Shrimp Two Ways- Tacos and Salad

I was browsing GOOP (Gwyneth Paltrow’s site) and came across her shrimp tacos.  They looked delicious and simple but Melissa and I wanted to make a healthier version.  What we ended up making was Shrimp, Pico de Gallo and a Black Bean and Corn Salad.  We served the shrimp and pico de gallo over spinach with homemade tortilla croutons on top.  Dano ate the shrimp in a taco.  Everyone was happy and full.

Shrimp Recipe

1- 1 1/2  pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined/tails removed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of one lime

pinch of chili powder (optional)

pinch of garlic salt (optional)

Toss all ingredients in a bowl.  Cook shrimp on stove top at medium heat for 2-3 minutes each side or until light pink.

Pico de Gallo

1 carton of small tomatoes (diced)- I use the kind that are about twice the size of grape tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

5-6 tablespoons white onion (diced)

Salt  (to taste)

Squeeze of Lime

1 Jalapeno diced, seeds removed- optional

Combine all ingredients and season with lime and salt to taste.

Tortilla Croutons
Left over Pita or Tortillas.  I prefer wheat versions.
1-2 tablespoons Sesame Seed Oil or Olive oil
Garlic Salt (to taste)


Slice  1 or 2 piece of pita or tortilla into small chunks. Toss pita/tortilla chunks with one tablespoon sesame oil and a few pinches of garlic salt.  Add one tablespoon of sesame oil to heating cooking pan. Sauté pita/tortilla chunks over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, depending on heat.   They should look a little crisped.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
1 can of sweet corn (rinsed and drained)
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
3-4 tablespoons white or green onion (diced)
3-4 cilantro stems
1 garlic clove crushed (or garlic salt)
pinch of salt
Add black beans, 3-4 cilantro stems and crushed garlic cloves to a pot.  Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes so flavors combine. Remove garlic clove and stems from pot. Pour black beans into a bowl and add corn, onion, and salt. Serve.
We served the shrimp over spinach and added the pico de gallo and croutons with cojita cheese sprinkled on top(feta works too). The Black Bean and Corn Salad  was served on the side.
Not interested in the Black Bean and Corn Salad? Another great option is Mexican Three Bean Salad
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mexican_three_bean_salad/
It’s delicious and tastes even better if you make it earlier in the day so the flavors can really marinate.  If you dislike one of the bean options you can substitute garbanzo beans for one of the other beans.