less sesame oil.

What's your favorite shrimp recipe?