Wednesday already?! My “spring break” is going rather quickly, I’m sad to say.
Yesterday was rather productive, however. I grocery shopped, meal planned, made a great crock pot dinner, walked 4.75 miles and weighed in — down another 1.8 lbs!! 😀 And then I splurged and had a Cadbury Creme Egg. And you know what? So not worth the calories. Peeps, however…THEY are worth the (empty) calories. Mmmm! Love Easter candy!
…Almost as much as I love Mexican food.
There’s just nothing like good Mexican food. And when you can do a respectable job at home while cutting calories, it’s all the more enjoyable.
I saw these tacos on Jessica’s blog a few weeks ago and they caught my eye immediately. The colors…gorgeous! Strangely, I am not a fan of sweet salsas — pineapple, mango, etc. I have decided they’re just flavor over-load and I prefer the more subtle flavors of cilantro, avocado, and salsa. But if sweet salsas are your thing, check out Jessica’s original recipe which calls for a mango salsa.
But really, the sky is the limit.
You can even make your tortillas into a curled shape (perfect for packing them with goodies!) by baking them over your oven racks – so fun!! I forgot to take pictures and besides, Cara’s photos and instructions can’t be improved! Brilliant!
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Crispy Shrimp Tacos adapted from How Sweet It Is
1 pound raw, deveined shrimp (tails removed)
2 Tbsp olive oil or peanut oil
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 green onions, diced1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
8 corn tortillas
2 oz (about 1/2 cup) cotija or chihuahua cheese, grated
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 cup lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro, minced or chopped
Directions:
Make sure shrimp is clean and completely dry. Combine salt, pepper, garlic and cumin and sprinkle it over the shrimp. Add the flour to a small bowl, and dredge the shrimp through the flour to get a very light coating on it. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the shrimp and brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp and let drain on a paper towel.
Assemble tacos, adding lettuce, shrimp, avocado, tomato, green onion, cilantro, and cheese. Spritz with lime juice. Yield: 4 servings (2 tacos each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 412 calories; 17.3 g. fat; 160 mg. cholesterol; 397 mg. sodium; 34.3 g. carbohydrate; 5.5 g. fiber; 30.3 g. protein
Result: These were delicious! Mr. Prevention and I ate 3/4th of this recipe. Well, more like I ate my normal portion and he ate 2 portions, half the recipe. It’ll all good — I got the leftovers for lunch 😀 This is certainly a quick and easy meal that can be prepped ahead of time for an even quicker meal. Next time, I think I will omit the flour and frying of the shrimp — I don’t think it added a whole lot of flavor and I think sauteeing the shrimp in a tablespoon of olive oil with salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder would’ve been just as delicious. And lower in calories and fat. These shrimp would also be wonderful on the grill. Now, all we need is the weather! Enjoy!
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I promise to update on my seedlings soon. Last time I peeked, the zucchini was growing like wild! 😀 Up later this week: Vegan Banana Bread! This girl being off for a week means plenty of time to play in the kitchen…wouldn’t have it any other way.
Question: What meat or bean do you like best in your tacos? And do you enjoy sweet salsas, or stick to the more traditional flavors?
Be well,
I LOVE shrimp tacos. Totally need to make these.
Author
mhmmm…fo sho!
I puffy heart shrimp tacos!!
Congrats on your weigh-in, Nicole! You are doing GREAT!!!!
Author
Thank you, darlin’ 🙂
Yum, yum, yum! Those look soooo good! My favorite taco filling is actually shrimp! LOL I think I might have to make these soon. 🙂 That rice looks pretty hot, too!
I’m not a marshmallow fan so I’d take Creme Eggs over Peeps any day. I love Mini Eggs though, those are my FAVOURITE easter candy by far.
I am not a *huge* taco fan (I know!) but when I do have them….I like black beans or grilled chicken!
Totally agree about Peeps, too. HATED them as a kid….but as an adult, I’ve totally seen the light.
I’ve never had shrimp tacos before..this looks amazingly delicious..thanks for the recipe..
I like pretty much anything in taco form! The best tacos I had ever were probably fish tacos in Austin, TX. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Right now my favorite salsa is Trader Joe’s double roasted salsa. I like the non-traditional ones too. I recently had pineapple salsa that was really good (and not overly sweet).
My husband loves Peeps and Cadbury Creme Eggs. Peeps are okay but I’ve never had a creme egg (weird, I know).
Congrats on the weight loss!!!
Lurrrrrve shrimp tacos! Such a summery meal!
I keep meaning to try Cara’s drape-the-tortillas-over-the-oven-rack thing! Thanks for the reminder! 🙂
Author
The rack thing is BRILLIANT! Do it!! Do it!! 🙂 Soon!! Soon!
I LOVE shrimp tacos! I also like mahi mahi tacos.
I love spicy salsas and am not a huge fan of sweet salsas. AWESOME job on the weigh in! You are doing great!
I have a love of fish tacos…made with a mild white fish…never had shrimp ones…I need to try them!
I love Mexican food. Sometimes I’ll get i a rut and eat them for a week straight. My favorite tacos are meat-free–just beans–with green salsa. I love how tangy it is.
Author
Mmmm…salsa verde!!
1. what do you do that you get spring break? I am jealous.
2. I need to try these shrimp tacos…my husband LOVES shrimp so I know these would be a hit. I would probably skip the deep frying as well.
3. Excited for your banana bread recipe!
Author
I teach college, so I get a week off from teaching. But my full-time job…I had to take a week off for eye surgery, so it’s not REALLY a spring break. Don’t be jealous 🙂 Promise I’d rather be working than with blurry vision!
Awesome! Shrimp tacos are my favorite tacos. I would make them, but Ryan does not like shrimp, so I stick to fish tacos.
YAY!!! Big congrats on the great weigh in.
Those tacos look so good! I wasn’t able to eat any spicy or acidic foods so I wasn’t eating Mexican food for awhile. I finally put it back in my diet and missed it so much! I will have to try this recipe. I’m definitely love black beans in my tacos with traditional salsa.. but I wouldn’t mind a bit of the sweet kind. I always want sweet AND salty!
Also, I can’t wait for your vegan banana bread recipe! 🙂
I think my favorite taco filling is beef, like a flank or skirt steak fresh off the grill. Mmmm I can’t wait for that!
These look great! Mexican food is by far my favorite!
I could do simply beans in my tacos. Yum!
Pork!!
Sorry I’ve missed your post the last few days. Work visitor is in town and we went to India. Glad you’re feeling better and enjoying spring break :).
I still can’t decide if Mexican or Italian cuisine is my favorite!! Either way, Mexi always hits the spot, but I’ve never had shrimp tacos believe it or not. I must try em soon!! 🙂
My hubby has requested we have these tacos “at least once a month”! I also used the shrimp and toppings in a quesadilla and that was delicious too.
Author
Haha, at least hubby has good taste 😉 Thanks so much for your comment, Kate!