Shrimp Tacos with Salsa Verde

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The best thing about this is how quick it was to make! I actually thought it would take longer, but a food processor and frozen shrimp were my best friends.
Original recipe via foodnetwork.com

Grocery list items:
Frozen shrimp (raw, deveined, shell-on)
Fresh cilantro
1 Avocado
4 Tomatillos
Tortillas (small)

I love frozen shrimp. They are cheap, they stick around a long time, and if you buy them already de-veined, they are a cinch to make! I defrost them with tepid water in a colander. Oh my goodness. Let me share the story of the time that I left the shrimp shells in my garbage can overnight. It wasn't pretty. I came home after work the next day, and I was pretty sure that the odor filling my apartment is what death smells like. It could only be the shrimp shells decaying in the trash. So disgusting. Lesson learned: anything fish goes out immediately after dinner.

So, the recipe. Feel free to add stuff in that you like, make modifications if you don't have something. More avocado is always, always a good thing.

Salsa Verde:
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
4 tomatillos
1 small avocado
cayenne pepper
1 handful cilantro
sea salt

Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Peel the garlic and smash it a little with the flat of a knife. Then put them in a food processor and pulse a few times. You could also chop small, if you don't have a food processor. Husk and chop the tomatillos, and slice and peel the avocado. Add both to the food processor, along with the cayenne and sea salt, to taste. Pulse a few more times, so it's still chunky but not huge pieces.

Shrimp:
1 tbsp Olive oil
sea salt
shrimp (8 per person if they're small)
cayenne
cumin
paprika
garlic powder

Defrost the shrimp in tepid water, so they don't cook. Peel off the shells and let the shrimp drain in a colander. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the sea salt (to taste) and then put in the shrimp. Then add all the spices on top. I usually eyeball this, but I tend to go easy on the cayenne and heavier on the paprika - probably around 1/4 tsp for each. Cook the shrimp until they are firm and translucent and pink, around 4 min a side.

Assembly:
Warm up some tortillas (2 per person) in the microwave. Place a wet paper towel over them and cook for 1 min. Spread some of the salsa verde on the tortillas, then place about 4 shrimp on top. Add any veggies or other condiments you like! I had some baby spinach and cucumbers and tomatoes, which were delicious with it. I also made rice and beans (I'll share the recipe another time, it's super easy!) I also needed a fork because I have no skill with a tortilla. Enjoy!