Sweet & Spicy Shrimp Tacos

My love for Latin food has manifested into more of an obsession. Growing up, my favorite dish involved anything that was spicy which is probably why I fell in love with the rich and fiery flavors from south of the border. If I could, I would eat tamales, mole, enchiladas, carnitas, guacamole, ceviche and tacos al pastor everyday. Then in high school, my first job was at a local and family-owned Mexican joint. Translation: all my favorite combinations todos los dias. In college, I also spent sometime studying in Cuernavaca, Mexico where street tacos, Alambres (Mexican carne cooked on skewers) and savory salsas were a daily treat.  On the walk from la Universidad to mi casa de mi familia Mexicana, my roommate Maria and I would always find a way to make a foodie detour. Nowadays, I love to make tacos and have almost perfected my OG shrimp version. I had some pineapple this time around and thought I'd get creative using this recipe from FoodFit as a backbone. Here's how you can enjoy the sweet & spicy   shrimp tacos I made this time around:

What you'll need:

Pineapple Salsa

1 cup diced pineapple (canned and be sure to  keep the jugo, you'll be using it later)

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 sliced jalapeno

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 cup lime juice

1 lime (cut into wedges)

1/4 cup diced red onion

pinch of salt
Tacos:

1 lb shrimp (frozen or raw is okay, too)

1/3 cup butter

8 corn tortillas

1 cup grated queso fresco 

1 avocado (sliced) 

1/2 red cabbage (sliced)

sour cream

Preparing the Salsa: 

To begin, in a bowl combine the drained pineapple, diced red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno, red onion, ground cumin, cayenne pepper and 1/4 cup lime juice. Mix together and add a pinch of salt. Add in a splash of pineapple juice, and chill. (This salsa also tastes great by itself with chips!) 

Preparing the Shrimp:

Depending on whether you are using raw or frozen, preparation will be slightly different, but I used a cast iron skillet over a gas stove for this. In the pan, add butter, 1/4 cup lime juice, another splash of pineapple juice and shrimp. Shrimp cooks quickly, so be aware that it may only take a few minutes. Let simmer in juices for a while after you remove from heat.

Taco assembly:

For these tacos, I chopped up some red cabbage, extra jalapenos and queso fresco to add on top. Heat up the corn tortillas separately. Start with shrimp, add cabbage, a spoon full of pineapple salsa, avocado slice, queso fresco, sour cream and wedge of lime for squeezing on the top!

Enjoy! xx

Tostada Tuesday

There is no question that being a lover of food has ignited a plethora of scrum-di-li-um-cious foodie bloggers that want to share their passion for good eats. I would definitely not consider myself a "food blogger", but have taken note that it has been difficult to find recipes for exactly what I am craving, up until now. Thanks to Gojee, perhaps the next best thing in recipe scavenging (aka Pandora for foodies), combines the best from food bloggers themselves in a website that makes it super simple and fun to choose what you want!

Yesterday, my sister and I were browsing through the mouth-watering photos of home-made treats, sweets and eats  when we stumbled upon Roasted Vegetable Tostadas, from the kitchen of Erin Alderson and her yummy blog Naturally Ella. It's normally taco Tuesday around here, but we decided to switch things up a bit.

What you'll need:
2 large cooking trays
1 mixing bowl
4 corn + wheat tortillas (Trader Joe's has the best)
1 bell pepper
1 onion, we used red
1 tomato
1 avocado
2 tspns olive oil 
1 can of black beans (we used re-fried)
1 lime
1 cup of shredded lettuce
Shredded pepper jack cheese
cilantro
tin foil (trust me, easy clean-up!)
ground cumin
cayenne pepper


Total prep time: 45 minutes 


To begin:

Preheat the oven to 425. (Side note: This recipe makes 4 tostadas) In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1 chopped bell pepper, cubed tomato and mix with olive oil. Using one of the cooking sheets, cover in tin foil and spread out on flat in order to achieve proper roasting. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Continuously check at 10 minute increments to make sure no veggie goes burnt. 

Black Bean + Cilantro Spread: This was not apart of the Naturally Ella's original post because we went with re fried black beans. In a bowl combine chopped cilantro, lime juice and 1/2 can of beans. Mix together using a pinch of ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Set aside. 

On the second baking tray, place 4 tortillas and sprinkle with pepper jack cheese. Place in the oven a rack underneath the roasting vegetables. The cheese and tortillas will cook in about 15 minutes, pull out of the oven and let cool and top off with black bean + cilantro spread. Place in oven for a few more minutes until beans are warm, then add lettuce, sour cream, sliced avocado and salsa if you wish. We used an extra spicy chipotle sauce, which was amazing! 

From here on out, I know where I am going to be getting my recipes. Thanks Gojee & Naturally Ella! 

Balsalmic Bruchetta

When I cook, it is often because I have found an excessive amount of some thing in my fridge and feel the need to use it before it goes bad. This time, it was tomatoes. At first I thought about making pico de gallo salsa, but then opted for something a little different, but still easy to make and that guests could enjoy. Bruchetta is something bite-size and the perfect way to use the seven tomatoes I found in the fridge this time! 

Here's how:

Prep Time: 1 hour

What you'll need:
1 loaf of french bread 
5-6 tomatoes sliced/cubed (roma is best)
1/2 cup fresh basil 
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbspn olive oil
2 tbspn balsalmic vinegar
1/2 lemon (you'll just need the juice)
1/2 cup cheese (I used Parmesan & mozzarella)
salt & pepper


To begin:
In a bowl, combine cubed tomatoes, olive oil, cheese, balsalmic vinegar, garlic and lemon juice. Mix well. Fresh basil is best to use because it's just so delicious! You will need to cut up the basil leaves and then add them in before refrigerating. Add dash of salt and pepper and let sit in the fridge for 45 minutes to let the flavors blend. 


While waiting, pre-heat the oven to broil. Slice up French bread, no thicker than 1 inch and spread out on pan. Scoop spoonfuls of bruchetta onto each slice of bread and place it in the oven for 8 minutes. 


Bruchetta can be served cold or warm, I choose to serve it warm because the cheese was melty and the bread was toasty--perfect for a rainy December night!


Enjoy!