Spicy Cajun Shrimp Bowl

This is my kicked up version of the naked burritos that (aka without the tortilla) you can get at chain Mexican eateries such as Chipotle Grill. I don't make a habit of eating at fast food restaurants, but when I traveled for work it often couldn't be avoided. This recipe uses a few items that I almost always have on hand in my freezer or cupboard: Near East Spanish rice, frozen corn and frozen shrimp. Spanish rice is a total comfort food of mine because my Mom used to make it for me when I was little. I can easily eat the whole box. Instead of the typical white or brown rice used in a burrito, you get some extra heat from the Spanish rice. Add to that the chorizo, chili powder, Cajun seasoning and chipotle chilis and you have one very spicy dish! If you don't like too much heat, I would cut out the chili powder and only use 1 chipotle chili. 

Ingredients: Raw, peeled, deveined shrimp - I usually do 6-7 per person and I like the big shrimp 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1/2 cup diced red pepper 1 cup diced yellow or spanish onion 2 diced and seeded plum tomatoes 2 diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (found in a can in the Latin section of the grocery store) 1/4 cup diced chorizo sausage 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon cumin juice of 1/2 lime 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro store bought Cajun seasoning blend salt and pepper olive oil shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado and additional cilantro and lime for garnish  Instructions: If you are using frozen shrimp start by defrosting them under cold running water. Dry them with a paper towel and keep in the fridge until needed. Put the rice on to cook according to the package directions. The only change I make is that I always use vegetable or chicken stock when I make rice instead of water. It just gives it much more flavor, and who doesn't want that? The rice will take about 20-25 minutes. While the rice is cooking, start by heating a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes or until softened. Add the bell pepper and cook for another minute. Add the chorizo and cook until it becomes slightly browned around the edges. Add the corn and cook for another minute or so or until the corn starts to brown slightly around the edges. At this point all of the vegetables should be looking carmelized. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 30 seconds - you don't want them to turn to mush. Add the chili powder, cumin, chipotle chilis, the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until incorporated and turn off the heat. Sprinkle with the cilantro. The saute should look like this:

Take the vegetable - chorizo mixture out of the pan and keep warm in a covered bowl. Clean out the skillet so you can use it for your shrimp. Take the shrimp out of the fridge and lay them on a plate. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and liberally dust with the Cajun seasoning. Heat another tablespoon or so of olive oil in the pan and heat over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp. Do not crowd them into the pan. If you are cooking a lot of shrimp, you may need to use a bigger pan than you used for the vegetables. If the shrimp do not have enough space around each other, they will not brown but will steam in their juices. You want them to get nice and crispy around the edges. You only need to cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side if your pan is nice and hot. Try to only flip them once.

To put the whole dish together, start by putting a mound of Spanish rice in the bottom of a deep bowl. Top with a generous serving of the vegetable - chorizo mixture. Add the shrimp and garnish with some or all of the following: salsa of your choice, shredded cheddar, mashed up avocado with lime juice, sour cream, more fresh cilantro and lime juice. I add all of them because I am a condiment freak and to me the fun of this dish is the toppings. Make sure you have a nice frosty beer or margarita to wash down this spicy bowl of heaven with!

View Printable Version

Comments

[Liz Daley]

this is so good!!!! i served it for some friends last week and it was a HUGE hit. another great one zoe!