Today’s recipe is a delicious “mash-up” of two different dishes.
I started with a recipe for Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and subbed in Avocado Crema instead of the original sauce made with light mayonnaise and chipotles. [Sounds good…but I really wanted to try avocado sauce this time.]
One of my goals was to use up some fresh basil from our garden. You might want to use cilantro since that’s the herb called for in the original recipe. We’re a “no cilantro” household (thanks to my husband who has a genetic distaste for it). As I was chopping the basil, The Things We Do for Love by 10cc was on repeat in my head — so apparently I still have a bit of an attitude about it after all these years…lol.
Anyway, this recipe is an easy weeknight meal. I prepared it in two parts: I made the avocado crema and cabbage slaw early in the day. When it was time for dinner, I heated the pre-cooked shrimp and warmed up some taco shells — and there you have it! Not counting the earlier prep time, dinner was on the table in about seven minutes.
A side note…fresh lime juice features big in this recipe (it’s in the crema, the slaw and the shrimp marinade). So expect some bright tang here! We definitely liked the blend of flavors — from the avocado, yogurt, basil, and lime juice.
Have I mentioned that I’m a lazy cook? I’m always looking for ways to simplify things and this recipe was no different. It was originally for grilled shrimp (threaded on skewers), but I simply heated the pre-cooked shrimp in a skillet and called it done. I’m giving directions both for grilling and stir-frying below.
What is Crema?
It’s a creamy and slightly tangy Mexican condiment very similar to sour cream, although it’s thicker and richer. It’s often used as a finishing touch to dishes like tacos and enchiladas to cut down some of the heat of the chilies. It can also be mixed into soups and grain bowls. I’m planning to try it in egg salad soon, since I’m a huge fan of that comfort food and I often use mashed avocado instead of mayonnaise.
A confession [because this is Honest + Simple] and I try to be transparent: I’m not a professional food blogger and certainly don’t have a test kitchen or crazy photography skills. I mention this…to let you know that while I might take photos while cooking, I often use stock photos of a finished dish. There’s no way I’m going to let a hot dish sit there while I figure out lighting and camera angles! I try to choose stock photos carefully so you get an idea of what the dish looks like. (This one from Canva comes close.)
Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw + Avocado Crema
Course: Sips + Bites4
servingsShrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw + Avocado Crema has a bright herbal taste with a hint of lime.
Ingredients
- Avocado Crema
1 avocado
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (Or fresh basil), to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice
Spices to taste – I added 1/2 tsp. chili powder + a bit of salt
- Cabbage Slaw
1/2 medium green or purple cabbage, shredded
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro or basil
Salt and pepper to taste
- Grilled or Sauteed Shrimp
1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
1 lime
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- Taco Shells or Tortillas, warmed in the microwave, oven or on the grill.
Directions
- Make the Avocado Crema
- Roughly chop the cilantro or basil; peel and cube the avocado. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Enjoy on tacos, burritos or in grain bowls.
- Make the Cabbage Slaw
- In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, cilantro (or basil) and the juice of one lime. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss well.
- Make the Shrimp
- In a medium bowl, toss together shrimp, juice of one lime, garlic and chili powder.
- To grill, thread the shrimp on skewers, 3-4 shrimp per skewer. Brush each skewer with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Coat the grill rack with cooking spray and grill shrimp skewers for 2-3 minutes on each side or until pinkish and opaque in color.
- To stir-fry: Heat a non-stick skillet on the stovetop and lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray. Add the shrimp mixture and cook for about three minutes on each side, until the shrimp are pinkish and opaque in color.
- Assemble the Tacos or Tortillas
- Heat taco shells or tortillas as directed — either on the grill or in your microwave or oven. Add cabbage slaw, shrimp and then top with the avocado crema. Enjoy!
Notes
- The original Avocado Crema recipe called for 1/2 cup cilantro (or basil). After making this, I decided the basil was a little too strong for me — so I added a suggestion to cut it down, depending on your taste.
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