Shrimp Quesadillas with Tomato Avocado Salsa

Yummy, yummy, yummy...that about sums up this recipe from SkinnyTaste.  I LOVE all of her recipes and this one is definitely one of my faves!!  It is absolutely delicious!!!  You NEED to give this one a try!

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Shrimp Quesadillas with Tomato Avocado Salsa

1 medium tomato, diced

1 hass avocado, diced

1 lime, juice of

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp red onion, finely minced

16 large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

cumin to taste

garlic powder to taste

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

4 scallions, chopped

6 oz. Cabot's 75% light Vermont Cheddar, shredded (I could only find 50% light)

8 tortillas (I think she used whole wheat, but I used the homemade ones from Kroger...SO GOOD!)

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, avocado, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper.

 Season shrimp with salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder.  Lightly spray hot skillet on medium heat with cooking spray, add shrimp and scallions.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until shrimp is cooked through.  Remove from heat and cut shrimp in half lengthwise, set aside.

 Heat skillet on medium heat and lightly spray with oil.  Add tortilla, top with cheese, 8 shrimp halves, and tomato avocado salsa.  When the cheese is melted and the bottom of the tortilla is golden brown, place the other tortilla on top.  Put a plate on top and flip it over onto the plate.  Then slide the other side onto the skillet.  Cook another minute and remove with spatula.

 Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Seriously, these are nothing short of amazing.  You will feel like you are in your favorite Mexican food restaurant.  Enjoy!  :)

Spicy Shrimp

Yes, here is another shrimp recipe that has a kick to it! I actually got this recipe from Taste of Home also and again, it is amazing. Super easy, lots of spice, and DELISH!

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Spicy Shrimp

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1 to 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

5 2/3 cup hot cooked rice

(I halved this entire recipe)

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, parsley, hot sauce, onion salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in shrimp; cook 5-7 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Serve with rice.

SO YUMMY! This one definitely has a kick, so have your water ready. Enjoy! :)

Cajun Shrimp Skewers

If you like shrimp and if you like spicy, you MUST make this recipe ASAP! I made these last night and was amazed at how good they were. I cut this out of my latest Taste of Home and am so glad I did. These will definitely be a summer staple!!

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Cajun Shrimp Skewers

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1 Tbsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 medium lemon, cut into wedges

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first nine ingredients. Add the jumbo shrimp; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. On metal or soaked wooden skewers, thread shrimp and lemon wedges.

Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-8 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, turning once.

Seriously, these are FANTASTIC!!!! Enjoy! :)

Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

OK, I know what you are thinking. This doesn't sound good, right? That is what I said to my Dad when he gave me this recipe. I was VERY skeptical because the recipe just didn't sound normal. But, my Dad and I have very similar tastes in food so I trusted him and I'm SO GLAD I did!! This is definitely not a normal, every day kind of recipe, but if you are wanting something out of the box you HAVE to try it. It isn't healthy by any means...it is a Paula Deen recipe, so you know how hers are...not healthy, but YUMMY! Give this a try...I promise it won't disappoint! Oh, and did I mention that it is easy too?

Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

6 large Idaho potatoes

Vegetable oil, for coating

8 tbsp butter

2 cups graded cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling

2 cups grated Monterey Jack

2 cups sour cream

Salt and pepper

1 pound shrimp, peeled and sauteed (I used frozen again and thawed out under running water while I prepped everything)

Paprika

**I halved this recipe...it makes a lot.

Preheat oven to 350. Begin by washing potatoes, drying them, and gently pricking them with a fork on the sides. Coat each potatoe with vegetable oil, place on foil covered pan, and bake for approximately 1 hour.

Place butter in a large bowl. Remove the potatoes from the oven and slice each potato in half. Gently scoop out the potato and place in the bowl. Using a mixer on high, mix the potatoes, butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper.

Fold the shrimp and both cheeses into the mixture.
Gently stuff the mixture back into the potato shells, making sure not to break them. Pile the mixture as high as you can on top of the potato shells.

Sprinkle each potato with cheese and paprika for color. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 - 30 minutes until browned on top.

I'm telling you, these got rave reviews...even my 3 1/2 year old devoured these! Enjoy!

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

This recipe came from the Food Network website and has a level of EASY, a prep time of 14 minutes and a cook time of 6 minutes. Let me just say that yes, it is super easy and takes no time at all. Honestly, I don't even think it took me that long and it was so good and fresh tasting! The best part is that it is one of those one dish kind of meals. I just threw together a salad and dinner was done!

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen and that made this easy recipe even easier...I just thawed them out under running water as I prepped the rest of the meal)

Salt and Pepper

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 bunches scallions, chopped (I forgot to pick these up at the grocery store, so I just used some green onions and they were great and added a pop of color)

3 cups cooked white rice (I used the Steam Fresh rice and just made it in the microwave)

3 tablespoons chopepd fresh parsley (I skipped this)

Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

**I halved this recipe if you are thinking it looks smaller!

Heat the butter, olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Cajun seasoning and shrimp and cook, stirring until the shrimp begin to curl, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and scallions (or green onions in my case) to the skillet and cook, stirring about 1 minute.
Add the rice and 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are opaque, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve with lemon if desired.
Dinner is done!
Again, SUPER easy and so good!! I'm always a little scared to cook any type of seafood because I don't always get the best results, but this was fool-proof. Enjoy! :)