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.

Light and Easy Taco Salad

When there are just a few of us at home for dinner, I don't like to make full course meals, it's a waste of food and time to make all that food and for no one to eat it.  So, I try to make meals that are hot, easy and that I know everyone will eat and there will be no leftovers. Taco's is one of those meals, everyone likes them, and everyone in my house will eat them in one way or another.  I make these a little bit lighter, using less fat ground meat, I make mine into a salad and use the taco sauce as the dressing.  This is how I make them:

On medium high heat in a frying pan, add 2 lbs lean ground meat.  Fry it up until all the pink is gone.

 After it's cooked and the pink is gone, I drain it in a colander to remove any fat off the meat.  Wipe the pan with clean paper towels. Pour the meat back into the pan and add 1 envelope of McCormick Taco Seasoning.

 Sprinkle it all over the top and stir it in while you are cooking it, until all of the meat is covered.

 The meat is cooked, now turn the burner to low and cover.  Chop up tomatoes, I use plum because they are meatier and less watery, iceburg lettuce and sweet onion.  I buy bagged shredded Mexican mixed cheese (it's easier than grating your self), taco shells, taco sauce and flour tortillas.  We love the La Tortilla Soft Wraps, low in calorie and they taste good!  They also come in a variety of flavors.

Everything is ready to build my salad and tacos.

 I like crunch when I eat, it makes me feel like I'm eating, call me crazy! So I either use tortilla chips, or I break up taco shells on my plate.  Next I start building with my meat

 Then the cheese on the warm meat so it melts, then the lettuce

tomatoes and onion, pour taco sauce over the top and a dollop of sour cream.  I didn't use low fat, light or low salt in this recipe, but I do make them that way.  You can purchase the seasoning in low salt, the sour cream in a light version and the cheese also comes light or low fat.  Whether they eat them as a salad, on a taco shell or on a warm tortilla, tacos are always a hit in my house!