Cajun Seafood Salad

Number of Servings: 4-6

Cajun Seafood:

1 teaspoon (5 mL) hot smoked paprika
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) sweet or mild paprika
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon (1.5 mL) dried oregano
¼ teaspoon (1.5 mL) dried thyme
½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) Kosher or sea salt
¼ teaspoon (1.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces – 1 pound (375-450 g) of seafood – a mixture of prawns (shells removed; deveined) and scallops (tough muscle removed; halved if large)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable or grapeseed oil

 Salad Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into strips
1 papaya, peeled, pitted, and cut into strips
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into thin slices
½ cup cooked corn, cooled
1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced
1 red, orange, or yellow pepper

½ cup (125 mL) quinoa, uncooked

Creamy Cilantro Dressing:

1/3 cup (85 mL) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
2 tablespoons (30 mL) mayonnaise
2 tablespoons (30 mL) sour cream
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper

 Method:

1. Prepare the dressing: Combine chopped cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add mayonnaise and sour cream and continue to process until smooth and creamy.   Season to taste. Alternatively, all of the dressing ingredients can be finely chopped and mixed together by hand. Refrigerate until ready to assemble salad.
2. Prepare the quinoa: Bring a pot of water to a boil; add salt and quinoa.  Cook quinoa for 15-18 minutes, or until tender (or as package directs).   Drain, give a quick rinse in cold water.   Press down gently on the quinoa as it drains so as to extract as much water as possible (reduces the possibility of sogginess). Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add a tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking together.  Cool.
3. Prepare the salad: In a large salad bowl, place the slices of mango, papaya, and avocado. Add the cooked corn, celery and peppers. Add the cooled quinoa. Gently fold in the cilantro dressing.   Adjust seasonings to taste
4. Prepare seafood and spice mixture: Mix all herbs and spices together in a small bowl.   Prepare the prawns and scallops (ensure that seafood is dry) and toss with the herb-spice mixture.  Set aside.
5. Just before serving: Heat up the oil in a large sauté pan, over medium heat.  Add the coated seafood pieces and sauté until just cooked – approximately 2 minutes/per side.
6. Place some of the salad mixture on each salad plate (or on a large salad platter). Arrange some spicy seafood pieces on each plate.    Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Questions and comments are always welcome    alex@chilipeppersandpears.com ^[1]