Firehouse Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head leafy green lettuce, roughly chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced*
• 4 carrots, julienned or thinly sliced*
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 mango, pitted and cubed
• 2 small beets, cooked, peeled, and julienned or sliced into thin strips (about 1 cup)*
• Lime-cumin vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

In a large bowl toss the lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, carrots and black beans to evenly combine. Plate this mixture and top with the mango and the beet sticks. Drizzle on lime cumin vinaigrette.

*Cook's Note: The red onion, carrots, and beets can be done on a v-slicer or a mandoline.

Lime Cumin Viniagrette:

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves picked and chopped

Combine the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, cumin, honey and jalapeno until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings. Reserve.

To morph into a Sauteed Shrimp Salad: Place 12 to 15 (about 3/4 pound) large peeled shrimp in a small bowl. Pour about half of the lime cumin vinaigrette over the shrimp. Cover and marinate for 20 minutes.

In a saute pan over high heat, toss the shrimp, with salt and pepper, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until their tails turn bright pink. Serve over the salad and drizzle on remaining lime cumin vinaigrette.