A little late for Cinco de Mayo and taco Tuesday, etc and whatever, but I tell you what these are some raging good shrimp tacos. Make 'em. You're welcome. I didn't have all the ingredients and there was no way I was dashing to the store, but they were still killer.
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa
Toss 1-1/2 to 2lb of thawed, large, peeled and deveined shrimp with
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I dumped more than that for sure)
Meanwhile, make the salsa:
in a small food processor, chop
- 1 small shallot
- 1 jalapeno pepper, quartered and seeded
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
Then add
- 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from half a lime
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
i did not have cilantro, which was mystifying and tragic, but the salsa was still delish.
Then grill the shrimp. Hot grill, three to four minutes per side, depending on the size of the shrimp. You can use skewers or we used a broiling pan right on the grill.
Now if I had had some red cabbage I would have used it, and I do not care for sour cream on my tacos, but I heated up some leftover brown rice and quinoa and mixed it together, and some black beans, and we had ourselves a FEAST.
Meanwhile, look who surprised me this weekend? Noah had planned to visit, as he is furloughed, but then texted on friday and said they were getting ready to reopen, so he wouldn't make it. I was so disappointed. That, plus a lousy forecast made me sort of dread mother's day. And then at about 6 saturday evening, I heard the front door open, peeked my head around the corner and there was NOAH! Stinker got me, and I'm so happy. It was a lovely lovely surprise and we zoomed with Corey on Sunday and it was about as good as a Covid mother's day could be.
Hang in there, y'all.
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa
by Jennifer Segal
For the Salsa
- 1 small shallot
- 1 jalapeno pepper, quartered and seeded
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from half a lime
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
For the Shrimp
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-1/2 pounds large or extra large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, thawed if frozen
For Assembling
- 8 - 10 six-inch corn or flour tortillas
- Approximately 2 cups chopped red cabbage, for garnish (I buy it pre-chopped in a bag)
- 2 limes, cut into wedges, for garnish
- Approximately 1 cup sour cream, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Salsa: Put the shallot, jalapeno and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped (a mini food processor is best, but large will work too). Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add chopped tomatoes, avocado, salt, lime juice and cilantro and stir to combine. Set aside. (If not using right away, place a piece of saran wrap inside the bowl and directly over salsa to prevent discoloration and refrigerate.)
- Make the Shrimp: Heat grill to medium. Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper and shrimp in a large bowl. Stir until shrimp are evenly coated with seasoning. Grease grill with a wad of paper towels dipped in vegetable oil or non-flammable cooking spray. Place shrimp on grill and cook until just opaque, about 1-1/2 - 2 minutes per side. Cover to keep shrimp warm.
- Grill the tortillas until warm and slightly charred, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, heat tortillas in microwave according to package instructions.)
- Spoon avocado salsa generously over warm tortillas, then top with 3 shrimp, red cabbage and dollops of sour cream. Serve tacos with lime wedges on the side.
