Sweet sun-kissed apricots are a wonderful counterpoint to the earthy elements of the shrimp and fibre-packed beans in these tacos. Plain Greek yogurt would be a good alternative to the sour cream in the avocado sauce. You can also top the tacos with some tender greens, if desired.
1 ripe avocado
1/3 cup (80 mL) reduced-fat sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne
1 cup (250 mL) cooked or canned black beans, drained and rinsed
4 apricots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) finely diced red onion
1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced roasted red pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) lime zest
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp (15 mL) coconut or grapeseed oil
1 lb (450 g) large shrimp, shelled
12 – 6 in (15 cm) organic corn or whole wheat tortillas, preferably warmed
To make avocado cream, place avocado flesh, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, and cayenne in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine black beans, apricot, red onion, red pepper, lime zest, salt, and black pepper.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Toss cooked shrimp with apricot mixture.
To serve, spread avocado cream on tortillas and top with shrimp apricot mixture.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains: 504 calories; 34 g protein; 17 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 57 g total carbohydrates (7 g sugars, 13 g fibre); 362 mg sodium
Soaking beans and chickpeas
Opting for dried chickpeas or beans rather than canned requires a couple of extra steps.
- Soak dried chickpeas/beans for several hours in the refrigerator with three to four times their volume of water.
- Drain chickpeas, discard soaking water, and then cook in a pot full of water until tender, about 45 minutes.
If you plan on making dried beans a regular part of your diet, consider investing in a pressure cooker, which significantly cuts down on cooking time.
source: “Stone Fruits“, alive #369, July 2013
