Pineapple and Black Bean Salsa

My taco kick continues, as last night I made fish tacos using this recipe and some trout we received from the father-in-law. Kept things pretty much the same as the shrimp tacos I shared last week- slaw, pico, sour cream, and feta topped things off again, but this time with a few dashes of hot sauce instead of leftover marinade. On the side I served up this Pineapple and Black Bean Salsa with some tortilla chips. I came across this recipe in the March 2011 issue of Everyday Food, in their feature on pineapple (which is also where I found the recipe for the Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops I recently shared). This made a really light and flavorful accompaniment to our fish tacos. I've got some leftovers in the fridge that I'll definitely be enjoying over the weekend.

Pineapple and Black Bean Salsa
Recipe from Everyday Food; Makes 4 cups

1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Coarse salt

• In a medium bowl, combine black beans, pineapple, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt.

My notes: I kind of eyeballed the red onion and cilantro and things worked out just fine. This could also be good served over rice on the side of some fish or chicken, I think.

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos

During my "spring break" Josh got off work early one day, so we decided to go have lunch together. We sat on the patio at Yucatan Taco Stand and split a giant pile of veggie nachos. Josh also got a couple tacos, and I got one for myself as well. I chose the Spicy Tequila Shrimp, and I've been craving shrimp tacos ever since. I decided I just needed to go ahead and throw some together for dinner, and I did just that last night. I took the easy way out and used frozen, pre-cooked shrimp. They thaw so quickly, and now I've got more taco-fillers in the freezer for another dinner soon. I looked for a quick and easy marinade and found this one from, who else, Martha Stewart. I kept things super simple by buying ready-to-go taco toppings and heat-and-eat Goya brand Black Bean Soup. I thawed the shrimp while I made the marinade, and was able to do most of my math homework while they marinated in the fridge. Then it was just a matter of heating the shrimp and black beans, putting our topping choices out on the counter, and we were ready to chow down. I'm definitely going to be doing this again; so quick, easy, and delicious. I know you can barely even see shrimp poking out at the edges, but the taco fillings are so yummy, I piled them on high!

Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos
Adapted from Martha Stewart; Serves 2

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 jalapeno chile, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Appx. 30 small shrimp, fresh or frozen, thawed
6 corn tortillas, warmed
Toppings: Shredded cabbage (I used bagged coleslaw mix), pico de gallo, crumbled feta, sour cream, reserved marinade

• Puree oil, lime zest and juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, and salt in a blender or food processor. Combine marinade and shrimp. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Head grill or grill pan over medium-high. Grill shrimp until opaque and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes per side. (I just heated ours on the grill pan, since they were pre-cooked.)
• Divide shrimp among warmed tortillas, and add toppings of your choice.

My notes: I reserved around 2 tablespoons of the marinade before pouring it over the shrimp. We drizzled it on top of some of our tacos, and I mixed a little into some sour cream for two of mine.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Obviously, Cilantro Lime Rice isn't an incredibly difficult recipe. I'm sure a lot of you already make it on your own, and don't need any help from me. But I made it so I wanted to share it. This was a great side dish for these Zucchini Quesadillas that I've posted about before. And knowing this recipe puts me one step closer to being able to create our own delicious Chipotle style meals at home. Of course, there are about 20 steps left, ha, but one step closer nonetheless. This recipe was really easy, so it will no doubt be making more appearances on our menu plans. It serves 2 and actually held up well in the fridge, so that week we had the first half on Monday with these quesadillas, and the rest on Friday with some cheese quesadillas as a quick pre-show dinner.

Cilantro Lime Rice
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












1 cup long-grain white rice
Coarse salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove

• In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is just tender, 16 to 18 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons water; blend until smooth. Stir into cooked rice, and fluff with a fork.

My notes: I think I pretty much covered it- yummy, easy, make it.