Spicy Shrimp Stuffed Avocados

Writing about our recent trip to Paris has made me crave some of the foods we enjoyed whilst there. On our first night, after our tour of Montmartre, we were cold and tired and hungry. Luckily, there were dozens of restaurants near our apartment. We chose one at random (I wish I remembered the name), and had a great meal.

But it was our appetizer that really stuck in my brain and just won't get out. It was creamy, a little bit spicy, and absolutely de-lish. Of course I had to recreate it!

Nom nom nom nom nom!

I love avocado anything, so this totally appealed to me. Shrimp salad stuffed inside an avocado? Heck yes! The nice thing is that you could serve this as an appetizer, but it makes a great main dish as well. The Hubs and I ate it for dinner.

I will forewarn you: This recipe is complicated. BUT, you can take some shortcuts that actually make the recipe extremely simple. For example, you can buy your shrimp already cooked. And you can use regular mayonnaise and simply add the spice to it, rather than making your own. So don't be scared, ok?

Ok, let's get this party started!

Cooking the shrimp

We'll begin by cooking the shrimp. If you choose, you can buy your shrimp pre-cooked and skip this step. I think they taste better when you do it yourself, though.

So, add 1 thinly sliced lemon, ½ thinly sliced sweet onion, and 2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning to a large pot of water. Bring it to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then add 2 pounds of uncooked shrimp with the shells on (cooking with the shells adds extra flavor). Continue to boil for 4-6 minutes, until the shrimp are done. Then immediately plunge the shrimp into an ice bath. This stops the cooking process. You don't want your shrimp to become overcooked and rubbery.

When the shrimp have cooled sufficiently, you can peel them and set them aside for later use.

Next, we'll make our mayo. Again, you could purchase regular mayo and add seasoning to it rather than making your own. But it won't taste quite the same. And this isn't as hard as you think it is, I promise! Here's what you need:

Spicy mayonnaise ingredients 

As usual, I forgot an ingredient in the picture. Whoopsie! (You also need 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce). I highly recommend the use of a food processor for this task. You can make this with an immersion blender as well, or the really brave can whisk by hand. But that adds unnecessary difficulties to your life.

To your food processor add 1 teaspoon of paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, 1 large egg (at room temperature, very important!), 2 egg yolks (also at room temperature), ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Whirl it all around until the mixture is nice and creamy.

Here is my best advice for making mayo… first, make sure your ingredients are as fresh as possible. Don't use old eggs. Second, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. And third, when you begin adding the oil (next step), do it as slowly as possible.

Like, it's ok if this next step takes you 5 minutes or more.

With your food processor whirring away, slowly slowly drizzle in 1 ½ cups of canola oil. Begin by barely dripping the oil into the mixture. If the oil doesn't properly incorporate, then your mayonnaise will break. That is no good, my friends. As you drizzle in the oil, you'll notice your mixture thickening. This is good! Once you've added all of the oil, your mayo will look something like this:

Spicy mayonnaise

Yum! Again, you could always spice up the mayo you already have in your fridge. But once you try this, you'll see how easy it really is and you'll never go back. The depth of flavor is worth it.

You're almost done now… Add 1 cup of the spicy mayo to your shrimp. The mayo actually yields about 1 ¾ cups, so I save the extra and use it on sandwiches during the week. You can also drizzle a bit extra over your dish once it's complete, if you'd like a little more sauce. Also stir in 1 diced bell pepper, 2 stalks of diced celery, and 1 finely minced shallot.

The rest is all assembly. Cut your avocados in half and remove the pits, then gently scoop out the pulp in one piece. I totally should have taken pictures of this process, but I was so excited to eat that I forgot! Luckily, Real Simple has an easy tutorial you can follow.

Fill the hole left by the pit in your avocado with the shrimp salad. Put a big old heaping scoop in there! Sprinkle a little cilantro on top, and serve with a salad on the side. My salad contained some spring mix, grape tomatoes, and radishes. Add a lemon wedge to the plate too.

Mmmmmm….. you're all ready to eat! Slice up your avocado and eat with the salad, squeezing the lemon wedge over the top of everything.

