Verde Shrimp Taco or Salad

I love Shrimp Tacos! What am I saying....I love tacos! I decided to make one of my favorite dishes....but paleo it up. Yes. Paleo is a verb.

If I wasn't trying to be strict....I would go ahead and eat the corn tortilla but instead my serving will have a bed of chopped lettuce under it.

Shrimp

2 lb bag frozen shrimp
1/2 can Salsa Verde
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Thaw the shrimp, remove shells and tail and throw into a bowl.  Stir in  Salsa Verde and let sit for 30 minutes.  Add spices and stir.  Heat a deep skillet to medium heat and add 1 tbsp coconut oil.  Add Shrimp and cook, stirring around until the shrimp is pink and done.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mange, peeled, chopped into small pieces.
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced (keep seeds if you like it hot)
1 small red onion, diced
The juice of one lime
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste


Peel and chopped the mango, chop the orange bell pepper, dice the jalapeno and red onion. Place all of the ingredients into a bowl with a lid.  Cut your lime in half and squeeze the juice in. Try to resist having a shot of tequila.  Add salt and cilantro.  Stir.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Assemble your shrimp on a corn tortilla or a bed of chopped lettuce (if you're paleo) and add Mango Salsa and slices of avocado. 

This dish is very delicious and satisfying!

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

I'm on the look out for more no cook dinners! This one requires cooking but not very much. I love cooking with shrimp because it doesn't take much time at all.

For the Mango Salsa

2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, stemmed and diced (leave seeds if you want it spicy)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped

For the Taco

1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
Dash of Worcestershire
Dash of Tabasco
1 red bell pepper, sliced
8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Combine all of the ingredients for the mango salsa in a bowl and stir. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Take the shells off of the shrimp and sprinkle salt on top. In a large pan over medium heat, saute the shrimp in 1 tbsp of olive for about 3 minutes, until they are pink. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and add the remaining 2 tbsps of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions, Worcestershire and Tabasco and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble you tacos with shrimp, onion and pepper mixture, cheese and salsa. Or make them into quesadillas.

If you are the low-carb type...this taste great without the tortilla.

Tuna Salad

This recipe is from the 20 Years Younger book and it's turned out to be my husband's favorite meal.  It's perfect for summer because it requires ZERO cooking. It's also worth noting that 50% of my children like it. And ask for more.

Tuna Salad
This is for ONE serving.  Increase amounts accordingly.

4oz tuna (i use water packed Albacore)
1 teaspoon capers (i chop mine)
1 medium tomato, diced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup romaine or arugula

Mix all of the ingredients together and serve on a bed of  lettuce.  Serve with a whole wheat roll and fruit.

Salmon Burgers

My friend Adrienne from Knoxville Pixie posted a delicious looking picture on twitter yesterday.  It looked so good and perfect for summer BBQ season that I asked her to please guest post and share her recipe with us. I'm hoping to try this recipe VERY soon because my bother in law just got home from a fishing trip to Sitka Alaska this morning.

My Hubs is a total carnivore and not the biggest salmon fan. However, since turning 35 this year, he has become a little more concerned about the kind of food he is eating and how better he can control his salt, cholesterol and fat intake. So after we scarfed down a smorgasbord of nachos, boneless chicken wings, french fries, and beer at a Sports bar on Saturday yet still awoke Sunday to a mean burger craving, I decided it might be a good time to try out a salmon burger recipe I’d previously been too intimidated to attempt.

I think I was nervous to try out a salmon recipe before due to the (what appeared to be) challenging preparation of the fish. But, it was seriously easy, even for me who owns only a food processor attachment for my blender as opposed to the real thing. So let’s get started, shall we?

After some research, I learned you want to get wild caught sockeye salmon if possible. Apparently it’s the best kind and the healthiest and if you want to know the reasons why, you’d have to ask my Hubs, I was too busy playing Angry Birds to pay attention when he told me. I actually found some on sale at my regular grocery store.  I picked up about 1.75 lbs of skin-on salmon fillets prepackaged at the fish counter. 

For starters, you want to remove the skin (I found it pretty easy to remove most of it by pulling it off by hand, and used a sharp boning knife if it gave me trouble). Once all the skin has been removed, cut salmon into chunks, and place in food processor or lame tiny food processor attachment and pulse until the fish is the consistency of ground beef.

Then transfer the salmon pulp into a large mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp poppy seeds and 1 tbsp grill seasoning. Mix with hands and form into 4 patties. Drizzle patties lightly with olive oil and yell at your Husband to hurry up with the yard work and turn on the grill because in the 6-yrs you’ve owned the pimped out piece of propane machinery, you’ve yet to learn how to turn the darn thing on. Hand the platter of raw fish patties to afore mentioned sweaty other half and bark at him to be sure to use the PAM for grilling spray before putting the burgers on the grill and not to cook the patties any longer than 3 mins per side.

While the burgers cook, make the super simple sauce. Combine ½ cup mayo, ½ cup sour cream and scallions in a bowl and place in fridge until burgers come of the grill.

After precisely 6 mins (or longer if you like your salmon more well done), remove perfectly cooked burgers from the grill, place on yummy crusty hamburger buns and top with scallion sauce, lettuce, and tomato. Serve alongside grilled veg and potato salad or whatever floats your boat. Enjoy!

Salmon Burgers Recipe
adapted from Rachael Ray

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each), cut into large chunks
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 3 scallions, whites and greens, chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Lettuce, for topping
• Sliced tomato, for topping
• French Hamburger Buns, lightly toasted

Directions:

Pre-heat the grill, to medium-high. 

Place the salmon in a food processor and pulse to grind the meat. Transfer the fish to a mixing bowl and season with the grill seasoning and poppy seeds. Mix and form four patties. Drizzle the burgers with olive oil. 

Cook the burgers for 3 minutes on each side for a pink center, or 3 minutes on each side for fully cooked fish.

While the burgers cook, in a bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream and the scallions. Top the burgers with the lettuce, tomato, onion and sauce and serve on crusty, toasted buns.