Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Slaw & Spicy Black Beans

 

It's still been pretty hot here. The heat just doesn't want to let up. Which means I've been eating a lot of grilled or quick dinners so as to not heat up the whole house. One of the dishes I've recently made were these delicious shrimp tacos. I know they don't look all that great in the photo, but trust me, they were amazing. The Mister and I ate kind of ate the whole batch and I used the leftover slaw for breakfast tacos the next morning.

I wanted to show the tacos without the extra sauce and cheese on them

This was a quick and easy dinner to throw together. You can make the slaw and spicy black beans ahead of time and then just cook the shrimp when it's time for dinner. Just be sure to reheat the beans. The original recipe called for shredded cabbage but I went with a bagged coleslaw mix so that I didn't end up with a ton of cabbage leftover in my refrigerator. Plus, I liked the added bonus of the carrots in my taco. Made me feel like I was eating super healthy. If you can't find Cotija cheese (mine looked like a round wheel of cheese) I would substitute it out with feta, but I would really try to find Cotija.  I've never had Cotija cheese before but it reminded me of a mix between feta and Parmesan cheese. I have to say, I'm a huge fan of this cheese. I was putting it on everything.

recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum

For the Garlic Cilantro Lime Sauce

• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• juice of 2 limes
• ½ cup plain fat-free yogurt

For the Shrimp Tacos

• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper  
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 cups coleslaw mix
• 8 small corn tortillas
• 1-2 avocados
• Cotija cheese and additional cilantro for topping
• lime wedges for serving

1. Pulse all the sauce ingredients except the sour cream in a food processor. When mostly smooth, add the sour cream and pulse until combined. Taste and adjust as needed. Set aside.
2. Heat a drizzle of oil a large skillet over medium high heat. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and sprinkle with the spices, and a little salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and saute for 5-8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through.
3. Toss some of the sauce (not all) with the cabbage until it the cabbage is coated to your liking. It should resemble a coleslaw - you want it to be enough sauce so the cabbage is weighed down a little bit. Use leftover sauce on top of the tacos or in other recipes.
4. To serve tacos, smash a spoonful of avocado on the tortillas, top with a few pieces of shrimp, top with coleslaw, and finish with Cotjia cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges.

For the Spicy Black Beans
recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

• 2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over, soaked overnight
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large pot, soak beans overnight covered in water by 2 inches. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1-inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper.