Jalapeno-Mango Shrimp

So I'm flipping through my latest issue of Rachael Ray Everyday, and I see this cool summer shrimp meal. Sounds tasty! Must try.

Unfortunately, I have to say this is the first and only time Rachael has failed me. We were not fans of this one. But here's the recipe and I have some comments at the end!

INGREDIENTS:

-1 jalapeno chile, finely seeded and chopped

-2 tablespoons EVOO

-2 teaspoons ground cumin

-Salt

-1 1/2 lbs extra large shrimp, shelled and deveined

-2 tbsp brown sugar

-Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)

-2 mangoes, cut into cubes

-1 1/2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

-6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced

-2 scallions, sliced

-1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the jalapeno, olive oil, cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the shrimp and turn to coat.

Grill the shrimp until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side; let cool. Halve the shrimp lengthwise.

In a large bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in the lime juice. Add the mangoes, cucumbers, radishes, scallions, and cilantro; toss and season with salt. Add the shrimp and toss.

COMMENTS:

Okay, the big mistake in this meal is the CUMIN. There is nothing light and summery about it. It was way too powerful and gave everything else a yucky flavor. The mango and cucumber were quite yummy though and might be good with different seasoning. Craig was not a fan of the radishes though...I thought they were "eh".

Also, I will say I attempted this meal at a rather unfortunate time, as jalapenos and cilantro are being investigated for salmonella contamination. I ended up using a poblano pepper instead of jalapeno (Bill told me later this may not have been a great substitution), and I said "what the hey" with the cilantro and used it anyway. (The FDA cleared it later anyway...not that risky right?) We did throw the cilantro in with the shrimp for a minute though, because I felt safer with it semi-cooked. And we're all still standing...

So the moral here is...Rachael had a good concept, but it just didn't come together correctly. Not our top choice.