Resep Masakan Meksiko: Shrimp Tostada

This delicious Mexican snack is perfect for lunch or as an appetizer. The Mexican shrimp tostada is made by baking a bean, lime juice, cumin and cheese coated tostada and then adding some tasty homemade avocado salsa to it, as well as juicy pink shrimp. A splash of lime in the bean mixture balances out the richness of the shrimp and avocado and adds a piquancy.

This Mexican shrimp tostada recipe also contains orange for sweetness, jalapeno, and cumin for a bit of a kick and cilantro for an unmistakable Mexican taste. This is a simple recipe and if you want to serve seafood this is always a popular dish. It is possible to eat this topped tostada with your fingers but you probably want to give your guests knives and forks because it can be messy otherwise.

So what is a tostada exactly? "Tostada" is a Spanish word and it just means toasted. In Mexico, a tostada is a flat or bowl-shaped tortilla, which is baked, deep fried, or toasted to make it crispy. Tostadas were invented in Mexico as a way to avoid wastage when tortillas went stale, a bit like how French toast was invented as a way to use up stale bread.

Ingredients -

1 tablespoon water
1 small peeled, chopped orange
3 teaspoons lime juice
1 peeled, chopped ripe avocado
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb raw big shrimp, peeled and de-veined
4 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
6 tostada shells
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 seeded, chopped jalapeno
2 teaspoons blackened seasoning

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the avocado with 1 teaspoon of the blackened seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the lime juice, the water, cumin and all except ¼ cup of the beans in a bowl.

Mash the mixture with a fork, and then stir in the rest of the beans.

Combine the orange, jalapeno, cilantro, onion and the rest of the lime juice and avocado in a bowl.

Cover this mixture and chill it until serving.

Put the tostada shells on ungreased baking sheets and spread the bean mixture over them.

Sprinkle the Mexican blend cheese on top and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Sauté the remaining blackened seasoning and the shrimp in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray for about 5 minutes or until they are pink.

Divide the salsa between the tostadas and arrange the shrimp around the outside.

Serve immediately while they are still warm.

(Makes 6)