Shrimp and Guacamole Tostadas

      By now, you've probably noticed an overall trend in my food. I am a mexican, tex-mex, avocado, guacamole, lime loving, salsa, fanatic. Living in England for the time being has proved to be hard on this poor little Texas girl for multiple reasons in the food department.

1. The burgers would make any Texan cry, except for Gourmet Burger Kitchen's. Why it took me two and a half years to eat there, I'll never know. Lights from heaven shine down on the doors of that restaurant and it single-handedly restored my faith in humanity.

2. Avocados. The commissary stocks the saddest, skinniest, rock hard avocados ever known to man. They are inedible. They make me want to curl in a ball and cry until my tears carry me away like a river into the ocean and I land back on American soil. However, Sainsbury's carries real, ripe, amazing, Hoss Avocados and I am able to carry on with my life.  Unfortunately it is also an hour drive round trip so I have to use my skills in strategery (thanks Bush, use the word often) to plan my life around collecting avocados. Plus going to Sainsbury's is kind of like Christmas morning every single time. Carmelized Onion Hummus! Helllooooooo!!! Would it be ridiculous to live here forever just because I can't live without it?

3.  I have yet to find any place than can make Mexican or Tex-Mex food. Ever. Anywhere. There have been mediocre places that temporarily numb the pain, but it's the equivalent of sucking on a cheesecake lollipop instead of eating a slice of home cooked, fresh from the oven, New York Cheesecake.



Anyway, usually I don't talk much before I get to the recipe but I went off on a tangent. It's been a year since I've been in America and I get a little restless I think. These Tostadas are SO good. The most important part is having good guacamole as it is the foundation of the recipe. Word of advice? Guac is supposed to be chunky! Don't over smash! if you like to add a lot of ingredients to the avocados such as tomato, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, salt.....just remember that you have to stir those all in so when you're smashing the avocados before adding all those things, just remember there's still lots of stirring left in the game. Anyway, there I go again. Here's the food!!!

Shrimp and Guacamole Tostadas 

 

 

6 corn tortillas
cooking spray
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (always room for more!)

Guacamole* make according to taste, Guac is versatile!*

2 avocados
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish later
      juice from 1 lime

chopped red onions

diced tomato

 garlic powder

salt and pepper

Shrimp topping
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbs ground cumin
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp crushed red or green pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 red bell pepper, cut into small slices OR 1 tomato cut into small pieces. Or both :)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly coat both sides of the corn tortillas with cooking spray. Bake for 4 minutes on each side. Switch oven to broil. Evenly divide the cheese over the tortillas and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, 2-ish minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for Guacamole. Mash up with a fork. Go ahead and eat a few bites for your well being.

Toss the shrimp with the cumin, chili powder, crushed pepper flakes and garlic salt.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high. Sear the shrimp on one side for 2 minutes; flip and sear 30 more seconds. Remove from pan.

If using bell pepper: to the pan, add the sliced red bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the pan, seasoning the peppers. Sprinkle in a leetle salt.

Spoon the guacamole over each cheesy tostada, followed by shrimp and red bell pepper or sliced tomato. Garnish each tostado with cilantro and give another good squeeze of lime juice over each one.

- Sweet Sarah 




slightly altered from Bev Cooks