I'm so happy I can take myself back to Paris with just a bite of this dish. As always, the standard recipe is below. I'll be back soon with more tales of our adventures in the City of Lights. Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Spicy Shrimp Stuffed Avocados

Ingredients:

For the shrimp:

2  lbs. uncooked shrimp, shell on

1 lemon, thinly sliced

½ sweet onion, sliced

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 small shallot, minced

1 red pepper, finely diced

For the spicy mayo: (all ingredients must be at room temperature)

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 chipotle pepper in adobo

1 large egg

2 egg yolks

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

2  tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 ½ cups organic canola oil

To serve:

4 avocados

2 pints grape tomatoes

Spring mix

1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

1 bunch radishes, julienned

4 tablespoons cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

To cook the shrimp: Add 1 lemon (thinly sliced), ½ sweet onion (thinly sliced), and 2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning to a large pot of water. Bring water to a rolling boil. Allow to boil 5 minutes, then add the shrimp to the pot. Boil for 4-6 minutes, until the shrimp are done. Remove immediately and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once the shrimp has cooled, peel and set aside for later use.

To make the spicy mayo: Add all the ingredients except the oil to a food processor. Blend until smooth. With the food processor running, very slowly drizzle in the oil. It should take at least 5 minutes to drizzle in all of the oil. If this is done too quickly, then the mayo will not emulsify and it will break. Whir in the food processor until creamy.

For the shrimp salad: Mix the cooked and cooled shrimp with one cup of the spicy mayonnaise (save the remainder of the mayonnaise for use on sandwiches, etc). Stir in the red bell pepper, celery, and shallot. Set aside.

To assemble: Slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Gently run a spoon around the edges of the avocado and scoop out the pulp in one solid piece. Place on a plate and fill the hole in the avocado with shrimp salad to overflowing. Sprinkle cilantro on top of the shrimp salad. Garnish the plate with a small salad of spring mix, grape tomatoes, and radish. Serve with a lemon wedge (this should be squeezed over the avocado and salad. They should be eaten together). 

The Magic Avocado Sandwich

Magic, I say? Yes, yes I do. This open-faced sandwich qualifies in my book. It's simple, fairly nutritious, quick, and best of all… tasty. It's one of my all time, best ever, favorite things to eat.

Anyone who knows me well, knows I usually have an avocado lying about. I love them! I use them in practically everything, from breakfast to desserts. I even managed to make an Avocado Key Lime Pie (so good, by the way. Try it out!). If you've never given the avocado a chance, I beg you to change your mind…

Avocado, Tomato and White Cheddar Sandwich,
topped with a poached egg

I make this open-faced sandwich at least twice week, on average. Most often as a quick lunch (or breakfast), or an easy dinner when the Hubs is away. This hits the spot any time, I promise. I add variety with different cheeses or breads. Sometimes I add a poached egg. Or a fried egg. It all depend on my mood of the moment. 

To get started, you need: 

An avocado, of course! Also, your bread of choice. This time, I was using a local roll called a semmel, which I picked up at our bakery. You can just as easily use an English muffin, biscuit, wheat bread, anything really. Add a tomato to your pile, along with your favorite mustard (please use Dijon, pretty please?!). Oh, and some mayonnaise if you like. And an egg, though that's totally optional. And cheese! 

    

I vary my cheese choice based on what's in my fridge. This time I chose the white cheddar, but any kind of cheese is fine. 

The process is simple: 

1. Toast your bread

2. Spread bread with mustard / mayonnaise (Confession: I sometimes use both!)

3. Slice your avocado, and place a single layer on the bread 

4. Thinly slice your tomato, and place in a single layer on top of the avocado

5. Salt and pepper your tomato, if desired (trust me, you definitely desire this)

6. Top tomato with slices of your favorite cheese

7. Place the open-faced sandwich underneath your broiler until the cheese is melted

8. Eat! 

9. Thank ArmyLife for introducing the magic avocado sandwich to you

10. Repeat steps 1-9 as often as needed (I find twice a week to be my perfect number!)



Of course, you can also customize this recipe as needed. If I'm having a breakfast sandwich, I add poached egg. Want to know a secret? I sometimes add the egg for lunch and dinner too. It's nom nom, yum yum, goooooooood...

