black bean and citrus shrimp tacos

i found this the other day on the ksl website. they have a daily recipe on their noon-hour news show. this is from jill mckenzie. we thought it was pretty delicious. also, i cut this in half for our family and we had some left over.

2 tsp seasoned salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp basil
2 lb peeled and deveined uncooked shrimp

*mix together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours

4 ripe avocadoes-diced
2 small oranges - diced
2 small jalapenos - finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion - finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro - roughly chopped

*toss together and set aside

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbs fresh lime juice

*bring to a boil and then simmer 10 minutes

2 boxes corn taco shells (we used soft flour and corn tortillas)

*heat oven to 350. put shells on baking sheet, sprinkle with cheese (we used cheddar) and bake until cheese is melted.

*heat grill pan or skillet over med high heat. add shrimp, cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until pink on each side.

serve shrimp, beans, avocado salsa and shells assembled or set out buffet style. you can garnish with sour cream and lettuce, etc.


a side note: to dice an orange...cut off top and bottom of orange, then set on one end. cut as close to the skin as possible, trying not to get too much of the orange, from top to bottom. repeat until the entire orange is free of pith (or whatever that whit-ish part is called). then you can cut into thick slices and then into pieces.

strawberry-almond tart

i have had this recipe for years and have never made it, until last night. it is easy, lower in fat than other things, and so good. it's great for a warm weather dessert.

preheat oven to 350

2 cups sliced almonds, toasted
3 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
*whirl these together in your food processor until finely chopped, but not ground.

1 egg white
*drop this into almond mixture and give it a whirl til mixed together.

spray tart pan with nonstick cooking spray
*press into bottom and sides of a tart pan (round or square works)
bake for 10 minutes and let cool

2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbs whipping cream
*melt on high in microwave for 1 minute, then stir together and spread over cooled crust

1 pkg (80z) reduced fat cream cheese
2 Tbs strawberry-flavored syrup (i used strawberry preserves)
*mix these together and spread over top of chocolate layer

3/4 cup strawberry preserves
*spread over cream cheese layer

2 cups fresh strawberries, tops cut off
*place cut side down, (so pointy end is sticking up) starting in the middle and work your way out til entire tart is covered in strawberries.

chill in refrigerator til serving time.