Shrimp Tacos with Margarita Slaw

Carb-free tacos, anyway.  I’ve been in love with fish tacos since first trying them while I in LA for the first time a couple of months ago.  Let’s just say that I’m harboring a not-so-secret love affair with them and have been testing them out wherever I go.  So naturally, when I came across this recipe on the Foodie Bride’s blog, I had to try them.  I wasted no time and picked up the ingredients I needed the first weekend after the recipe was posted.

And holy freaking moly.  This was seriously one of the best recipes I’ve tried in AGES.  The slaw was perfectly limey with just a hint of tequila and the grilled shrimp was quite literally finger-licking good.  I made my own marinade (recipe below) then grilled the shrimp for a couple of minutes on each side.  You can’t go wrong with this marinade – it’s fantastic!!  I served the shrimp directly over the slaw without the tortilla.  If you’re thinking “Wait, shrimp tacos without the tortilla?  Not happening…”  well, the slaw stands up on it’s own and doesn’t need anything else helping it to be better than it already is.  So I ate the slaw more like a salad sans avocado, chipotle mayo, and tortilla.  And it was goooood.

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One Year Ago: Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake

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Margarita Slaw

source: adapted from Confessions of a Foodie Bride which was heavily revised from Bon Appetit and inspired by Canyon Cafe

• 12 oz (about 7 cups) rainbow salad mix (or coleslaw mix)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Dash of sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 1 shot Tequila
• Dash of Tobasco
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Place cabbage and cilantro in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, lime and orange juices, lime zest, tequila, and Tobasco. Pour over cabbage and toss to coat completely. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold.

Yields: 5 cups (the fixin’s for 10 tacos or burgers)
Source: Heavily revised from Bon Appetit, inspired by Canyon Cafe

Honey-Lime Grilled Shrimp

source: Smells Like Home

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• chili powder
• ground cumin
• ground coriander
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (uncooked)

1. In a large zipper bag, combine first 4 ingredients.  Add a few sprinkles each of the spices, salt and pepper.  Mix well to incorporate the honey into the oil and lime juice.  Add the shrimp and toss well to coat.  Allow shrimp to marinate 4-8 hours or up to 24 hours (refrigerated).
2. Allow the shrimp to come to room temperature before grilling to avoid the shrimp from shrinking drastically on the grill.  Over a hot grill, grill the shrimp for  1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the first side then flip and grill for another 30 seconds.  Remove from grill and serve hot over the cool margarita slaw.