Shrimp, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

Oh My! I think I may have found my new favorite salad! This is so good.

We are definitely into spring here. Yesterday was in the upper 70s (that'll sound pretty good come August) and so I went leafing through my "Salad" file looking for something that would be nice and light at the end of a warm day. I found this recipe torn from a magazine.....I think it was from Byerly's Supermarket (Minnesota) but I never made it, which means it's been sitting in my files for at least six years. What a waste! I can tell you, this will be on our table several times a month this coming summer. It is very simple and the combination is so close to many dishes I've made before, but somehow this was a bit different. Absolutely delicious.

The recipe calls for grilling the shrimp, but I learned an incredible secret from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa). Roast your shrimp. It makes all the difference. It is so simple and since I've been roasting shrimp (400 degrees for 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp), I've had absolutely perfect and predictable results. Every time.

UPDATE: I made this again tonight (4/25) and hand some extra arugula on hand....what an incredible addition! I you have some on hand, please add it!

SHRIMP, BLACK BEAN, AND CORN SALAD (this recipe makes two entree salads)

Shelled and deveined shrimp for 2 (I used 24 {31-40} shrimps)

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

pinch cayenne

1/2 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 can (11 oz) white and yellow corn

10-15 grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

one head of romaine, chopped

a handful of arugula, if you have it

large tortilla chips, for garnish

Rinse shrimp. Pat dry with paper towels. Place in ziplock bag. Whisk together olive oil, lime, cilantro, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Put 3 Tbsp of dressing in ziplock with shrimp. Refrigerate for at least one hour (mine sat for about 6 hours). Combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, and remaining dressing. Refrigerate, covered, several hours.

Now at this point, the recipe instructs you to skewer the shrimp and grill until cooked. As mentioned above, I chose to roast the shrimp. Since I used smaller shrimp, I roasted them at 400 for just 6 minutes. Perfection!

To Serve: Toss romaine into bean mixture. Spoon onto serving plate. Top with shrimp. Garnish with tortilla chips.