Shrimp Cups

Last night we had company for dinner. My sister was in charge of the meal, which turned out to be phenomenal if I may add. Being in a cooking mood, I decided to make an Hor d'oeuvre.

I can feel fall peaking its head around the corner, slowly inching towards us as the days get shorter and the temperature gradually drops each day. Fall is my favorite time of the year, but I have to admit that summer dishes are my favorite to cook. I realized that this was likely our last “summer dinner” and decided to make an appropriate dish.

The last thing we needed were more groceries in the house. Wasted food really drives me crazy so I wanted to make something with the food we already had.  I found shrimp in the freezer, a ripe avocado and cilantro- sold. When I first wrote this recipe I envisioned using wanton wrappers as the base. We did not have any in the house and I wanted to stick with my challenge so I got innovative. I found tortillas and decided to bake them into mini cups.

To do this cut small tortillas into four pieces. Brush them with olive oil  and place them into mini muffin cups. Cook on 400 degrees F for about ten minutes or until they are golden brown. 

The tortilla cups are more difficult to fill and they may not stand up exactly straight but otherwise, they work just as well as the wonton wrappers. Use whichever you like.

This dish is fairly time consuming but looks impressive and tastes great. I would absolutely advise making this if you are bringing something to a party or, like me, are in charge of just appetizers at your dinner party.

Makes 24

-24 Wonton wrappers

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-24 medium shrimp, pealed and deveined

-1/2 teaspoon lime zest

-1 pinch to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (depending on desired heat)

-1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

-1 1/2 medium, ripe avocados 

-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise Healthier Choice: use Greek yogurt

-1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 tablespoon limejuice

-2 green onions, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush wonton wrappers with olive oil. Place into 24 mini muffin cups. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown in color.

Meanwhile, toss shrimp into a bowl with 1-tablespoon olive oil, zest, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Allow it to marinade while wrappers bake.

Place shrimp on a baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes or until opaque. Allow them to cool then roughly cut them into smaller pieces.

With a fork or in a food processor combine avocado, mayonnaise, cilantro, cumin, lime juice, half of the green onions, 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix well until it forms a paste.

Assemble the cups by adding a tablespoon of avocado paste, a few green onion slices and some pieces of shrimp.