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!

Steak Skillet Supper #foodbloggers4tx

When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas at the end of August it was almost overwhelming to know how to help or where to start.  I had empathy for everyone that was in the storm's destructive path.  And I wasn't the only one.  Soon a group of food bloggers that I work with regularly and I started talking and brainstorming what we could do to help and bring awareness to the relief needs and efforts.  We decided to all come together by creating Texas inspired recipes and sharing them today.

When I think Texas, I think beef - afterall, Texas raises the most cattle in the United States.  There were so many ranchers that we affected by Hurricane Harvey.  In fact, the counties that sustained damage from the hurricane were home to 1.2 million cattle.  Ranchers worked tirelessly to drive the cattle to higher ground but they couldn't get to them all immediately.  They are still working day in and day out to move cattle, but despite their resilience, Texas agriculture officials fear thousands of cattle have died in the aftermath of Harvey.

So to support those ranchers and share their pride in Texas and their ranches, I decided to make a Steak Skillet Supper for Two.  Break out your cast iron and get ready for a delicious, simple and quick meal for two.

Steak Skillet Supper for Two

2 - Steaks of your choice (I used T-Bones since I thought they represented Texas well and I had some in my deep freezer)

Garlic Salt 

Pepper

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 heaping cups Zucchini, sliced in 1/2 inch circles and quartered

1 Onion, sliced

1 Green Pepper, sliced and cut in half

1 Jalapeno Pepper, sliced and cut in fourths

8 oz Whole Button Mushrooms, sliced in half

Season your steaks with garlic salt and pepper and let sit out at room temperature while you get the cast iron skillet ready.  Warm up the skillet over medium-high heat, then add the butter and oil.  Once the butter has melted add the steaks.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of your steak and your preference for doneness.  I prefer my steaks medium rare so I aim for an internal temperature of 130°.

After steaks are cooked, take out of the skillet and let rest on plate.  Turn down heat on skillet to medium and start adding your vegetables.  Saute the zucchini, onion, peppers and mushrooms for 8-10 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.  Add your steaks back to the skillet and serve.

Usually I feel like steak should be paired with some good, hearty potatoes, but you won't miss them with this vegetable medley.  The combination of flavors from the onion and peppers, along with the generous portion of zuchinni and mushrooms will fill that spot.  My favorite parts of this skillet supper are probably that you only use one pan and that you can make it in 20 minutes.

Now, how you can help!  First, there are several organizations that are needing everyone's help in order to take care of ongoing relief needs.  I have chose to support the Houston Food Pantry this month through Comments for a Cause, but any of these organizations would be great:

• Houston Food Bank
• Salvation Army - Houston
• Samaritan's Purse
• American Red Cross

Second, you can join me and the over 30 other bloggers today by sharing your favorite Texas inspired recipes, along with links to relief organizations:

An InLinkz Link-up

Please consider donating today and remember to Comment for a Cause!  Also be sure to check in next Thursday, September 21st as we share Florida inspired recipes to bring awareness to Hurricane Irma Relief.