Louisiana Spiced Shrimp and Guacamole Tostada Bowls

Now, I’m pretty excited to share this with you. Mostly because these gorgeous little treasures were magical. The guacamole on it’s own was delicious, but the kick from the shrimp was simple perfection. Of course, there may be a clear question of how to attack these beauties. The answer? Very carefully. My philosophy on most dishes in life is to have a little bit of everything on each bite – be it salads or anything, really. And these bowls are no exception. The peppers and onions, spicy pico de gallo and little shrimp nuggets: all critical. And while these bowls may be an itty-bitty bit messy – it will all be worth it in the end. Trust me on this one! Well, I’m having quite a difficult time not cutting to the chase – the recipe – so we’re just going to go for it.

Louisiana Spiced Shrimp and Guacamole Tostada Bowls:

(Serving size: 4-5)

• 1/2 lb. shrimp (smaller actually works better in this case – think 26-30 count or smaller)
• Ten 6-inch tortillas
• Olive oil for brushing
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon smoked balsamic vinegar (or regular)
• Your favorite pico de gallo (store bought or homemade, your choice)
• Guacamole

Let’s start by creating our tostada bowls. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Very lightly brush your tortillas with olive oil. Next, using an upside down muffin pan, form your bowls like so:

Pop these in the oven for eight minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

Alright, next, let’s peel and devein our shrimp.

And of course, create our Louisiana spice rub: in a bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, sugar, salt and pepper.

Once thoroughly incorporated, coat your shrimp in a bowl with the mixture.

Then, thinly slice your peppers and onions.

Right about now is when I prepared the guacamole. Set aside (the lime juice will help preserve the avocado for the last bit of time that we are going to spend cooking).

Then, in a large saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter of medium-high heat. One melted, add your peppers and onions.

Once they begin to cook down, add your smoked balsamic vinegar. Then, finish sauteing these bad boys until perfectly tender. Meanwhile, let’s get the shrimp started. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a separate saute pan. Add your minced garlic.

Then, add the shrimp, followed by the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. It’s going to get a bit messy, but the flavor is uh-mazing. Pinky swear.

Let the shrimp cook through, about 5-7 minutes or until opaque. By now, the peppers and onions should be finished and the construction phase is underway.

Alright, start by filling your cups with the guacamole.

…Followed by the peppers and onions.

And your shrimplets.

A touch of pico de gallo – or salsa.

Et voila! Friends, these are so. so. good. Seriously. And, the real frosting on top is an ice cold Corona. Remember: attack these babies strategically and be sure to enjoy a little bit of everything on each delectable bite.

Enjoy!