Tropical Shrimp Bowl

Lauren Mayne Carroll

Both of my daughters have turned out to be fabulous cooks, and they’ve agreed to share some of their favorite recipes. Here’s one from my younger daughter Lauren Carroll who is pictured here. She says this is a great go-to meal if you’re busy because it takes less than half an hour from start to finish. This recipe will serve 2 hungry people.

Tropical Shrimp Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen grilled shrimp (i.e., Gordon’s frozen Classic Grilled Shrimp)
• 3/4 jasmine rice (brown rice may be substituted)
• 1 cup water
• 1 can black beans
• 1 fresh jalapeno
• 1-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (more if desired)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion (red onion is best, but any onion will do)
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
• Fresh cilantro to taste
• 1 lime (optional)
• Ground chili pepper (optional)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the rice, water, and half the olive oil in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until the rice is cooked.
2. While the rice is simmering, cook the shrimp, following the directions on the package. (If using Gordon’s shrimp, cook for 12 minutes at 425 degrees.)
3. While the rice and shrimp are cooking, slice and remove the seeds from the jalapeno. Discard the seeds. Mince the pepper. Divide the minced pepper in half.
4. Chop the 1/4 of the cilantro and approximately 3 tablespoons of the onion. Set these aside.
5. In a saucepan, combine the rest of the olive oil with the minced garlic, half the minced jalapeno, salt, and chili powder. Simmer for 1 minute.
6. Add the black beans to the garlic and jalapeno mixture and cook on medium heat until the beans are thoroughly heated.
7. Now you’ll mix the ingredients for the salsa. In a separate bowl, combine the pineapple, cilantro, other half of the minced jalapeno, and chopped onion. Set this aside.
8. It’s time to prepare the rice bowl with layers of the prepared ingredients. For each person, you’ll start with a serving of rice, top with black beans, then pineapple salsa, and finally the shrimp. Sprinkle lime juice over the top and garnish with more fresh cilantro.