Eat Some Wear Some
Fish and shrimp tacos are always a favorite of mine when eating out. Most of the time the fish/shrimp is battered and fried…something I try to avoid when cooking at home, because unless you are Paula Deen with a deep fryer installed in your kitchen, it can be quite an undertaking. Oh and its also pretty unhealthy and although I tease Chris that one day I will just let go and end up looking like Mario Batali, that time has not yet come.
Every time I enter the kitchen, I challenge myself to make each dish better and healthier. I don’t believe eating something just because it is “low fat” but tastes like cardboard and I certainly would not waste time MAKING anything I don’t want to eat…I mean where’s the fun in that!?
Therefore, I set out to make this once-in-a-while restaurant indulgence into a healthy and delicious homemade staple. The response from the peanut gallery (yes, Chris that would be you) was a resounding “yummmmmm” and a request for tacos once a week.
You can really play around with the flavors. Next time I might try going with a more asian-inspired palate: using daikon radish instead of jícama, and either wasabi or sriracha instead of the adobo – use wasabi powder or one of those little packets you get when ordering sushi. I served the tacos alongside my smoky black beans but if you are going the asian route, you could sub in a seaweed salad perhaps.
Fish and Shrimp Tacos
Serves:
4 Servings
Ingredients
1 lb shrimp
2 tbl oil (high burn temp oil such as canola, grapeseed, or safflower)
½ of a red onion
½ jícama
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 avocado
1 lime
6 oz greek yogurt
1 tbl chipotles in adobo
8 tortillas
Preparation
Slice the red onion and jícama into thin strips, place in a bowl and add in the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Let sit for about an hour, stirring once or twice, and strain.
If you like things spicy, chop up one of the chipotles and mix it into the yogurt – or, just use a tablespoon of the adobo sauce to mix into the yogurt. Set aside until ready to eat – you can put it in the fridge if making ahead but take it out 30-45 minutes before eating to take the chill off.
The avocado and shrimp should be done last and just before you are ready to eat. Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, remove pit, and slice thinly. Cut the lime into wedges, squeeze one onto the avocado to keep it from browning, and set the rest on the table for each person to spice up their own tacos.
Heat up the tortillas while you are cooking the shrimp, either in foil in the oven or in the microwave.
Heat up the oil in a large skillet, season shrimp with salt and pepper, and toss into the hot pan. Sauté until they turn from translucent gray to opaque pinkish-white, about 3 minutes.