Healthy meals can be easy, fast and affordable. If you can find jumbo shrimp on sale, grill it up! But if fresh isn’t available or affordable, no worries. Use frozen uncooked shrimp and this simple marinade and make some super yummy quesadillas the whole family will enjoy.
By adding a little Southwestern Black Bean Salad, you not only have a delicious and frugal meal, you have one that is also very good for you! OK, mostly. If you really want to be a health nut, use low fat cheese. Me? I’ll just run an extra mile this week and stick with a little fat in my quesadilla.
Shrimp Quesadillas:
10 – 12 Jumbo Shrimp (2-3 per person, minimum) – $4.46
2 limes, juiced – $.40
8 snack size flour Tortillas for 4-6 large tortillas – $.75
1 1/2 cup (about 8 oz) Shredded cheddar or colby jack Cheese – $1.50
2 Tbsp tequila – pantry/bar
3 Tbsp canola or olive oil – pantry
2 tsps minced garlic or one clove crushed – pantry
1/2 tsp salt – pantry
A dash ground cumin – pantry
1/2 pepper – pantryCOST: $7.11
Mix lime juice, tequila, olive oil, garlic, salt, cumin and pepper in a bowl until well blended. Pour mixture into a large freezer bag. Add shrimp, seal and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least an hour, more preferably.
Grill until shrimp turn pink, turning only once. First side will cook for 4-5 mins (depending on size of shrimp) and second side should need only about 2 mins of grill time. You can also pan fry shelled shrimp for this recipe as well. Just marinade as directed.
Once shrimp are cooked, let cool and shell. Coarsely chop shrimp into good bite sized pieces. Heat comal or pan to medium temp and lay one tortilla down, layer will a sprinkle of cheese and then add cooked shrimp. Top with another layer of cheese and cover with second tortilla. Cook till cheese is melted and tortilla is browned, flipping once with a round spatula.
Serve hot, with prepared Southwestern Black Bean Salad. See recipe below:
Southwestern Black Bean Salad:
3-4 Roma Tomato, depending on size – .80
1 small yellow Onion (1/2 cup or so) – .25
Handful Cilantro – .25
1 Lemon, juiced – .25
1 Lime, juiced – .20
1 can black beans, drained – .69
1 can yellow or white corn, drained – .49
1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic – pantry
1 tbsp Olive oil – pantry
*Optional – 2 diced serrano (I LOVE spicy, but if you don’t, leave it out)
Salt and Pepper to tasteCOST: $2.93
Drain beans and can corn very well. Toss into medium sized, deep bowl. Dice tomato and onion and add to beans and corn. Toss gently.
In a separate bowl, add the juice of a lemon and lime along with cilantro, garlic and olive oil. Mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour liquid over beans, corn and tomatoes and toss again, very gently, but until well mixed. Salt and pepper to taste again, if necessary, and there you have it. Simple, fresh and tasty! Perfect for over your shrimp quesadillas and great with corn chips too!
GRAND TOTAL: $10.04 (Less than a nickel over. That doesn’t count, does it? Ok, maybe it does. But seriously, you probably have a nickel lost in your couch right now. Go luck. I’ll bet you a nickel!)
