There are certain flavors that say summer to me. Lime, cilantro, and avocado are three of them. All of these are available year round in this fabulous time we live in, but I tend to gravitate to recipes using them most often in the heat of the summer. For limes & avocados, this follows their natural growing patterns. Before the advent of importing food from all over the world, fresh limes & avocados were in season at the height of summer. That’s not the case with cilantro. As a cool-season herb, cilantro grows best in the cooler spring and fall months, quickly going to seed in the heat of the summer. That explains why the cilantro I try to grow in my summer herb planters dies off when it heats up outside. I’ll have to adjust my growing strategy for this herb in the future! But I don’t need to change my summer flavor preferences. Summer is still the perfect time to grill some shrimp with the bold, summery flavors of lime, avocado, & cilantro!
Spicy Lime Shrimp with Avocado Cilantro Sauce
Spicy Lime Shrimp with Avocado Cilantro Sauce (adapted from therecipecritic.com) Time required: 15 minutes Serves: 4 – 6
Ingredients:
Marinade:
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Juice of 1 large lime (about 4 tablespoons)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Avocado Cilantro Sauce:
- 1 avocado, split and pitted
- ½ cup lowfat Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lime (3-4 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Mix up the marinade.
Pour the mixture into a resealable bag and add the shrimp. Toss them to coat the shrimp and marinate them for 30 minutes.
The shrimp only needs to marinate for 30 minutes.
While the shrimp are marinating, make the avocado cilantro sauce. Add the avocado, Greek yogurt, garlic, lime and cilantro to the bowl of a food processor and process until the sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce into a small glass bowl with a lid. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the sauce, put the cover on the bowl and refrigerate the sauce until the shrimp are cooked.
Whip up the avocado & cilantro sauce.
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Skewer the shrimp.
Skewer the shrimp.
Place the shrimp on the grill. Grill them for about two minutes on each side or until they are no longer opaque.
Grill the shrimp over medium heat.
Serve the shrimp immediately with the sauce.
The spice & lime on the shrimp pairs well with the avocado & cilantro in the sauce.
This grilled shrimp dish is full of summer flavors! ~Linda
Spicy Lime Shrimp with Avocado Cilantro Sauce (adapted from therecipecritic.com) Time required: 15 minutes Serves: 4 – 6
Ingredients:
Marinade:
- 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Juice of 1 large lime (about 4 tablespoons)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Avocado Cilantro Sauce:
- 1 avocado, split and pitted
- ½ cup lowfat Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lime (3-4 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour the mixture into a resealable bag and add the shrimp. Toss them to coat the shrimp and marinate them for 30 minutes.
While the shrimp are marinating, make the avocado cilantro sauce. Add the avocado, Greek yogurt, garlic, lime and cilantro to the bowl of a food processor and process until the sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce into a small glass bowl with a lid. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the sauce, put the cover on the bowl and refrigerate the sauce until the shrimp are cooked.
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Skewer the shrimp. Place the shrimp on the grill. Grill them for about two minutes on each side or until they are no longer opaque. Serve the shrimp immediately with the sauce