Grilled Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos

We love grilled shrimp around here.  We also love fresh, homemade salsa.  So, one lazy Sunday we decided to combine the two into a grilled taco.

First, we prepared a batch of our our now locally famous and frequently requested Fresh Homemade Salsa:

Ingredients:

4 Cups Roma Tomatoes, Diced
¼ Cup Sweet Onion, Diced
2 Jalapeno Peppers, Seeded and diced fine
3 Cloves Garlic , Minced 
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Cumin
½ tsp Kosher Or Sea Salt
1 Lime, Juiced

While the flavors in the salsa were mingling, I made a batch of Chile Lime marinade:

2 tsp of Stubbs Chili Lime Rub
Juice of one lime
Enough olive oil to make mobile

Then, I peeled, deveined, and cleaned some fresh 21/25 count shrimp.  Once complete, I placed in the marinade for one hour.  After the marinade time, I skewered the shrimp for the grill.

The shrimp were placed over hot coals for 1 1/2 minutes a side.  Once the cooking was complete, I placed the shrimp on the upper rack, away from the heat to keep them warm.

I then took some taco sized flour tortillas and grilled to slightly crisp on both sides.

Then, the assembly begins.  On each tortilla, I placed four of the grilled shrimp, followed by salsa, then a sprinkling of grated queso blanco.

These shrimp tacos were outstanding.  The shrimp was perfectly cooked with the grill taste adding a nice component to the over all flavor.  The salsa was fresh, adding a nice heat and slight tang to the overall dish.  The queso blanco added a creamy component that you would expect from a Mexican cheese.  These tacos were outstanding.  We will be making these again for sure.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill

Chicken Fajita Pizza

A few months ago, the siren song of a Costco sampler pulled us in to try some Chicken Fajita Pizza.  I forget the brand name.  But, the sample was delicious and the Costco business model was confirmed: we ended up with a box in our cart.  The pizza was a very thin, tortilla like crust.  The sauce was enchilada in nature.  The cheese was Monterrey jack with grilled chicken, onion, and green pepper toppings.  But, why buy frozen when you can make fresh?  So, we decided to try and recreate at home.

The day before, I made a batch of enchilada sauce from a recipe that I found on the web.  Here is the recipe.  My only substitution was olive oil for the lard.  After a two hour cook down, I cooled and placed in the refrigerator for use the next day.  The finger test told me that I have a nice base sauce for future experimentation.  But, I digress.

The next day, I made a simple marinade for two, boneless chicken breasts:

1 Tsp of Stubbs Chile Lime Rub
Juice of 1 lime
Enough olive oil to become flowable

Into a plastic bag with the chicken for a four hour marinade:

After the marinade, I fired up the grill.  When ready, I carefully grilled the breasts till an internal temperature of 155 F, then I wrapped in foil to rest until ready for use:

Meanwhile, Hope made a batch of homemade pizza dough.  When complete, she spread the dough on a pan, then layered with a thin coat of the enchilada sauce, a thin sprinkling of queso blanco, a layer of Kraft Four Cheese Mexican, sweet onion and green pepper with a small dice, and the chicken breast, diced small.

The pizza went on the top rack of our Stumps Stretch at 425 F.  After 10 minutes, the pie was rotated 180 degrees and allowed to cook 10 more minutes (20 minutes total).  Then, the pizza was brought inside, allowed to cool for five minutes, then sliced.  Here is the final product:

This chicken fajita pizza was very close to what we had purchased from Costco.  The dough was thin and crisp.  The onion and pepper still had some crunch and the chicken was grilled to perfection with a great taste.  The only thing I would do different in the future is to add a bit more sauce, but not much more.  This pie has become a new family favorite.

Thanks for stopping by,

Bill