Southwestern Recipes
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Pesto
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Cilantro Pesto
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 to 2 serrano chiles, stemmed
- 2 cups cilantro
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (or pine nuts) toasted in a 350 degrees F oven for 5 to 7 minutes
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces mild goat cheese
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Shrimp
- 2 pounds medium-size shrimp
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Lime juice
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For serving
- Flour or corn tortillas
- 2 to 3 avocados, sliced (optional)
- Salsa
Instructions
- To make cilantro pesto, puree garlic, chiles, cilantro, pumpkin seeds (or pine nuts), Parmesan cheese, goat cheese and oil in a blender until mixture is a smooth paste. Pour into a serving bowl. Pesto can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated until needed.
- Peel and devein shrimp and place in a resealable baggie or a nonreactive dish.
- Mix olive oil and lime juice together with pepper flakes and pour over shrimp. Marinate for 15 minutes, then salt and pepper to taste.
- Shrimp can be threaded on skewers and grilled over medium coals for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- To cook shrimp in a skillet, add 1 to 2 teaspoons oil to skillet and heat. Add shrimp and cook just until done, when shrimp appear opaque and not translucent.
- Remove from heat, place on a serving platter and set aside.
- Warm tortillas in oven or microwave.
- Serve platter of shrimp, along with tortillas and bowls of cilantro pesto, avocado and salsa.
- Allow guests to assemble their own tacos.
Notes
For dessert, serve crumbled pralines over vanilla ice cream.
Attribution
What's Cooking San Antonio? by Pat Mozersky