It was wonderful.
Sun, sand and pounding waves, I cornered the market in strawberry daiquiris, chicken quesadillas and tortilla soup.
Ate my year’s worth of the recommended daily allowance of fish.
Practiced my bad Spanish badly.
And slept in the world largest bed (All hail to the King!) where Christopher and I never once accidentally elbowed each other in the head.
Image from Catster.Com
Christopher and I kicked off our anniversary tradition of reading our wedding vows out loud together and exchanging love letters.
My skin reunited with its long-lost friend, the Sun (I.E. Had a torrid affair with it on Christopher and I’s peso).
And I consumed more pico de gallo and guacamole than should ever be allowed.
It was great.
Now that we’re back in the good ‘ol gray Pacific Northwest though, I’m having a bit of a hard time of it.
After so much glorious sun, the gray is: Getting. Me. Down.
I mean come on, Clouds, can you not be so thick?
I’ve even found myself speaking out loud to them.
It’s not a pleasant conversation.
So I look for breaks in the clouds, do sun dances in my pj’s and cook up my version of Mexico.
Friends, meet Mexican Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Avocado and Lime.
All garlic-y goodness and not too hot — just spicy enough — you could say it’s Baja on a plate.
The avocado adds a divine creamy coolness to temper the heat, and the lime makes the shrimp taste so fresh, you’d swear they just jumped out of the sea.
So if you’re a bit shy of the sun where you are — and heck, even if you’re not — do yourself a major favor and make yourself and your friends a big skillet of this. Oh, and do the sun dance.
In your pj’s. It works.
Mexican Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Avocado and Lime
Inspired by my honeymoon to Mexico and Clodagh’s Kitchen Diaries
Serves 4
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large sweet onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 dashes jalapeno pepper hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound wild-caught extra-large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined; with tail left on
juice of one small lime, plus extra slices for serving
1 large organic avocado, peeled and diced
Heat a large non-stick skillet — over medium heat — until hot. Add olive oil to skillet, as well as sweet onion and — using a wooden spoon or spatula — saute until onion begins to turn golden.
Reduce heat to medium low and add garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, jalapeno pepper hot sauce, ground coriander, ground cumin and sea salt and cook for approximately 5 minutes.
Increase heat to medium and stir in shrimp and lime juice. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes or until shrimp is opaque, pink and cooked through.
Note: Be sure not to overcook shrimp, which will result in rubbery shrimp (and no one likes rubbery shrimp).
Remove skillet from heat and gently fold in diced avocado; being careful not to mush them (it’s a thing).
Divide evenly among 4 large serving plates — with extra slices of lime alongside, if you wish — and serve immediately.
Share with your very besties and …
Enjoy!
Related articles
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp “Tacos” (eattoperform.com)
- Grilled Shrimp with Avocado Butter (sheslosingit.net)
- How to cook the ultimate burrito (metro.co.uk)
Small Kitchen Chronicles 
I can haz this to feed to my face?!?!?!?!? GIMMIE!!!!!!! :)~
Ha! Yes, you CAN has this to feed to your face, dear Shawn, my friend! LOL
Glad to hear you had such a wonderful trip.
Thanks so much, Beth =)
waw Mexico ❤ ❤ Glad you two had fun there and rest a little bit. Hope clouds weren't too annoying. Thank you for sharing some photos, may we hope for more? 😉
The recipe looks fantastic and by my taste – I'll prepare tofu instead of shrimp, I am sure will be great too 🙂
Take care!
Irena! So nice to have you stop by, and thank you! The clouds were when we got back to the Seattle area; Cabo was perfect and sunny everyday. As far as more photos, let me see what I can do 😉
And thank you re: the recipe. I agree, I think tofu or chicken would be great as well =)
Have a great weekend and take care as well, beauty!
xo
Seattle is always cloudy – it has the same weather as is in England 😉
As it was your honeymoon it is understandable and acceptable for not bringing home many photos 😀 So sorry I forgot about that…
ps… recipe was tested – BIG LIKE!
I’m so glad, Irena; it’s always so great hearing when people enjoy your recipes =)
Not to worry about the photos; I am touched that you were interested in seeing more of them =)
Be well, lovely; hope you’re having a super weekend where you are! “Talk” soon =)
xo
Lovely recipe, I love everything about it! Quite often Mexican recipes call for all kinds of ingredients I have no idea where to search for in France, but all the ingredients in this recipe are easily available! I am happy you had such a wonderful, sunny, honeymoon!
