Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Apple-Cucumber Salsa

I'm finally recovering fromthe shock of losing Gourmet magazine this year and I've really warmed to my monthly edition of Food and Wine magazine. (I'm getting Bon Appetit as well, in place of Gourmet, which is also great.) I find that the articles are extremely interesting and well written- I actually end up reading it cover to cover instead of just skimming through to the recipes. The March issue featured tons of healthy ethnic dishes which all look delicious. Everyone is trying to shed a few winter pounds right about now and as the weather warms, lighter, fresher foods are working their way back into the meal rotation. I particularly loved the "Mexican Favorites Made Healthy" section this month. I immediately dog-eared the Chipotle Rubbed Salmon Tacos with Apple-Cucumber Salsa recipe. When it came time to give it a try however, the salmon didn't look fantastic at the store so we successfully substituted shrimp instead. I made a few changes to the recipe and it made two generous servings (4 tacos). Shrimp Taco Ingredients: 3/4 pound medium-large shrimp (peeled and deveined) 1 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder 1 tsp orange zest 1 1/2 tsp sugar 1 hass avocado (mashed just before serving) 4 taco-size flour tortillas (not the tiny fajita size, not the burrito size, somewhere in between) 2 tablespoons sour cream juice of half a lime Apple-Cucumber Salsa: 1/2 granny smith apple (diced) 1/4 of an English cucumber (diced) 2 green onions, green and white parts (thinly sliced) 1/3 of a yellow bell pepper (diced) 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 3/4 tsp sugar one tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After cleaning the shrimp, I tossed them with a drizzle of olive oil and a mixture of the chipotle chili powder, sugar, and orange zest. The sugar is there to balance out some heat and the orange zest really stood out to me while I was eating as another layer of flavor. I then placed them in a baking dish and set aside while I prepared the salsa. You simply dice the fruit/veggies, dress with the vinegar, sugar, cilantro (omit if you're not a fan) and toss it all together in a bowl. You might be skeptical about the cucumber and apple combination but I agree with Deborah Schneider, the recipe's author, that the crunch factor is absolutely excellent and the flavors work really well to cool your mouth down from the heat of the chipotle. The shrimp roast quickly (6-8 minutes) in the oven. (I decided to roast the shrimp versus cook them in a skillet on the stove because I wanted to avoid any "seafood" smells while we are showing our house. Perhaps I'm a bit paranoid but better safe than to repel a potential buyer with potent food smells of any kind.) I wrapped the tortillas in tin foil and placed them in the oven to warm at the same time. Meanwhile, I mixed the sour cream and lime juice in a small bowl to make a tangy crema for drizzling over the tacos as well. The shrimp are finished when they are no longer translucent and somewhat firm to the touch- careful not to over do it or they become rubbery. I quickly mashed the avocado in a small bowl and then shmeared it inside each of the four tortillas. I then divided the shrimp amongst the four tacos and topped them generously with the salsa mixture- lastly drizzling with the lime crema.

As I mentioned, the chipolte definitely kicks in some serious heat but the cool crunchy salsa and the sour cream work nicely to balance it out. The recipe called also for some shredded cabbage which would have been a nice touch-but I accidentally left it off of the grocery list. Definitely a great recipe as the weather gets warmer! I'm excited to try them with the salmon next time too.