But because poaching an egg is a pain in the you-know-what, I use these simple cups from Amazon:

The egg poaches perfect every time with no muss, no fuss. Of course, you can always do this the old fashioned way as well. I've had varying degrees of success with this method, but I have high hopes that one day I'll get it just right. Or not. Hence the cups.

With the egg, your sandwich should look a bit like this:

So, slice into your awesome, magical avocado sandwich! Once you've eaten it, it's hard to go back to a regular sandwich. I LOVE how simple this is, and how filling. Try it out, people!! Listen to ArmyLife.

Until next time, happy cooking! I'll be back soon with more recipes.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Fresh Corn and Tomato Bruschetta

I haven't had much time for cooking since The Hubs and I arrived in Germany. Of course, I also had no pots and pans (or anything else for that matter!), so cooking would have posed a few problems anyway.

But I've really missed this daily chore. Which for me is really no chore at all, more like a mad science experiment. And I've especially missed cooking with my friends, or cooking for them (and them cooking for me!).

Remember my deployment battle buddies? Of course you do! We developed Ladies' Night In, a fantastic opportunity to hang out together and test our culinary skills on each other. I really, really miss my ladies. I think they should all move to Germany too! I'd like you to be on my side in this matter.

Earlier this week, when I was especially missing my gal pals, I came across these photos of an experiment gone right. Inspired by my best Canadian pal, and another Ladies' Night In moment, I created this Fresh Corn and Tomato Bruschetta.

I'm completely obsessed. Have been, actually, from the first moment Caleigh (my Canadian pal!) served us something similar at her home. I immediately started on a recreation and elaboration. THIS is the result:

Corn and Tomato Bruschetta

Nom nom nom nom nom.

Let me repeat that. Nom nom nom nom nom. 

You've no idea, seriously. This is a MUST try. Hubs will be forever grateful to Ladies Night In evenings for this delicious treat. After the creation, we actually ate it three more times in the same week!

It's that good, people.

So let's get this party started:

The ingredients

To start, I should warn you: This recipe makes A LOT. But don't worry, you'll eat it all. Or, make this as an appetizer for a party. Huge hit. HUGE.

As usual, my pictures don't quite capture all the ingredients. After creation, I realized I need twice the filling to use up all the spread (you'll see). So, some of the ingredients are actually double what you see here. Plus, ahem... you won't be using basil at all, but cilantro instead.

My bad.

Anyway, let's begin with the spread. Using a ripe avocado, blend it together with 8 ounces of whipped cream cheese (1 container), 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and five cloves of roasted garlic. If you've never roasted garlic before, it's quite simple. This tutorial on WikiHow is easy to follow.

Avocado spread

The picture above is what your spread will look like once blended. For now, set this mixture aside in your refrigerator while you finish the rest.

Next, slices two loaves of French (or Italian) bread. I like mine sliced thick, but this is up to you. The thicker the bread, the more topping it will comfortably hold. I'm a glutton for this stuff.

Toast the bread using your preferred method. I like the bread toasted on only one side, so I usually spray that side with a bit of baking spray, then toss it under the broiler for a few minutes. You can toast yours however you like!

In the meantime, finely chop 2 small red onions (or 1, if you like things less oniony). Sauté in a bit of butter to draw the sweetness out. Set aside to cool.

Lightly sautéed onions 

At the same time (or separately if you've a tendency to get distracted and burn stuff), cook 12 slices of peppered bacon. If you don't have access to peppered bacon, that's ok. Just add a little extra pepper to your final corn mixture to make up for it, kay? Crumble the bacon into small pieces.

Now comes the really fun part.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together your onions and bacon, plus 4 ears worth of sliced-off-the-cob corn kernels. You heard me, just slice it right off the cob and into the bowl. No cooking necessary!

To this, add 1 pint of quartered cherry (or grape) tomatoes. Drizzle in just enough olive oil to coat (about 2 teaspoons, maybe less). Salt and pepper to taste. This doesn't require much! Unless, of course, you are without the peppered portion of the bacon.

