A Common Thread

in Seafood


There are two kinds of food in our house: what my husband will eat and what I want to cook. Sometimes the dinner menu around here is a variable-entree menu. Tonight was one of those nights.

I don’t go out of the way to cook two completely different things – there is a pretty thick common thread. I wanted shrimp tacos with lime-cilantro crema – light and fresh, quick and easy. Quick and easy was important tonight – the start of season 3.5 of Lost (why does the island need a fertility doctor, anyway?). Shrimp tossed in a tasty blend of spices, wrapped in a white corn tortilla, and topped with a creamy, tangy crema.

I knew that the only part of “shrimp tacos with lime-cilantro crema” I could get my husband to sign-off on was “tacos.” For my husband’s dinner, I grilled a chicken breast and served his chicken tacos with flour tortillas, shredded cheddar, romaine, and guacamole. Me, I took the really tasty way out.

The recipe below was adapted from Cooking Light.

Shrimp Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema
Lime-cilantro crema:
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp light mayonnaise
3 Tbsp fat-free sour cream
1 tsp lime zest
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, deveined and rinsed
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
2 cups shredded romaine

To prepare crema, combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

To prepare tacos, combine cumin and next 5 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over the shrimp. Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes, until heated through. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide shrimp evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup romaine and 1 tablespoon crema.

8 comments… add one
  • You’re better than I! Great job – love the idea of Shrimp tacos.

  • Shawnda,

    I had a laugh with your post – this is exactly what happens in my house!! 🙂

    Joao (my husband) is a very picky eater and I would love to dare more, prepare different things, etc.

    The solution to this problem was to take Sundays, which are days when I have all the time in the world to cook, and prepare something for him and something for me. 😉

    I’ve never had tacos and this photo is very tempting! 🙂

  • I have to say, I’d take your taco over the chicken one!

  • Yours looks awesome.

    What’s hilarious is that I ate virtually the same thing last night and also blogged about it. It too was adapted from a Cooking Light recipe.

    *twilight zone…..*

  • Thanks, guys! That crema made all the difference 🙂 So fresh, so tangy!

    Mrbunrocks – I read your post. It brought back painful memories of my near-death experience at a Tex-Mex joint. I honestly thought I was gonna die, that pepper was so hot.

  • Yes, this is pretty much my life. My hubby rarely eats anything I want to cook.

  • These look absolutely delish! I adore cumin & coriander! Yum-my! Cheers!

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