Shrimp Tacos with Citrus Avocado Salsa

Last week a group of food bloggers and myself gathered together to support those affected by Hurricane Harvey by creating Texas inspired recipes and sharing about different relief efforts.  Today that same group is gathering together to support those affected by Hurricane Irma.  Irma effected areas of the Caribbean, Florida and Southeast United States.  Today we are all sharing recipes inspired by those areas, and once again sharing how you can help!

When I think of the impacted area I think seafood and citrus.  Maybe it's because I live in the Midwest, but anytime I'm on the coast I eat as much seafood as possible.  Not to say we don't have access to flown in seafood here, it is just awesome being able to try so many different kinds of fresh seafood while visiting places like Florida.  Besides seafood, you can't think of Florida without also thinking of oranges, grapefruit, limes, tangerines, etc.  In fact, Florida is the top producer of oranges and tomatoes in the United States.

So what to do with all these traditional foods and flavors?  Why not wrap them all together in a taco, influenced by the area's Hispanic heritage!  Plus I love tacos!  So, that is how I created my Shrimp Tacos with Citrus Avocado Salsa.

Shrimp Tacos with Citrus Avocado Salsa

Shrimp:
2# Shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 Orange, juiced

Citrus Avocado Salsa:
2 Avocados, decided chunky
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced chunky
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1/8 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Orange, juiced
1/4 tsp Garlic salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

Start your tacos by peeling and deveining the shrimp.  Pat the shrimp dry and then coat the shrimp with the garlic, chili powder, cumin, onion powder and salt.  Let shrimp sit and marinate while making the salsa.

To make the salsa combine the avocado, tomato, onion and cilantro.  Then toss with the garlic salt, pepper and orange juice.  Lightly stir to combine flavors.  The salsa can sit and wait for the tacos to finish.  Any leftovers need to be refrigerated.

Now start cooking the shrimp.  Warm the oil over a medium-high heat.  Coat the oil along the bottom of your pan and then add your shrimp.  Saute the shrimp til they become pink and opaque.  This usually takes 5 minutes.  About half way through the cooking process, add the other half of orange's juice to the pan.

Serve your Shrimp inside your favorite taco shell with the Citrus Avocado Salsa on top!

My entire family loves these tacos!  My kids consider shrimp a special treat.  They are seasoned with a mild spice so everyone in the family can enjoy them.  The Citrus Avocado Salsa adds richness and freshness to the taco, with a little zing from the orange.  These tacos are easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd (or a family of six 😉).

Now, how you can help!  Hurricane Irma hit several areas.  These are local organizations that will be working in the impacted areas aiding with ongoing needs:

• Volunteer Florida
• Miami Diaper Bank
• SOS Foundation
• Harry Chapin Food Bank
• Heart of Florida United Way
• All Faiths Food Bank
• Second Harvest Food Bank
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency
• Fondos Unidos
• Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
• St. John Community Foundation
• Anguilla Beaches

Also, be sure to check out all of the awesome recipes shared today as part of our support to bring awareness to relief efforts to those affected by Hurricane Irma:

An InLinkz Link-up

Please consider donating today and remember to Comment for a Cause!

Comments for a Cause - Houston Food Bank

Happy September 1st!  As Labor Day Weekend starts it is time to unofficially say good-bye to summer and get ready for fall.  And I have to admit, that kind of makes me happy!  Fall is my favorite season.  I love harvest time, tailgating, college football, excuses to eat fall foods, everything apple and everything pumpkin!

But before I get ahead of myself with celebrating fall, let's recap last month's Comments for a Cause efforts for the CAL School Supply Closet.  Last month I had 73 comments, creating a $36.50 donation to help families in my local community get ready and prepared for school.

In the month of September I'm proud to be supporting the Houston Food Bank.  I will donate $0.50 for every comment made on my blog to help with their Harvey Disaster Relief.

My heart is with everyone in Texas and Louisiana that was hit by Hurricane Harvey.  It is almost overwhelming to know how to help or where to start.  After seeing photos of ranchers moving cattle to higher ground through flooded plains in Southeast Texas and families being rescued by boat out of their homes in Houston, the one thing I knew tied everyone together and that was going to be affected greatly was food.  After doing some research I decided the best location to send money would be the Houston Food Bank.

The Houston Food Bank has set up a Harvey Disaster Relief program that is helping people in the greater Houston area affected by the flooding.  There is both a short term need, as they provide food and supplies to those distressed, and a long term need, as they will continue to help residents as they rebuild their lives.

So help me, help those in need after Hurricane Harvey and comment all month long to support the Houston Food Bank.  In addition to this month's Comments for a Cause, I am joining up with other food bloggers on September 12th to not only share recipes that celebrate Texas, but also to highlight how you can help, including donating to the Houston Food Bank and other reputable charities.  If you are a food blogger and are interested in participating in the #foodbloggers4tx outreach effort contact me and I'll get you lined up!

What are some other relief efforts you are aware of for those affected by Hurricane Harvey?  Remember to comment all month long and thank you for your continued support of Comments for a Cause.