Gently stir in some chopped cilantro. I used... a bunch. Maybe two bunches. Probably about a cup.

I like cilantro.

When all is said and done, it should look a little something like this:

Corn mixture

Everything else is a cake walk!

Shmear your bread with a bit of the avocado mixture, and then spoon some corn mixture on top. Bite in. Savor the moment. Thank Caleigh for the inspiration, because your life won't ever be the same after this.

Mmmmmmm......

As always peeps, I've included the recipe at the bottom here. I'll be back in my kitchen soon, testing some new recipes for my favorite people.

That would be you.

Until then, happy cooking!!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form:

Fresh Corn and Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1 ripe avocado

5 cloves roasted garlic

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 ears fresh corn, shucked and the kernels cut off

1 pint cherry (or grape) tomatoes, quartered

2 small red onions, diced and sautéed

12 slices peppered bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 teaspoon olive oil (or less)

2 bunches roughly chopped cilantro (about 1 cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 loaves French or Italian bread, for serving

Directions:

* Note: This recipe makes A LOT. If desired, cut in half for a smaller serving

In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese with the avocado, roasted garlic, and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.

Slice your French (or Italian) bread into thick slices. Spray one side with cooking spray (if desired) and brown underneath the broiler.  Keep close watch on your bread, you don’t want it to burn! Alternatively, you can toast in a regular toaster. Set aside to cool.

In another bowl, stir together the fresh corn kernels, tomatoes, sautéed red onion, and peppered bacon. Drizzle in the olive oil, adding just enough to lightly coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in the chopped cilantro.

To serve: Spread the bread with the avocado mixture. Top with as much of the corn mixture as desired. Eat (with napkins!)   

Avocado Key Lime Tart

Or is it pie? If anyone out there can explain the difference to me, I'd be eternally grateful.

But for now, we'll go with Avocado Key Lime Tart. I'm thinking this is a tart because I didn't bake it (except for the crust), it's not really a traditional pie crust, and... well, the filling tastes tart.

Those most likely aren't the correct answers, but it's good enough for me.

So, I bet you're thinking this a completely random combination of flavors. I actually thought so too. I first heard of this combo while I was visiting my Fam back east, and my grandmother suggested a  Latin restaurant for launch, Pescados.

I gotta tell you, the food was fabulous. I loved the Voodoo Shrimp so much, I still dream about it.

Seriously.

I'm definitely considering a remake of that one. But, that's a story for another day. For now, I'll stick with dessert. Which was an Avocado Key Lime Tart... or pie. I can't remember.

Obviously, I don't have their recipe (but I wish I did!). Instead, I've spent a bit of time experimenting myself, in an attempt to re-create their fabulous idea.

Success at last!

This recipe has been through several incarnations, but I think I've hit the magic combination now. Let's get started:

Crust ingredients

We're going to start with the crust. The only sugar in this recipe is in the crust, making the tart not just delicious, but pretty healthy too. Bonus!

To begin, you need to crush 1/2 cup of pecans and 16 squares of graham crackers. I'd suggest using a food processor if you have one, but I am not that fortunate.

Yet.

Please feel free to tell the Hubs about the necessities of a food processor. I'd especially like this one: Cuisinart 14-cup Food Processor or this one Kitchen Aid 13-cup Food Processor.

Until that day comes, I do things the old-fashioned way...

A rolling pin and a zilpoc bag work just as well as a food processor, when combined with a little elbow grease.

Once crushed, pour both in a bowl, and add 3 tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and an egg white. Mix it all up until well combined (you can also complete these steps in your food processor if you've got one, you lucky son of a gun).

Once combined, spread into a pie pan or tart plate, like above. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool.

Now onto the really important stuff, like the filling.

Filling ingredients

As you can see, the only "sugar" in the filling comes in the form of honey. Needless to say, this isn't a traditional sweet dessert. Yummy and outrageously good? Yes. But not in the least sugary. Think more tart and creamy as you consider the flavor profile. If you're craving brownies or something, this is not the dessert for you.

You've been warned.

