British Virgin Islands Shrimp Salad

Caribbean islands with British roots have a significant Indian influence, as the intercourse of empire might suggest. Hence, this salad, whilst staunchly Caribbean, also offers the mellow spice of curry.

Jalapeno and garlic add a more substantial flavoring. But allowing the basic spices to marinate for a few moments permits the flavors to blend and mellow.  A most excellent, healthy, and nutritious repast.

Ingredients


2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 small red pepper, chopped

1 tsp curry powder

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced fine


Juice of 2 limes

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil


Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, coarsely chopped

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 large, ripe tomato, diced


2 Tbs chopped cilantro




Method


In a large bowl combine garlic, red onion, red pepper, curry powder, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil, and ground pepper. Stir and let ingredients marinate at least 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Add the chopped shrimp, avocado, and tomato. Combine all the ingredients together and gently toss. Top with cilantro and give a final toss.

Serves four as an appetizer or two as an entrée. A wonderful, fresh meal!

Simple spinach with an Indian flair

Cooking does not always have to be complicated in order to taste good or be good for you.  Spinach is highly nutritious and is used in many cuisines.  Originating in Asia, it has spread around the world.  Best used fresh from your own garden, it begins to lose nutritional value after just a few days.  One good way to overcome this (especially out of season) is to use frozen spinach.  An added virtue of frozen is that a side dish of spinach can be prepared with almost no effort as you are working on the main course.Frozen spinach does not need to be rinsed, trimmed, or chopped.

This dish is a tabula rasa, or blank slate, which takes on the characteristics of the spices you use.  I prefer an Indian style using turmeric and hot pepper flakes, but you could make it Italian by using oregano and thinly sliced garlic.  There is a bit of dairy added near the end to make the dish slightly creamy.  I like low-fat cream cheese, but you could substitute plain yogurt, cottage cheese, feta, or whatever you like.  Experiment and have some fun.   

1 Tbs. EVOO

1/8 tsp. turmeric

Freshly ground black pepper

A few hot red pepper flakes to taste

1 10oz. package of frozen spinach (chopped is my favorite)

1 Tbs. low-fat cream cheese

Heat oil in a small skillet (large enough to accommodate the frozen block of spinach) over medium-low heat.  Add turmeric, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes and stir into the oil.

Remove spinach from package and drop directly into skillet.  Cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes, occasionally turning and breaking up with a wooden spoon.

Once the spinach is completely thawed and has begun to cook,  uncover to allow some of the excess liquid to evaporate.  After 5 or more minutes, add cheese or dairy product, cover, and allow dairy to melt.

Stir well to blend  in the dairy product.  If dinner isn’t ready yet, turn off heat and cover until ready to serve.

Serves two.  Recipe may be easily doubled.

Buon appetito!