Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado & Mango Salsa

Phew! It has been H-O-T here in Boston this week. I don’t know about you, but when the temperature soars, I have little interest in spending a prolonged amount of time over the stove or in front of the oven. Even though I could happily enjoy a bowl of fruit and yogurt for dinner on nights like these, my desire to prepare a legitimate meal usually wins out over the heat-induced ennui.

One of the easiest and quickest meals I’ve made in a while, these Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado & Mango salsa were on the table in 10 minutes… including prep time. I tossed the already peeled & deveined shrimp with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lime juice, a touch of salt, and a generous sprinkling of chipotle chili powder before briefly sautéing them.

The salsa came together in an equally short amount of time, and tasted so good by itself that I had trouble keeping my spoon out of it. I’m glad I restrained myself from scarfing down the whole bowlful because the pairing of the sweet mango & creamy avocado salsa with the spicy chipotle shrimp was nothing short of delicious.

To complete this light summer-on-a-plate meal, I made a corn salad that mimicked the flavors in the salsa. Red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and minced jalapeno pepper were tossed with corn, olive oil, and a bit of ground cumin. Yep, I should’ve made twice as much so I could have enjoyed another serving the following day for lunch.

Simplistic. Fresh. Healthy. Colorful. Flavorful. In other words, perfect after a day of near triple digit temperatures in the city!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Avocado & Mango Salsa

serves 4

Ingredients for the tacos:

• 1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 8 taco-sized flour or corn tortillas

Ingredients for the Avocado & Mango Salsa:

• 2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, & finely chopped
• 1 ripe but firm avocado, peeled, pitted, & finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp diced red onion
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• juice from 1 lime
• Kosher salt, to taste

Accoutrements:

• plain Greek yogurt, optional
• lime wedges, optional
• hot sauce, optional

Directions for the salsa:

1. Combine mango through salt in a small bowl. Stir to mix and set aside. If preparing a few hours in advance, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions for the tacos:

1. Combine shrimp through salt in a medium bowl. Toss to coat shrimp.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add coated shrimp to hot skillet and cook until opaque and curled, about 1-2 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, place the tortillas in between two pieces of slightly damp paper towel, and microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until warm.
4. Spoon cooked shrimp into warmed tortillas and serve with salsa and accoutrements.