Summer approaches, and I am immediately in “keep cool” mode. For me, this means citrusy, refreshing, crisp, palate-cleansing food.
On the lookout for ingredients that can help me survive the heat, I went to my local grocery store and saw one of my favorite globe-shaped tubers: jicama. This vegetable has a rough tan skin and white starchy flesh and is often described as the textural combination of a turnip and a potato. It has a sweet, mild flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. I grabbed one jicama and knew exactly what I wanted to make: tostadas.
You might be thinking, why would I want a starchy vegetable on my tostadas? But trust me, marinating this vegetable in citrus transforms it into a crunchy, fresh element that can elevate your slaw and level up your tostadas.
My favorite part of slaw is the snappy texture it brings to a dish. So when thinking about what protein to pair I went for the bouncy texture and mild flavor of delicately cooked shrimp. I grabbed deveined, shell-on shrimp because I wanted the shells to provide some additional flavor to the broth I would cook it in. You can also opt for shell-off to speed up the process, but if you go that route, I recommend a few more pinches of salt to up the flavors.
For the slaw, I picked up pineapple, one of my go-to summer fruits, for that combo of freshness and mouth-puckering acidity (check out an oldie but a goodie recipe on TCB blog for grilled pineapple and bourbon butter sauce recipe to use up the leftover pineapple). I also added red onion and tomatoes, and a serrano pepper for heat. To balance the spice, I grabbed an avocado, limes and sour cream to make a crema for the base of the tostada. It’s always a good idea to have some sort of sauce to build on for a tostada, not only for flavor, but to keep all the ingredients from toppling over. Lastly, I grabbed cilantro, a classic garnish for shrimp tostadas.
I saw some Tajin-seasoned tostada discs that caught my attention and decided the limey-salty flavor combo would be a great addition, and that’s why I also ended up seasoning the shrimp with Tajin.
With a bundle of ingredients in tow, I dove into cooking.
Shrimp Tostadas with Jicama Slaw
Serves 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
For the shrimp:
1/2 lb raw shrimp, deveined, shell on (or off)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Salt, pepper and Tajin to taste
For the slaw:
1/2 of a jicama, peeled and julienned
2 small tomatoes, small dice
1/2 pineapple, small dice
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (deseeded for less heat, optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, rough chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Salt to taste
For the crema:
1 avocado, pitted and cut in half
2 tbsp of sour cream
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper to taste
4 corn tostada shells
Chopped cilantro and Tajin for garnish
1. In a large pot, add water about halfway up the pot. Add the juice of 2 lemons plus the squeezed lemons, Old Bay, garlic powder and salt. Bring the water to a simmer and add the shrimp. Poach the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, or until bright pink. Immediately transfer to an ice bath.
2. Remove from the ice bath and peel off the shells. Place de-shelled shrimp in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and Tajin.
3. For the slaw, place the jicama, red onion, tomatoes, serrano, pineapple and cilantro in a medium bowl. Top with lime juice and salt to taste and let marinate for a few minutes.
4. For the crema, add avocado, sour cream, lime juice and salt to taste to the base of an immersion blender, blender, or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
5. To assemble, spread crema on the tostada, followed by the slaw, topped with a few shrimp and garnish with cilantro and tajin seasoning
Make the most of summer with these inspired recipes:
- Summer Salsa on the Grill
- Grilled Sirloin Tip Roast on the Pit Barrel (or Your Backyard Grill)
- Limited Space? Here's Your Grilling Solution
Speaking of grilling, our patio is officially open! Check out some of our upcoming grilling classes, including:
