Spicy Shrimp Quesadillas

These are just GOOD. Definitely have a kick to them, which obviously you can adjust by reducing the red pepper flakes/cayenne:

Spicy Shrimp Quesadillas
Adapted from www.macheesmo.com

Ingredients

• 1 pound cleaned shrimp
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Teaspoons hot paprika
• 2 Teaspoons cumin
• 1 Teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice (sometimes I use a combination, which I prefer - otherwise, I usually do straight lemon)
• 16 ounces cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, but mozzarella alone also works well)
• 1/4 red onion, sliced (sometimes I sub in some grilled (white) onions - have also added chopped green onions)
• 8 large tortillas

Directions

1. Add defrosted shrimp to a bowl with all your spices along with lime/lemon juice, and olive oil.
2. Let this sit for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and slice the red onion.
3. Once your shrimp have been marinating for a few minutes, add them to a pan over medium-high heat.
4. Once they are cooked through give them a chop on a cutting board. I sometimes skip this step if it's just my husband and me eating - we don't mind the larger shrimp in our food. 
5. Once your shrimp are cooked and chopped, lay out some tortillas on a baking sheet, add some cheese, add your shrimp and onions, and then top with a bit more cheese.
6. Add the top tortilla and cook these for about 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. Then take out your baking sheet and carefully flip each quesadilla with a spatula.
7. Return them to the oven for another 5-6 minutes and then they should be ready to serve!

**I also sometimes skip the 6th step, by just folding one tortilla over onto itself, and having the fillings inside. Then, there's no need to flip halfway through, but it does sometimes make the end product look a bit messier - so for company, I prefer the original method. 

Indian Stir Fried Shrimp

This is a recipe I adapted from www.allrecipes.com, years ago - it's in our monthly rotation, and I love that I can pull it together fast!


Indian Stir-Fried Shrimp (Bhagari Jhinga) 


PREP TIME 20 Min 
COOK TIME 10 Min 
READY IN 30 Min 
Original recipe yield: 4 servings 

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon white sugar 
1 teaspoon garam masala 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
1 cup coconut milk 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined 
1 tablespoon cornstarch 
1 tablespoon cold water

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together tomato paste, salt, sugar, garam masala, ground cumin seed, ground red pepper, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lemon juice, and coconut milk. Set coconut sauce aside. 
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onions until tender, then remove and set aside in a separate bowl. When oil is hot, add garlic, and cook until it begins to brown. Add shrimp, and cook until shrimp is opaque; this should take only a minute or two. Pour the coconut sauce over the shrimp; cook until the sauce begins to simmer. Add onions to wok. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water; stir into the sauce, and continue cooking until thick. 


MODIFICATIONS: I've added up to a teaspoon of red pepper at times, because we like our food spicy! But it's just as good with less red pepper. Served over basmati rice.