adventures of mascarah.

Blackened Shrimp & Avocado Salad

I love avocado. I could put it in/on nearly anything. Avocados are expensive and fatty so I try to find ways to mix them with other ingredients so I can get the taste but not consumer more than one at once. I found this recipe on Food & Wine mag’s website and fell in love. The original is here. This is my simple adapted version.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup raw jalapenos
• 1/4 cup red onion, julienne or diced
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup of cojita cheese (shredded or grated finely)
• 1 avocado, cut into 1/4-inch lengthwise wedges
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Blackened seasoning (you can make your own but I love McCormicks Cajun that you can get at your local grocer)
• 3/4 pound shelled and deveined gulf shrimp
• One head of lettuce, washed and torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the lime juice, shallot and cilantro. This makes your vinaigrette.
• In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shrimp, season with blackened seasoning and cook over moderate heat, tossing the shrimp until they are curled and light pink about 4 minutes.
• Put lettuce, jalapenos, red onion, and avocado into a bowl. Add the shrimp to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Toss the shrimp into the salad mixture and drizzle the remaining dressing on top. Sprinkle with cojita cheese.