AVOCADO RECIPES - VARIENTS - SHRIMP TACOS 🥑
Official version - Guacamole of the Hass Avocado Board
The delicious taste of Hass avocados is accented by just a few simple ingredients and is seasoned to your taste.
4 Ripe, fresh Hass avocados
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ small sweet white onion, minced
1 ripe Roma tomato, seeded, diced
2 Serrano peppers, seeded if desired, diced
Cilantro, chopped, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste
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VERSION TWO
2 ripe avocados
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. of fresh lime juice or lemon juice
2 Tbsp. to 1/4 cup of minced red onion or thinly sliced green onion
1-2 Serrano Chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 Tbsp. Cilantro (leaves and tender stems), finely chopped
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Garnish with red radishes or jicama. Serve with tortilla chips.
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VERSION THREE
3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
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BEST EVER GUACAMOLE
(FRESH, EASY & AUTHENTIC)
A tried and true guacamole recipe that's easy to make, uses fresh ingredients and is loaded with flavor. It's the best guacamole dip hands down.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 avocados, ripe
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop into a mixing bowl.
- Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you'd like.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Give it a taste test and add a pinch more salt or lime juice if needed.
- Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips.
THE AVOCADO BASICS --
Ripe avocados are essential to great guacamole. Most avocados you’ll find at the store will be under ripe or over and neither are good for this guacamole recipe.
You’ll know when an avocado is ripe when it gives just slightly when squeezed. If unripe, don’t store them in the fridge. You want to keep them at room temperature until ripe. If you need to speed up the ripening process, throw them into a paper bag with a banana and leave for a day or two.
Leave It Chunky - Try not to over mash or puree avocados when making guacamole. You want a chunky dip, not a completely smooth one. So, when you’re making the guacamole, gently mash things together with a fork and leave some texture.
Raw onions can be overpowering, so while we love onion in our guacamole recipe, we always tone them down by adding diced onion to a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. This way, that raw onion flavor calms down, but you’re still left with crisp onions. Try this method for fresh salsas, too.
Deseed Your Tomato - We love adding some diced tomato, but we always deseed it first. If you don’t do this, the tomato seeds and juices add too much moisture. We usually pick up a “plum” or “Roma” tomato for guacamole since it already has fewer seeds than others.
Add a Little Ground Cumin - after trying guacamole with a little ground cumin added, we were sold. It’s a little smokey, but mostly, the cumin just brings everything together and punches up the flavor.
Think about who you’re serving to — If everyone loves spice, add some finely diced jalapeño or Serrano pepper. Otherwise, leave it out. It’s totally up to you, though.
INGREDIANTS
1/4 cup finely minced onion
3 ripe Haas avocados
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or lemon juice)
1 large Plum or Roma tomato, deseeded and diced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño or Serrano pepper, optional
DIRECTIONS - Add diced onion to a small bowl then cover with warm water, set aside. This “de-flames” the onions, making them less intense. Cut avocados in half, lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seed. Scoop out the flesh and add to a bowl.
Add lime juice then use a fork to gently mash until creamy, but still chunky. Stir in the tomato, cilantro, cumin, de-flamed onions, salt and diced peppers (if using). Taste the guacamole and adjust with additional salt, peppers, or lime juice.
NOTES: SINCE PEPPERS ARE A PART OF THESE RECIPES:
If heat equals strength and this is the World's Strongest Man Contest, the Habanero chile can lift an 18-wheeler. The Serrano can lift a VW van. The Jalapeño can lift a Vespa, which is still pretty powerful compared to the Greek Pepperoncini lifting a Big Wheel way down at the bottom of the Scoville scale. The Ghost Pepper is low Earth orbiting then the Reaper is the Moon…
The Habanero: Lantern-shaped and bright yellow or orange, the habanero is the hottest chile that is readily available in US groceries. You can seed habaneros to lower the heat, but when working with them, wear gloves and keep your hands away from your face. Wash anything that touches the chile's seeds or juices. The habanero’s floral, tangy flavor works well as the focal point of a dip.
The Serrano: Looks like a slender jalapeño. As it ages, it turns from green to red to yellow. Rich and potentially blistering (though sometimes fairly mild), serranos show up most often in salsas, marinades, sauces and chilis. Its size and shape make the serrano difficult to core and seed, so the best way to temper it is by using less of it.
The Jalapeño: A workhorse pepper that is easy to find in most grocery stores. It's easy to work with, too. If you have a moderate tolerance for heat, you should be able to handle a jalapeño without removing the seeds and ribs. My Choice.
If you’re less tolerant of heat, try Jalapeños that are dark green (red when extra ripe) and have a sweet flavor that is similar to a bell pepper with a kick.
NOTE: Serrano peppers preferred over Jalapeño peppers on the west coast. Forget about Habaneros or Ghost peppers. Kosher salt over table salt.
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon) instead of lime (Preference)8 dashes hot pepper sauce instead of pepper. Use Crystal or Chilulo, or Franks (Preference) People will argue those three sauces till the sun explodes, both have their fans. Someone told me in the south Rednecks wean their babies on Crystal Sauce — …
SHRIMP TACOS - OR CHICKEN w/ AVOCADOS
1lb. shelled deveined uncooked medium shrimp
2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons oil
1 Ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
1 pkg. Taco shells (Soft or Hard)
cups shredded iceberg lettuce or Cole Slaw
1 Medium tomato, chopped
¾ cup Salsa
In medium bowl, combine shrimp, taco seasoning mix, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice; toss to coat.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add shrimp mixture; cook and stir 2 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from skillet; place on plate. Cook remaining juices in skillet for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Return shrimp to skillet; stir to coat. Remove from heat.
In small bowl, toss avocado with remaining tablespoon lime juice. Spoon shrimp mixture into taco shells. Top each with lettuce, avocado and tomato. Serve with salsa.
SHRIMP TACO w/ CILANTRO SOUR CREAM SAUCE —
20 medium prawns, peeled and deveined
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 corn tortillas
oil for frying
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
sliced avocado
cilantro lime sour cream (recipe follows)
For the Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cumin
juice and zest from one lime and salt to taste