Roasted Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Shrimp Salad

One of my MFP friends this week asked that I make a high protein salad. Not really knowing what that meant, I decided to make a sweet potato and black bean salad. Unfortunately this combo only resulted in being 8 grams of protein. Clearly I have no idea on protein or something.

But this salad did magically become a high protein salad.

The night before I had made coconut shrimp for dinner. Thing is.. I didn't end up eating it, because I had forgotten I had dinner plans. But I didn't want the shrimp to go bad, so since they were thawed out I cooked them up and decided I could find a use for them later. Their use became apparent the next morning when I was throwing this salad together. In the shrimp went and up the protein increased to 23 grams!

I've really started to love sweet potato, so this is also a plus. I think the next two recipes you'll see after this one involve the sweet potato. It seems like sweet potato and spinach are the two staples as of late in my recipes.

This recipe is definitely going to be entered into Kahakai Kitchen's Souper Sundays!

Roasted Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups panko

1 tsp ground cumin

3/4 cup flaked coconut

24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 large sweet potatoes

1 large onion, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 14-oz can black beans

1 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500.

2. Beat egg whites in a small dish. Combine the bread crumbs, coconut, and 1/2 tsp of cumin in a ziplock bag.

3. Dip the shrimp in the egg whites and then shake in the dry mixture. Add to a baking sheet.

4. Bake for 6 minutes. Flip over. Bake for 6 more minutes. Set the shrimp aside.

5. Reduce the oven temperature to 400. Place the sweet potato and onion in a baking dish. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and mix with the shrimp. Add the black beans as well.

6. In a small bowl mix together 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and 1/2 tsp of cumin.

7. Pour the dressing over the sweet potato and shrimp mixture. Toss well.

* serves 4

CALORIES: 566 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 71 milligrams
FAT: 18 grams
SODIUM: 851 milligrams

Black Bean and Corn Salad

I started an internship last week, like I've been mentioning. Besides just learning a ton about the law and the process, I also have to learn to pack a lunch. During the school year I live(d) right on campus and would be able to come home and make myself something yummy to eat and I would sit and watch something like Judge Judy or People's Court or something. Now things are different and I either eat at my desk, eat in the conference room, or sit outside and watch the rain and eat. Thing is, doing this is 40 minutes away from where I live, so there's no possibility of coming home for lunch. So... now I have to pack my lunches.

When I went home to San Francisco this week I made a point to go to Japantown and get a bento box. Obviously I'm not doing the whole "bento" thing, but I like how it portions your food and I like the separators so my fruit doesn't get covered in something else.

For lunch today I had a black bean and corn salad and some sliced apples, which I made last night and just grabbed this morning. Easy lunch! Healthy lunch! Flavorful lunch! OH and transformable lunch! Guess what's for lunch tomorrow? Empanadas stuffed with this salad!

I'm watching cholesterol now too, so that will be added into all my new nutrition counts.

ALSO, I am finally participating in a foodie.. thing. Souper Sunday hosted by Kahakai Kitchen features different soups, salads, and sandwiches submitted by all blog users. I definitely feel that this bean and corn salad definitely should be shared so people can eat it up! But, I can't take full credit for this delicious dish. I found this recipe on Clean Green Simple, a blog full of many good recipes!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients
6 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili pepper
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1 avocado, peeled and cut into small cubes
20 cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions
1. In a small bowl whisk lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, cayenne, chili pepper, and cilantro.

2. Over medium heat, combine the beans and corn in a pot. Stir occasionally until heated through.

3. Gently mix in the tomatoes and avocado.

4. Pour the liquid over the vegetables. Toss. Put in a refrigerator until cool.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 488 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 22 grams
SODIUM: 1113 milligrams