To get started, use 2-3 medium (and ripe) avocados. If you don't know when an avocado is ripe, try this handy trick here. Also, a ripe avocado will be soft, not hard. If yours aren't quite ripe yet, you can speed the process along by placing them in a brown paper bag with an apple. The apple releases gases which will aid in ripening.

Slice your avocados in half, and separate the two pieces, like so:

Remove the seed, then scoop the pulp out into a mixing bowl. I like to blend my avocado first with a hand-mixer before adding the other ingredients, but that's not strictly necessary.

To the avocado pulp, add 1/2 cup vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and the zest from 2-3 key limes. (Hint: When zesting your limes, stop once you see the white part of the key lime. This part is not tart, but especially bitter. It will affect the flavor of your pie if too much of the white is zested into it).

Whirl it all around with your hand-mixer until smooth and creamy. It looks a little (ok, a lot) like green baby food when you're done.

Set this mixture aside for now.

On your stovetop, in a small saucepan, warm 1/2 cup coconut milk. Do not boil. As the milk is warming, add 1/3 cup of key lime juice to a separate, large mixing bowl.

Small note here: itty, bitty key limes are a pain in the butt to juice. However, it only took me about 5-10 minutes tops to get enough juice for 1/3 of a cup. If you want, feel free to substitute regular lime juice if you want. It will taste close to the same, but know this: Key limes are MUCH more tart than regular limes. Adjust the amount of honey you add accordingly, and perhaps amp up the juice a bit. Also, be sure to strain your juice of any seeds/pulp before using in the recipe.

Sprinkle 1 packet of unflavored gelatin over the key lime juice, and let rest one minute. To this, add your warm coconut milk and whisk for five minutes.

Yes, I said five minutes. Don't be a wimp, peeps. The top two photos (below) show this process. Your milk/juice/gelatin combo will be frothy when done.

After all the whisking, add the avocado mixture to your gelatin mixture. You can use your hand-mixer again to combine everything together.

This mixture will be a bit runny, but don't worry. It's supposed to look like that. At this time, dip your finger into the mix and taste for tartness. The flavors will develop some while setting; however, if you like it a bit more tangy, add a small amount of extra lime juice. A bit more sweet, add a tiny amount of honey.

I like it just the way it is, hence why I made the recipe this way, yes?

If your crust has cooled, then pour the avocado/key lime goodness into it. Cool uncovered, in the fridge, for several hours. I prefer to make this the day before and let rest overnight, but it's up to you.

It still looks a little like baby food, huh? No worries! After you slice it, top with whip cream and a garnish. The tart will look fabulous and taste the same. For garnish, I suggest raspberries, candied limes, or mint leaves. I didn't have all of those on hand, so I used raspberries and whip cream. The whip cream is a real necessity, as it balances the tart flavor with a little sweetness. You can use the stuff in a can or make your own. Whatever works.

And that, my friends, is Avocado Key Lime Tart! Or pie.

I know this combo seems a bit out there, but I hope you try it out. My feelings won't be hurt if you don't like it (well, maybe a little), but I'll be pleased you tried something out of your comfort zone.

Happy cooking, my friends! As always, the standard recipe is below.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form:

Avocado Key Lime Tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

½ cup  pecans, crushed

16 squares Graham crackers, crushed

3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 egg white

For the filling:

2-3 ripe avocados

½ cup vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt

½ cup honey

½ teaspoon vanilla

Zest of 2-3 key limes

½ cup coconut milk

1/3 cup key lime juice

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

Whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the all of the crust ingredients together. Spread into a pie plate or tart pan. Bake 10-12 minutes, then cool completely. Shut off oven.

Remove avocado pulp to a mixing bowl. Blend until smooth. Add the yogurt, honey, vanilla, and lime zest to the avocado pulp. Combine completely with hand mixer.

Warm coconut milk over low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Place the key lime juice in a separate bowl. Sprinkle with the unflavored gelatin. Allow to rest one minute, then add the warmed coconut milk. Whisk for five minutes.

To the gelatin mixture, add your avocado mixture. Combine well. Mixture will be slightly runny. Taste for flavor. If desired, add a small amount of key lime juice or honey to taste.

Pour into crust. Chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, for several hours (at least 4). Cover. Can be made in advance and left to chill in fridge overnight.