Well, I have been an observer rather than a partaker in Weekend Herb Blogging, the food blogging event and brainchild of Kalyn over at Kalyn's Kitchen. I figured the best way for me to jump in with TWO feet, was to start joining the fun at the Weekend Herb Blogging TWO Year Anniversary of this event.

The aim of this big party is to submit a dish that is doubly delish: with a favorite herb and vegetable all wrapped into one recipe. My recipe? Cilantro Mango Coconut Sauce. The vegetable inclusions are onion and green pepper. This little sauce/chutney is a really bold combination, yet pairs beautifully with the peppered shrimp.

I love learning about herbs. More importantly, I like to push myself out of my culinary comfort zone and try new recipes with new herbs. It has not been too many years since I began using cilantro, an herb I have a crush on. Though it is an herb that demands attention sooner than later (too much later and it will wilt---this herb has a short life so use it quickly!). But if you lovingly pursue this herb, it won't let you down. It adds panache to any dish, pairs beautifully with seafood and has landed on my table in both guacamole and pesto.

Peppered Shrimp 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander (from same plant as cilantro) 2 tsp olive oil 1 tsp freshly ground, coarse black pepper 15-18 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined fresh lime juice

Place shrimp in bowl (I used a bag of already cooked jumbo shrimp, defrosted them and put them in a bowl), sprinkle on coriander, pepper and oil. Give a toss to blend. Let sit for 20-30 minutes while you prepare sauce. Then, grill 1-3 minutes per side, sprinkle with lime juice and serve.

Cilantro Coconut Sauce 2/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup cilantro 3 T sweetened coconut 2 T fresh lime juice 2 T mango jelly (or chutney if you prefer spicy) 1 tsp ground cumin 1 T fresh green chili (I use anaheim, they are very mild; use a jalapeno if you like spicy) pinch of coarse salt 2 cloves garlic

The sauce pushes my culinary patience: chop this, dice that, squeeze citrus, etc. I am a big fan of keep it simple. I kept it easy: I just plunked all the cilantro sauce items into my mini chopper and pureed. I didn't pre-chop anything; the only cutting I did was to ensure the onion and pepper pieces fit into the chopper. I didn't mince garlic or chop up the cilantro. So here are the instructions: add all sauce ingredients to blender and puree.