Easy Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

This recipe came from one of Oprah's favorite chefs, Custis Stone, and was featured on their Easy Family Dinners program. I've made it twice now--though I can't remember where I found the Chipotle Paste (it may have been London). In the US, cans of chipotle peppers in sauce can be found in the Mexican/Hispanic sections of most large grocery stores, so just experiment with the amount of peppers to suit your taste. I halved the recipe and it made about 6 large tacos.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion , roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 dried chipotle chilis, seeded and chopped

(or 50g Discovery brand Chipotle Paste)

3 tomatoes , roughly chopped

2.5 lbs (1500g) raw prawns/shrimp, peeled and deveined

(fresh prawns tasted way better than frozen, thawed prawns)

1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice to taste

Fresh cilantro (coriander)

Shredded cabbage

Corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and sweat onions in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and chipotle peppers (or paste), and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, season lightly with salt, cook for 1 minute and remove from heat.

2. Blend mixture well in small batches until smooth, adding a little water if needed, and reserve. In a large heavy-bottom pot, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes stirring occasionally, allowing the shrimp to lightly color. Remove shrimp from the pan to a plate and add the tomato mixture to the remaining oil in the pan, being careful, as it will splatter slightly.

3. Cook sauce for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and add shrimp back to pot. Once shrimp are cooked through and coated with the sauce, remove from heat and season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper. Finish with the chopped cilantro and serve with shredded cabbage on corn tortillas (Note: I tossed my cabbage in a homemade chili-lime-cilantro dressing before serving, and that gave it a nice, fresh tang). Add additional toppings as desired: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Open Faced Tostadas

Since we are guaranteed to have lots of roast meals over the next few days, I decided to bring a little Mexican food from California into the mix for lunch!

Ingredients: Serves 2

4 small corn tortillas or 2 whole wheat tortillas

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans or kidney beans, rinsed

1/2 cup cooked Mexican rice or brown rice

6 ounces jack cheese or mild cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 head of lettuce, chopped or 1 cup salad greens

1/4 cup tomato salsa

2 Tbsp. chopped scallions (spring onions)

Handful chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Sour cream and guacamole to serve (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
Place tortillas in an oven-proof dish or baking tray. Mix corn, beans and rice together then spread to cover the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese.

Put tostada into the oven until the cheese melts and the beans bubble around the edges, about 7 minutes.

Take the dish out of the oven and top each 'tostada' with chopped lettuce, tomato salsa, chopped scallions and chopped cilantro. Cut into 4 portions and serve immediately.