Main Dishes

Shrimp Tacos With Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Cream

I love any type of fish tacos, one of my favorites being Fish Tacos With Watermelon Salsa. The combination of the spicy fish and the sweet, juicy fruit works so well together. So I adapted that recipe to use shrimp and pineapple and whipped up some avocado cream to top the tacos. They were so light and full of flavor! This recipe will definitely be a summertime staple.

 

Shrimp Tacos With Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Cream
Serves 4
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
5 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
5 min
For the Pineapple Salsa
  1. 2 cups diced pineapple
  2. 1/3 cup diced red onion
  3. 1 tablespoon lime juice
  4. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  6. Pinch of salt and pepper
For the Avocado Cream
  1. 1 large avocado, roughly chopped
  2. 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  3. 1 tablespoon lime juice
  4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  5. Pinch pepper
For the Shrimp
  1. 1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  2. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  4. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  5. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  6. 1 teaspoon chili powder
  7. 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  8. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  9. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  10. 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
For Serving
  1. 8 corn tortillas
  2. Chopped romaine lettuce
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the salsa. Cover and refrigerate.
  2. In a food processor, combine the ingredients for the avocado cream. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and cover and refrigerate.
  3. In a large bowl, add the shrimp. Toss with the olive oil and seasoning blend.
  4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until firm and no longer translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. To serve, warm the tortillas in the microwave, the oven, or a skillet. Add some chopped lettuce and about 4 shrimp to each tortilla, and top with salsa and avocado cream.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Lamb Gyros

I wish I could take credit for this recipe because, OMG, it’s so good, but it comes from Alton Brown (minus the tzatziki recipe). I’m a huge fan of gyros, and this is as close to the real thing you can get by making them at home. The recipe is a little time-consuming, so plan ahead and make sure you give yourself enough time — it’s so worth the effort. 

Lamb Gyros
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr 15 min
For the Meat
  1. 1 pound ground lamb
  2. 1 pound ground beef
  3. 1 medium onion, chopped
  4. 3 cloves minced garlic
  5. 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
  6. 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
  7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  8. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tzatziki
  1. 16 oz. plain Greek yogurt
  2. 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated on a box grater (put in a colander for about 30 minutes to drain extra liquid from cucumber or squeeze with hands)
  3. 1 clove of garlic, finely grated or mashed to a paste
  4. Half of a small white onion, finely chopped
  5. Juice from half of a lemon
  6. 1 teaspoon of dried dill
  7. Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
  1. Tzatziki
  2. Shredded lettuce
  3. Thinly sliced onion
  4. Chopped tomato
For the Tzatziki
  1. Mix together all of the ingredients.
  2. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
For the Meat
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the onion several times. Scrape them into a tea towel and gently squeeze out and discard as much liquid as possible.
  3. *Return the onion to the food processor and add the remaining ingredients. Turn on and process until the ingredients have combined into a paste-like mix, scraping down the sides as needed.
  4. Scrape mixture into a loaf pan, and gently press evenly into the pan.
  5. Place the loaf pan in a water bath (set it in a 9x13-inch cake pan and add about 2 inches of water to the cake pan), and bake for 60-75 minutes, until the meat mixture reaches 160 to 175 degrees.
  6. Remove the loaf pan from the oven, and gently pour off any grease.
  7. Place on a cooling rack.
  8. Wrap a brick with foil, and place it directly on top of the meat for about 15-20 minutes to compress the loaf and allow it to continue cooking. If you don't have a brick, remove the meat from the loaf pan, wrap it in aluminum foil, and set a heavy cast iron pan on top of it.
  9. Cut the meat into thin slices.
  10. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add the slices of lamb. Brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side).
  11. Serve in a warmed pita with lettuce, tomato, onion, and tzatziki.
Notes
  1. *If your food processor isn't large enough for all of the ingredients at one time, divide them all in half and work in two batches.
  2. *To freeze: Allow loaf of meat to cool completely. Cut in half, wrap each with foil, and place in a resealable bag. Defrost before slicing and browning in pan to serve.
Adapted from Alton Brown
Adapted from Alton Brown
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Chicken Enchilada Pie

I couldn’t wait to post tonight’s dinner. This is probably one of the best things I’ve ever made. I was really in the mood for Mexican flavors tonight but wanted something different than the basic tacos or burritos — and, as always on Sunday nights, something that would give us leftovers for Monday night. So I came up with the idea for an enchilada pie — wheat tortillas, creamy black beans, shredded chicken, veggies, cheese, and homemade enchilada sauce all layered in a pie plate and baked until hot and bubbly. I’m actually looking forward to Monday just so I can eat more of this for dinner.

Note: The beans are adapted slightly from Annie’s Eats Spicy Bean Burritos (one of my all-time favorite recipes),

Chicken Enchilada Pie
Serves 6
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
For the Sauce
  1. 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  2. 1/4 cup chopped onion
  3. 2 cloves of garlic
  4. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  5. 3 tablespoons chili powder
  6. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  7. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  8. 1 teaspoon salt
  9. Pinch of ground black pepper
  10. Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
For the Beans
  1. 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  2. 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  3. 1 clove of garlic minced
  4. 1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo
  5. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  6. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  7. 1/4 cup water
  8. 3 tablespoons jarred salsa
  9. 3 tablespoons sour cream
For the Pie
  1. 3 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
  2. 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
  3. 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
  4. 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
  5. 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
  6. 11/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
For the Sauce
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
For the Beans
  1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the garlic, chipotle, and seasonings and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Add beans and water, bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mash beans with a fork.
  4. Stir in salsa and sour cream.
For the Pie
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Spread 1/3 cup of sauce in the bottom of the plate.
  4. Add one tortilla, and spread with a third of the bean mixture.
  5. Sprinkle on half of chicken and half of corn and peppers.
  6. Top with a third of the cheese, and then drizzle with 1/3 cup of sauce.
  7. Repeat all layers once.
  8. Add the third tortilla and spread on the remaining beans. Top with the last of the cheese and drizzle another 1/3 cup sauce.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes.
  10. Let cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.
  11. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.
Notes
  1. *The amount of sauce is double what you'll need for this recipe. Freeze the extra to use the next time you make this pie or traditional enchiladas.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/