Taco Tuesday - Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

These Shrimp Tacos are light and tangy, and oh-so perfect for summer! The slaw is the real star here, and I cheat with a pre-shredded cabbage blend to make it super easy. This entire meal cooks up very quickly, so stop by the store and make this your recipe for tonight! 

The Filling: 

I start with shrimp and just dredge them in a flour/chili powder combo, and cook on the stove a couple minutes on each side unit done. You could even omit the flour and just dust on the seasoning if you want something lighter. A while back, I read somewhere that most all shrimp needs to be frozen quite quickly to preserve quality, so the "fresh" shrimp you see at the seafood counter at the grocery store is actually just thawed. The recommendation was to purchase frozen shrimp, since it thaws very easily under running water anyway, and to buy shrimp with the shells still on because it protects the flavor of the shrimp (versus purchasing shelled shrimp). I always look for the de-veined, shell-on, uncooked shrimp, and just take the shells and tails off at home (though my entire method is off now that we live near the Gulf and can actually get fresh-from-the-water, never-been-frozen shrimp, but that's another story). 

The Topping:

The cabbage slaw makes these tacos. It's ridiculously simple, but it adds sweet + tangy crunch and a bit of acidity, bringing everything together! I start with a big glass bowl and juice one lime directly into it, using this Lime Squeezerto do so. Next I add two tablespoons local honey (I'm on a local honey kick after reading it can help allergies!), and a 1/2 cup mayonnaise. I stir it all together, then pour in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and about a half of a bag of this, my secret ingredient:

Having the cabbage (and carrot) already shredded saves so much time! Add more or less depending on how dressed you like your slaw.

The Side:
I just heated up some canned refried beans and topped with a little jack cheese. At the last minute I sliced some radishes we had on hand from our CSA basket, which reminds me of the heated debate Max and I had over dinner that night: Are radishes spicy??? I was explaining the flavor of them to Parker and said they were spicy. I always compared radishes to, say, wasabi. They're sinus clearing, right?? Max looked at me like I was crazy and said that, to him, they are not spicy in the slightest. So, please, weigh in. Unless you're on my husband's side. (Just kidding.)

Chili Shrimp

Ingredients
1/2 lb. to 1 lb. raw shrimp (thawed, deveined and shelled, tails off)
Vegetable oil for frying
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Directions
Mix flour, chili powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge shrimp in flour mixture and fry in batches until golden and cooked through (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients 
One lime
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Half bag pre-packaged shredded cabbage mix

Directions
Juice one lime directly into a big glass bowl. Mix with honey and mayonnaise, then add cabbage and cilantro.

*I use corn tortillas for these shrimp tacos. I just wrap them in a damp dishcloth and microwave for 25 seconds (this saves me from having to turn on the oven - score!)