Monday, February 25, 2013

Shrimp Tacos

There are a lot of things that I haven’t tried.  I am correcting this, however slow it may be.  I love trying new foods and adding it to my repertoire.  For instance, these shrimp tacos.  I have no clue why I have not tried this before.  I love shrimp and tacos seperately, but the thought never occurred to me to combine the two together.  So glad that I did, because it made for a light, healthy meal in which we both enjoyed.

I loved this meal because it’s relatively quick to make (I made it in under 45 minutes-so I consider it a weeknight meal) and I already had most of the ingredients at home.  I loved the addition of the garlicky mashed black beans-it helped balance out the flavors of the salsa and shrimp.  This meal would be perfect for a Mexican themed evening with your friends, and would probably go well with this salad.  If you want to share, that is..

         

Shrimp Tacos

Makes 4 servings

Avocado Salsa Fresca:

1 medium tomatillo, husk removed & rinsed well

1 medium ripe tomatoes, diced

3 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 lime, juiced

1 ripe medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced

Shrimp:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 pound shrimp (larger sized preferred), peeled and deveined

Mashed Black Beans:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained well

1 to 2 tablespoons water

Coarse salt

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Coarse salt

4 ounces crumbled queso fresco or Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Avocado Salsa Fresca: 

In a medium sized bowl, toss the tomatillo, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, coarse salt and lime together. Mix well. Add in the avocados and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Shrimp: 

In another medium-sized bowl, stir together the vegetable oil, lime juice, chipotle chili pepper, cumin and salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to marinate while you prepare the mashed black beans. (note *the lime will ‘cook’ the shrimp, so don’t let the shrimp sit for longer for 30 minutes)

Mashed Black Beans: 

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lime juice. Stir in the black beans and mash with a potato masher. Cook the beans until they are heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water until they are spreadable. Season with coarse salt and cover to keep warm.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic and stir it in the oil for until it’s fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the black beans. Give the beans a rough mash with a potato masher (they should still be a bit chunky) and cook them for another minute or two until they’re heated through. Take the pan off the heat and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water until the beans are spreadable. Season the beans with coarse salt to taste and partially cover the pan to keep them warm.

Assembly:

Remove the shrimp from the marinade (discarding the remaining marinade) and place in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until cooked through and opaque.

Spread one-quarter of the Mashed Black Beans over each flour tortilla. Top with quest fresco or Monterey jack, grilled shrimp, and Avocado Salsa Fresca.

Source: adapted from Panini Happy