We love Mexican food in this house. Fajitas are a staple in my menu rotation. They are not only delicious, but really quick and easy to throw together for a weeknight meal. When the Wild American Shrimp folks contacted me about creating a recipe, I immediately thought of using our favorite Mexican flavors to create this Grilled Mexican Shrimp Corn and Avocado Salad.
A side dish that I recently ordered at Holy Tequila on Hilton Head Island sparked my recipe idea, it was simple, yet really, really tasty. The salad consisted of a blend of grilled corn, black beans, crumbled cojita cheese and a really light dressing.
I knew that I could whip up my own version with grilled shrimp, a simple lime vinaigrette and fresh avocado. The resulting clean-eating recipe has great color and a nice contrast in textures. Food should look good and taste good!
I used a quick marinade of fresh lime juice, olive oil, garlic, hot sauce and cilantro. I know a lot of people hate cilantro, it’s one of those herbs you either love it or leave it. If you’re a hater, just leave it out. The recipe will still be full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh Wild American shrimp
- 2 ears corn silk removed, husks intact
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup Cojita cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup pickled red onion chopped *recipe below
- 1 avocado chopped into bite-size pieces
- Juice of 2 large limes divided in half (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp fresh lime zest
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/8 cup +1 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp Cholula sauce or your favorite hot sauce, plus a little more for vinaigrette
- 1 tsp agave nectar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 4 wooden skewers
Instructions
- Mix together shrimp marinade: Juice of 1 lime, lime zest, minced garlic, 1/8 cup olive oil, 1 tsp Cholula sauce, 1 tbsp chopped, fresh cilantro with a whisk.
- Add shrimp and toss to coat.
- Pour shrimp and marinade into a Ziploc bag, squeeze out all of the air and seal.
- Refrigerate shrimp for 1-2 hours.
- Prepare the corn for grilling. Pull back husks and remove all silk. Place husks back over corn and place into a pot of cold water with 1 tbsp salt for 10 minutes (a Bobby Flay method) go ahead and put your wooden shrimp skewers in there to soak before grilling, shake off any excess water and pat corn dry.
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Thread shrimp onto 4 skewers and brush with a little olive oil
- Mix together vinaigrette ingredients: juice of 1 lime, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, dash Cholula hot sauce and 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro. Set aside.
- Place corn on the grill and cook for 20 minutes, turning every five. Add shrimp kabobs to the grill for the last five minutes before the corn is done. Turn shrimp after 2 1/2 minutes and cook the other side.
- Cut corn kernels from cob and place into a serving bowl. Remove shrimp from skewers and add to the bowl, along with black beans, pickled onions avocado and simple lime vinaigrette. Toss all to coat and top with crumbled Cojita cheese. Serve immediately.
If you are in a hurry, make these pickled onions a few days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tsp coarse salt
Instructions
- Mix cider vinegar, agave and salt in a bowl.
- Add sliced onions and toss to coat.
- Cover and let sit for at least 1 hour, room temperature.
- If made in advance, refrigerate in a mason jar or airtight container until ready to serve.
Thanks to the American Shrimp Processors Association for sponsoring my writing! When making the decision to cook with shrimp, be sure to check the sourcing. Shrimp purchased in a retailer should proudly state “wild-caught” or “Wild American Shrimp.” For a list of retailers, please visit www.americanshrimp.com.
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