By Beth V
One of my favorite grocery stores had avocados on special this week: 59-cents apiece. This recipe doesn’t actually contain avocado, but the avocados inspired me to create a Mexican meal for my family (and there may or may not be a link at the end of this post to an awesome guacamole recipe that I made as a side!). This works very well for those who may be doing a post-holiday carb reduction. Shrimp are marinated in a deliciously fragrant mixture of spices and lime juice and cooked with peppers and onions. You can choose whether you’d like it in a tortilla, over rice, over a salad or simply sprinkled with cilantro alongside other low-carb sides like pico-de-gallo and guacamole. I just love the fresh flavors of Mexican food!
If necessary, start by defrosting a pound of shrimp either overnight in the refrigerator or quickly in a strainer under cold running water. You want to make sure you use raw shrimp so they can really soak in the marinade. They cook so quickly and starting from raw ensures that they are cooked just the right length of time and are not overcooked. Peel the shrimp.
Toss together the spices for the marinade: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano and some salt. Dump the peeled shrimp into a large zipper bag. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the shrimp, then squeeze half a lime into the bag. Zip the bag and mix it all together so the spices coat the shrimp well. This smells so good! Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes, but longer is fine, too.
Slice an onion in half lengthwise, peel back the skin and then thinly slice, holding onto the skin as you slice. It makes it easier to hold onto the onion and slicing onions using this method also makes it less irritating to your eyes.
Now grab a couple of red peppers and slice around the stem and then just lift the stem out. Slice the remaining pepper in half lengthwise, remove any white membrane attached to the inside and then slice in long slices about ¼ to 1/3 inch wide.
Heat oil over medium heat in a 12-in cast iron skillet or sauté pan and add the peppers and the onions. Sprinkle them with a few shakes of a salt shaker and cook until they start to soften, then toss in the raw shrimp. Stir and cook until the shrimp are completely opaque.
Scoop the filling into tortillas or onto rice or salad or simply onto a plate by itself or with tortilla chips. Add whatever toppings you like on your fajitas…sour cream, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, use your imagination. You can make this meal into a healthy Mexican feast by serving it up alongside pinto beans, skinny cilantro-lime rice, or this easy homemade guacamole and pico-de-gallo. Delicious! Mexican food is such a flavorful vehicle for fresh veggies and lean meats if you go easy on the oil in cooking it and go light on the sour cream and cheese, of course. Although this tastes so good, exercising portion control can be difficult.
Enjoy!
Fajita Shrimp
Adapted from Food.com
Serves 4 by itself or 6 with accompaniments1 pound raw, shell-on shrimp
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
Juice of ½ lime
1 tablespoon oil
1. Peel shrimp and place in a large zipper bag. Combine spices and sprinkle over shrimp. Squeeze the juice of half of a lime into the bag, squeezing the bag to evenly distribute the marinade over the shrimp. Place in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes or longer.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or sauté pan. Add onions and peppers, sprinkling with a few shakes of salt. Allow peppers and onions to cook until just starting to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp mixture to the pan, stirring frequently, cooking until the shrimp have just turned opaque, about 3 minutes longer.
3. Serve in tortillas or over rice, topping with chopped cilantro, red onion, sour cream or shredded cheese if desired.
Beth is a stay-at-home mom of three wonderfully active children ages 6, 3 and almost 1. She is married to Jason (who also writes for us here at MAD21) and spends her days teaching, changing diapers, sweeping up Cheerios, keeping peace among the kids, and whipping out gourmet meals on the side.