Because I was holding a party that would involve several noted pescetarians, I wanted to provide something as a substantial meatless dish. Behold, the shrimp salsa. I'm not quite on the bandwagon yet with calling everything that is cold and has a few chilies in it "salsa" (I mean, what's the difference between this and a salad?) but regardless this was a good treat and went down well with the non-meat eaters of our group.
Due to continuing ripeness issues with avocados, for this recipe, I made it a few hours early just so that the avocados might soften a bit as they sat in the lime juice. Worked like a charm.
Ingredients
2 limes, halved
about 30-35 cooked shrimp
1/4 teaspoon achiote powder (optional)
2 cups seeded and diced tomatoes
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos, or to taste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
Use 1/4 cup of the lime juice and the achiote powder to soak the shrimp for about 1-2 hours if you want a really zesty salsa. Otherwise just skip to the next step.
In a large bowl, mix the shrimp with the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, jalapeno, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more lime juice, salt, or pepper.
Note: This dish can be made and refrigerated up to 3 hours before serving. It should be made the day it is served. Although it doesn't go bad, the vegetables become waters, and it isn't as good the next day.