Spicy Shrimp Tacos

     I came up with this recipe last fall, but have been holding out until the weather got better to share it.  Now that it finally feels like spring in Boston, it's about time! I came up with these delicious tacos in an attempt to make it on the big screen again. The Today show was just not enough! 

      My big dream in life has always been to be on the Food Network. I'll admit it: I am obsessed! Last fall I thought it may finally come true when I got an e-mail from the Food Network looking for home cooks.  I created a video, put together a few recipes (this shrimp dish was one!), and hit submit! A week later I found out I had made it to the next round and went to NYC for a casting call. Ahhh! The casting call was one of the most nerve racking things I have done. There was well over 100 people there, all prepared with delicious looking dishes to share with the casting agency. I was intimiated to say the least!

Here I am with my wonderful hubby waiting in line for the casting call!

And here I am with my shrimp tacos waiting to be interviewed !

      Sadly I never heard back after the interview, and am pretty sure  "All Star Academy"  on the Food Network is the show I was trying out for. Even though I didn't make it was a great experience and I'm glad I took my shot! It's inspired me to continue to to what I love, which is create delicious and healthy dishes to share with you all. And of course, there is always next season, right?! :)

      So back to the Shrimp Tacos! I am a huge fan of fish tacos, but restaurants versions typically come fried. So for a lighter version I used sauteed shrimp instead. To add some fresh flavors I made a mango salsa with tomatos, cabbage, and avocado, and for some heat I whipped up a low fat chipotle sauce. The sweetness from the mango and the heat from the chipotle work really well together. A perfect light spring/summer dish that only takes 20 minutes to make! 

Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Mayo and Mango Salsa

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Creamy Chipotle Sauce

• 1/3 cup light mayo
• 1/2 cup 0% plain greek yogurt
• 1-2 chipotle peppers
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

Mango Salsa

• 1 mango, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno, finely dices
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped finely
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
• juice 1/2 lime
• salt/pepper to taste

Shrimp

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. For sauce. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.

2. For salsa. Combine all ingredients, mix together and set aside.

3. For shrimp. Mix together chili powder, cumin, paprika, pepper, and salt then toss in shrimp and mix to evenly coat. Heat medium saute pan on medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, add in shrimp. Cook shrimp for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from heat.

4. To make taco. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of chipotle mayo on half or corn tortilla, add on shrimp then mango salsa. Top with additional cilantro and lime for taste.

          

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Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Hash

The one thing I love after Thanksgiving is leftovers! I also hate letting food go to waste so I make sure to use up every last bite of food left in the fridge. This year I had plenty of turkey, squash and brussel sprouts left over so I decided to turn them into my version of hash for lunch! It's an all in one meal perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.

Turkey Hash with Squash and Brussel Sprouts
Servings: 3

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups of squash (I used buttercup squash but butternut or even sweet potatoes would work)
• 1 cup chicken broth, low sodium
• 2 cups of turkey, shredded
• 2 cups of brussel sprouts, shredded
• salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to a large saute pan on medium high heat. Then add in squash and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender adding chicken broth to pan as needed to prevent the squash from sticking to the pan.

2. Then add in brussel sprouts and turkey and cook for another 3 minutes. 

3. Season with additional salt/pepper as needed.

I was all out of cranberry sauce, but I think it would be the perfect way to top off this dish. Enjoy!

Corn and Pea Fritters with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce

I am always looking for time saving solutions in the kitchen. Libby’s is coming out with new Vegetable Pouches that are shelf stable, stored in environmentally friendly packaging and are microwavable. Because Libby’s pouches can be stored at room temperature they take only a minute to microwave, easy for a quick side dish or addition to appetizer, salad or soup!

  Libby’s was nice enough to send me some free samples to test and make a recipe with. For my recipe I used their Sweet Corn and Sweet Pea pouches to make a Corn and Pea Fritter. The recipe takes all of 3 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook. While the recipe was cooking I put together a cilantro lime dipping sauce made with Greek yogurt and avocado. This recipe is both sweet and spicy and made for a quick appetizer to keep everyone satisfied until the main course was ready!  These fritters are also made healthier by cooking them in a lightly greased pan versus frying them.  

Corn and Pea Fritters        

Servings: 4 (2 fritters per serving)

Ingredients:

• 1 pouch Libby’s Sweet Corn, drained and washed
• ½ pouch Libby’s Sweet Peas, drained and washed
• 2 tablespoons onion, minced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• vegetable oil spray

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix to combine.

2. Lightly coat sauté pan turned on medium heat with vegetable oil. Spoon ¼ cup of mixture on pan, press to flatten. Cook each fritter for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

 

Cilantro Lime Dip

Ingredients

• 5.3 ounce container of 0% plain Greek yogurt
• ½ avocado
• juice of ½ lime
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor.

2. Process until smooth.

“I received free samples of Libby’s new Vegetable Pouches mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Libby’s and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

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