Challenge Yourself to Utilize Your Fridge This Week

As a meal planner, after I get home from the grocery store every Saturday, my fridge is pretty spotless – ready to tackle the week!

 But somehow, by the end of the week, this is what it always looks like: 

While I love to meal plan, I have to admit that by the time Thursday rolls around, I am just spent thinking of what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A few months ago, I had the idea of making Thursday night a “leftover” night.  Basically anything in the fridge/pantry/freezer is in play, and I like to pretend that I am on Chopped on Food Network. 

I know most of you would look at that fridge and just tell me “Biz, order a pizza!” but Friday night is my pizza night, and while it might look random, I knew I could come up with something for dinner with what I had on hand. 

First up, see what was in the freezer.

I love frozen shrimp because they take just minutes to defrost. Once I knew that shrimp was going to be part of dinner, I immediately thought of shrimp tacos. Since I cook for just myself, this recipe is for one, but feel free to double or quadruple the recipe. 

Shrimp Creole Tacos with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw

 4 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning, divided

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil

¼ cup yellow peppers, sliced thin

¼ cup red peppers, sliced thin

½ cup chopped green cabbage

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon sour cream

2 corn tortillas 

In a small bowl, add the green cabbage, cilantro, sour cream and ½ the teaspoon of Creole seasoning, salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Heat a non-stick skillet with ½ teaspoon grapeseed oil. Add the red and yellow peppers, and cook for a few minutes, just until they start to soften, then remove to a plate. 

Toss the remaining ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning over the shrimp, add the ½ teaspoon grapeseed oil to the pan, and cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes, or until opaque and cooked through. Remove to the plate with the peppers.  Heat the corn tortillas in the same pan on both sides until the tortillas are pliable.

Put half the cilantro cabbage slaw on each of the tortillas, divide the shrimp and peppers between the two tortillas and top with chopped cilantro.

Such a quick and easy week night dinner!  Ready in less than 20 minutes and that includes the time it takes to defrost the shrimp.

If you like seafood as much as I do, check out The Chopping Block's upcoming cooking classes about seafood!

Merchandise Mart

4/17/17

Seafood 101: Spring Menu

4/21/17

Lunch and Learn: Fresh and Sustainable Seafood Karen Wollins from Hooked on Fish and Maddie Caldwell from Shedd Aquarium will kick off this hands-on workshop with a discussion on sustainable seafood. 

I think it’s sad that I gave seafood the stink eye until I was well until my 30’s.  Now I love salmon, halibut, Chilean sea bass. So little time and so much seafood to eat!

I'm curious: what is your favorite seafood dish? Love to hear about it in the comments!