Thanks so much, Darya! I hear you re: those hard-to-find ingredients; so I try to make it easy on my readers and help them out a bit 😉
Hope all is well, lovely! Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by =)
Christina, this looks awesome! I actually had avocado pasta for dinner tonight. I really can’t stop with the summer flavors right now. And I am sooo with you on the clouds. Our weather man has been playing games with me all week, promising sun…and all i’ve been getting is clouds and wind. sigh.
Love your wedding tradition by the way! so sweet 🙂
xo,
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah!
Thanks so much, on all accounts, lady; I appreciate that =)
And yes, isn’t avocado just the best? I’ve had a serious crush on it for a while now. Being Greek, we didn’t grow up on it, but once I found it as an adult, holy cow did it change my life! That avocado pasta sounds fabulous. And, yes, the clouds =( It’s raining here today but I am holding out for what they SAY is a stretch of sunny, warm weather that is supposed to hit us early next week. Keeping those fingers crossed for both of us =)
Looking forward to Monday Coffee Break!
xo,
Christina
My dear Christina, so glad to hear you had a wonderful time in Cabos. I, too, would have a hard time readjusting if I was somewhere warm and beachy to gray and more gray. Anyway, this dish sounds divine –should perk you right up. I love shrimp and love it more when it’s spicy! Yum. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe. Hope to see more of it soon. xo!!!
Aw, thanks, Anne! I appreciate that, and my pleasure. The dish really is sunshine on a plate; it did perk me up =) As far as more recipes, I am working on them as we speak, as well as work/life balance — both so important!
Big hugs for a wonderful weekend, Anne, thanks for dropping by! Hope all is wonderful and well where you are =)
xo!
I really enjoy Mexican food and your dish sounds like it is terrific. I hope the spiciness brightened up your cloudy day.
Thanks so much, Karen; that’s so nice of you to say =) And welcome to Small Kitchen Chronicles; you’re welcome here anytime =)
xo
This looks so good. I am hungry! And wanting to go to mexico now 🙂
Hey Lilly Sue,
Welcome to Small Kitchen Chronicles! Thanks so much for stopping by and for the lovely comment =) This recipe makes me want to go back to Mexico too!
xo
You’re welcome! 🙂
Oh to be in Mexico. :).
Those Shrimps look absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS. 🙂
Thanks so much, Kevin; glad you enjoyed!
And oh, to be in Mexico, indeed! Thanks for stopping by =)
This sounds so yummy!
It very much is; thanks, Snapfairy! =)
xo
These pictures are wonderful!
Thanks, Katherine; glad you liked ’em =)
Hi Christina–
I know I’m a little late on my comments for this post–sounds like you had a wonderful 2nd honeymoon!
As for the clouds in your neck of the woods, I just read Tom Douglas’ book The Dahlia Bakery cookbook and was thinking how nice it would be to live the in Pacific Northwest and eat at his place! I’m sure it would make the clouds less cloudy.
If I can’t eat at Tom Douglas’ place, at least I can enjoy this wonderful recipe of yours! I’ll definitely have to try it since my husband is quite the Mexican food fan.
Rose! So nice to hear from you. Thank you for the lovely wishes; belated or no, they are much appreciated =)
And true, I am in Tom Douglas land, for sure! That certainly is one of the lovely perks of living here, though the weather certainly makes you work for it 😉
Yes, I hope you do make the recipe! Please stop on back and let me know how you liked it.
Again, great to have you stop by, Rose; hope all is well, and warmest to you!
xo
Hey Sweetie!
I wanted to tell you, your recipe inspired me today! I bought some shrimp at PCC and did a rendition of your recipe. 1/4 tsp each of garlic salt, ground cumin, cayenne, coriander, and paprika, tossed the peeled, deveined shrimp in a plastic bag and poured the spices on them, got the pan hot with a tablespoon of Canola oil, then fried those bad boys up! Squeezed half a lime on them while they were still frying, delicious sweetie! Jon raised his eyebrow on the first bite. It’s a serious business this raised eyebrow. 🙂 Woot!
Look at you go, Sarah! You’re really cooking when you start making recipes your own. You go, sweetie! Your rendition sounded delicious and I bet Jon raised his eyebrow; you’re an awesome cook, sister! You better believe it =)
Hugs all around and can’t wait ’til our next get together,
Much love,
Christina xo