Fiesta Shrimp Salsa

Post holidays, I crave bright and spicy food with an exotic flare.  Asian or Mexican inspired dishes flavored and spiced which cilantro and chile or ginger and citrus are a great way to jazz up the palate, waking it from its winter slumber.  Here is a recipe that is quick, easy and a crowd pleaser.  Sautéed shrimp marinate in a homemade citrus-y salsa and are served with tortilla chips.  It's a confetti of color and an explosion of tastes and textures. Light and festive with a bite, Fiesta Shrimp Salsa is a guaranteed pick-me-up and a perfect way to ring in the New Year.

 

Fiesta Shrimp Salsa

Serve in a bowl with chips on the side as an appetizer, or arrange on a bed of greens and serve as a salad.

Serves 6-8

1 lb. (500 grams) medium shrimp, deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tomatoes, seeded, diced
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, minced
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of one lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves

Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish

Tortilla chips

Prepare:
Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails intact on 6 shrimp for garnish.  Heat one tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Sauté shrimp in batches in one layer in skillet.  Cook turning once, until pink and cooked through, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining shrimp. Set shrimp aside to cool.  Slice shrimp in half lengthwise down the middle of the back, except for the 6 with tails intact.

Combine tomatoes, serrano chile, jalapeno, red onion, garlic, lime and lemon juice, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil.  Add shrimp halves, and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 hours before serving.

Before serving, add chopped parsley and cilantro, stirring to combine.  Serve in a bowl or on greens on a platter. Arrange whole shrimp with tails on top. Garnish with additional parsley and cilantro leaves. Serve with tortilla chips.

You might enjoy these other salsas from the Foodblogs:
Mango Salsa from Simply Recipes
Pomegranate Salsa from Family Style Food
Salsa and Shrimp Stuffed Avocado from The Perfect Pantry
Roasted Jalapeno Tomato Salsa Baked Goat Cheese from Chaos in the Kitchen