MANGO AVOCADO SHRIMP TOSTADAS
These Mango Avocado Shrimp Tostadas make a delicious and quick dinner! Crisp corn tortillas are topped with refried black beans, plump chili lime shrimp, mango salad, avocado, and queso fresco (if desired). I love shrimp because it's affordable and and easy. This recipe is gluten-free and easily made dairy-free if you leave off the queso!
Funny story - when we moved into our new home almost a year ago, I made shrimp meal prep and got food poisoning. It was so bad it took me an entire year to want to try shrimp again! But now that the trauma is far enough forgotten I am finally able to enjoy shrimp.
Did you know? Shrimp are low in fat but high in cholesterol. For most people, dietary cholesterol isn't a problem, but some individuals are "cholesterol sensitive," meaning they over-absorb cholesterol from the foods they eat which increases their blood cholesterol. (source) Diagnostic tests (monitoring blood cholesterol) can help you determine whether you might be sensitive.
Choosing the best shrimp
Wild shrimp from the Atlantic coast of the Gulf of Mexico are among the cleanest, best-tasting shrimp varieties you can buy! Either of these are better than imported.
Imported shrimp from Southeast Asia and Latin America are often farmed using unsustainable or unethical farming practices. These countries lack the quality standards of US-farmed shrimp. Farmed shrimp can also be less flavorful due to a limited diet, and more prone to disease and antibiotic overuse.
The caveat to wild shrimp, is that fishing methods can harm the ecosystem if sustainable practices are not used. Always look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) seal of approval on wild shrimp!
How to cook shrimp
You can buy shrimp raw or cooked, unpeeled or peeled and deveined, tail-on or tail-off. Cooking your own raw shrimp definitely yields a juicier, fresher-tasting end product. Cooked is convenient because you don't need to cook it at all, just warm in the pan with your spices. However, raw shrimp only needs to cook for 1-2 minutes on each side over medium-high heat, so you're not saving much time!
Unpeeled means you will need to peel and devein (clean) the shrimp. Even peeled shrimp may still need to be deveined if only the shells are removed and not the intestinal tract. I find peeling to be a pain and deveining rather gross, so I almost always buy peeled and deveined. Although, I have found unpeeled shrimp to be more flavorful since the shell helps to keep juices in. Peeled shrimp also has a shorter shelf life!
Tail-on is way more common with medium to large shrimp, so you're probably not going to get around this one! But it's easy to pinch the tails off after cooking.
For juicy shrimp with a crisp exterior, completely thaw shrimp in the fridge and rinse well, then pat dry with a paper towel. Toss with spices before adding to your preheated pan (medium-high heat is best). Oil is optional if you have a hard-anodized or nonstick ceramic skillet. Remember, you only need to cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then 1 minute on the second side. Flip all the shrimp as fast as you can for even cooking!
Mango lime salad
For the mango salad, you will need about two fresh ripe mangoes, two medium bell peppers, a small red onion, two jalapeño peppers, two limes, a bunch of fresh cilantro, and salt. Feel free to add chili powder if you like more kick, or honey if you like more sweetness, but I didn't feel like it needed either!
You can also toss a diced avocado into the salad if you are eating this right away - but I recommend adding it separately if planning for leftovers the next day.
Other ingredients
The only other ingredients are corn tortillas, refried black beans, and queso fresco. Queso fresco is a Mexican crumbly cheese similar to feta, but you can leave it off if you're lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy. Refried pinto beans will also work, I just used black beans because they're prettier!
You can purchase your corn tortillas soft and bake them yourself, or buy crispy tostada tortillas already baked. This cooking spray works great! I usually buy organic or non-GMO corn tortillas with minimal additives.
Here's the printable recipe for these Mango Avocado Shrimp Tostadas! I hope you love them as much as we did :)
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