OMGhai guys!  as mango season in hawaii comes to a close, i pay homage to the mango (and honor my friend pooh’s recipe request) with this dish.  the mix of sweet and spicy is a winner because it uses several kinds of sweet and several kinds of spicy.  it tastes complex, but is REALLY easy to make!

you CAN have-a the mango.

kiddo alert:  spicy and not kid-friendly.  omit the jalapeno and red pepper flakes for the kids.  leave the caribbean spice, though.  you need SOME spice to balance the sweetness, and it won’t make it too spicy.

this recipe will serve 2 hungry adults.

note:  if you have any dark rum lying around, i would highly recommend marinating your shrimp in a rum/lime juice mixture for 30 min before making.  i’m pregnant, and don’t have any rum lying around.  *single slow-rolling tear*

get it:

• 1 lb any count raw shrimp, deveined (or a little more, if you love shrimp)
• 1 cup sliced sweet bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
• 1 cup large-chopped red onion
• 1 med-sized ripe mango, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• lime wedges (garnish and flavoring)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp caribbean spice mix (if you can’t find it, you can mix your own, see bottom of post)

make it:

1. in your largest nonstick pan (or wok!), heat olive oil over med heat and saute garlic, jalapeno, onions, and red pepper flake for 2-3 minutes.
2. crank heat up to med-high, dump in the mango, red onions and bell peppers and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes.
3. add shrimp and stir while cooking until shrimp are just cooked and pink/opaque
4. add vinegar and give a brisk stir (you are “deglazing”, and looking fabulous, i must say.)  then add your honey and caribbean spice mix.  you will notice that your mangos are breaking down, and turning into a kind of glaze/sauce.  this is good.  but having some pieces of mango in there is fine, too.
5. add handful of chopped cilantro, and make sure everything is well stirred.  salt and pepper to taste.
6. serve with (or over) cilantro-lime rice.  i use this recipe (it’s simple and wonderfully fresh-tasting):  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lime-cilantro-rice/detail.aspx
7. squeeze lime over dish/garnish with lime
8. keep TUMS handy (if you’re pregnant, stuff your bra w/ them)

caribbean spice mix:

2 tablespoons turmeric
1 tablespoon coriander (powder, not seed or whole)
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cloves  *optional, and can sub allspice