Project Veggie: Day 30 – Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Cooking for my mom is always a little funny. She likes what she likes and she doesn’t like to deviate much from it. She prefers good home cooking, “comfort food”. Don’t get me wrong, I love that stuff too. But, as an adult, I’ve developed my own tastes, and have taught myself to cook and eat different things than what I grew up eating. I am pretty adventurous as far as food goes. But it gets me in trouble from time to time. Sometimes, when I try appeal to Mom’s adventurous side by making new foods, things go awry. And yet…I keep doing it. 🙂 She says she likes my cooking, but secretly (or not so secretly) she thinks I’m a little weird.

When I first moved back to town, I made shrimp tacos for Mom. I’ve made these before. The kids and I love them. Of course, we like spicy food. My mom…not so much. As my daughter so colorfully put it, I nearly “decapitated her with my spicy awesomeness.” This was several years ago and my mom still talks about it.

Aside from the heat, these tacos have a great, zippy sauce that doubles as a terrific green salsa for chips. If you’re not a fan of spicy, ditch the chile pepper and cayenne in this recipe, or reduce the amount. They definitely have a kick otherwise!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

For the shrimp:

1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium shrimp

For the salsa:

1/2 pound tomatillos
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 avocado, peeled
1 serrano chile, seeded

Other ingredients:

Corn or flour tortillas (I prefer the corn ones with these)
Shredded lettuce

Combine shrimp with chili powder, cayenne, salt & garlic, and let it marinate while you make the salsa. To prepare the salsa, combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and then add shrimp. Cook, stirring until shrimp are cooked through. Build your tacos with shredded lettuce, 4 or 5 shrimp, and sauce.