No Skimp Shrimp Tacos

 Got my creative juices flowing again, thinking of different dishes to make for dinner. I get tired of the same old thing all the time.  Summer is almost here, so I am starting to plan new things to cook outside on the grill.

Cooking outside is one of my favorite things to do.  No messes inside, no hot kitchen, very little cleanup, everything tastes better on the grill, and weather permitting we always eat outside on the deck. It's the best!  I put together these Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple-Mango Salsa the other day, unfortunately it rained outside so I had to cook them inside.  They were very tasty, the hubby gave a thumbs up, that means I will be making them again, hopefully outside!

Recipe Below.

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To make my salsa I used fresh pineapple, mango, red pepper, onion, lime zest and fresh cilantro.  Everything tastes better when it's fresh.  I always try to use fresh, and now is the season for it.  There is an abundance of fruits and vegetables out there to try, explore them and the possibilities of new dishes to use them in. 

 The colors are so appetizing, looks pretty too!

 Mix a little honey and lime juice into it. If you want the salsa spicy, add a minced jalapeno.

 I used raw, peeled, deveined shrimp tossed with taco seasoning and extra cumin for added smokiness. 

 Toss those tortillas on an open flame to warm them up and blacken them a little, just a little for color.

 Stuff them with the shrimp, top with salsa....

.........and drizzle a little Lime Crema and serve.  Awesome and tasty!

TASTY SHRIMP TACO'S

Ingredients

2 limes zested and juiced, set aside

For the Salsa:

1 diced ripe mango
1/2 fresh pineapple, remove core and dice
1/2 diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced sweet or red onion
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 diced Jalapeno Pepper, optional

For The Crema
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest

For the Shrimp

1 1/2 lbs peeled, deveined salad shrimp (tiny shrimp)

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1 packet of taco season

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss diced mango, pineapple, red pepper, onion, cilantro, honey, lime juice and lime zest.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small bowl mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, lime juice and lime zest.  Place the mix in a resealable plastic bag.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Rinse shrimp under cold water and drain.  Heat canola oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.  Add drained shrimp to the pan, taco seasoning, cumin and lime juice.  Cook until shrimp are pink, remove from heat.

Over open burner flame, hold tortillas over the flame for a few seconds on each side to brown/blacken them up a little.

Fill tortillas with shrimp.  Stir the salsa up and top each tortilla of shrimp with salsa.  Knead crema bag, snip off a corner of the bag and drizzle on top of each tortilla and serve.  Makes 4-6 tacos.

Quinoa Chili

Trying to cook for a person who does not eat meat can be challenging.  I shop in the markets until I can find things to make a meal out of.  My two favorite markets are Trader Joe's and Wegman's, and in  my area they are right down the road from each other, perfect for me.  I checked out Trader Joe's first, they have a lot of really good things in their freezer department.  I found this Quinoa mix with zucchini and sweet potatoes, perfect for making chili.  This is how I made it, recipe below.

I started with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauteed garlic, diced onion and fresh colorful peppers.

Some of my other ingredients, and the spices that give it the great flavor.

 Put it all together, pour in the Quinoa.

  Serve it up with diced avocado, fat free Mexican cheese, a dollop of fat free sour cream, and you got a vegetarian chili that's not only awesome, but light in the calorie department!

Quinoa Chili

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 big cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 mini orange, red or yellow peppers, seeded and chopped

1 15.5 oz. can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.5 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste

1 1/2 cups of water

1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/4 teaspoon of coriander

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, more if you like heat

2 teaspoons of dried cilantro

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon of cane sugar

salt and pepper, to taste

1 16 oz bag of Trader Joe's Frozen Quinoa with Vegetable Melange

For garnish - Mexican cheese blend or Daiya vegan cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro and tortilla chips.

DIRECTIONS

To a large Dutch oven type pan, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat.  Add the garlic, onions and peppers, and cook until tender.  Open the beans, drain and rinse them, set aside.  Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper, dried cilantro, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir.  Cook for 30 minutes, then add the bag of Quinoa and stir it in. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for another 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish your chili and serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator or in containers in the freezer.