Delicious shrimp appetizers and side dishes for the holidays

Here are a few great ideas for recipes with shrimp.

Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Lime

We’ll start with the simple side dish of avocado and lime shrimp salad. Your list of ingredients will include:

1-1/4 lbs cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp

3 avocados pitted, peeled, and chopped

1 small bunch green onion tops, chopped

3 large red ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 large yellow ripe tomato, chopped

1 large bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper First, cut each shrimp into a few smaller pieces and place them in a salad bowl. Then add the rest of your ingredients and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper, refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, and voila! It’s just that easy.

Shrimp Cocktail

Who doesn’t love shrimp cocktail? They’re a favorite with just about everybody at any time of year, so why not make these yummy appetizers for your next holiday gathering? The ingredients you’ll need are as follows:

1 pound small shrimp cooked, peeled, and deveined (about 71 to 90 pieces per pound)

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup of your favorite Mexican hot sauce

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3 tbsps fresh lime juice

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup Clamato juice

1 avocado pitted, peeled, and sliced crosswise

2 dozen saltines or 8 ounces tortilla chips

2 limes, cut into wedges Place the shrimp in a large bowl. Stir in garlic, onion, and cilantro. Mix in Clamato, ketchup, lime juice, and hot sauce. Salt to taste. Gently stir in avocado. Cover and refrigerate two to three hours. Ladle into individual glasses and serve with lime wedges and crackers or chips.

Shrimp quesadilla

Shrimp quesadillas are both delicious and easy to make. These tasty creations make great snacks, meals, or appetizers and are perfect finger foods.

Here’s all you’ll need:

2 red bell peppers

1 lb medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined

6 medium tomatillos, husked and sliced

3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

4 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese

6 10-inch flour tortillas

3/4 cup chopped green onion

1 large diced pepper of choice (green chili, habanero, jalapeno, etc.)

1 stick of butter

First, char red peppers over a gas flame or under a broiler until they are blackened. Remove them from the heat, enclose them in a paper bag, and let them sit for 10 minutes. Next, peel, seed, and cut them into 1/4-inch strips.

Preheat a griddle or a large, cast iron skillet with enough butter to coat it (about 1 tbsp). Once the butter is warm, take a tortilla and place it in the pan. Flip the tortilla over a few times, with about 10-15 seconds between flips.

When air pockets begin to form within the tortilla, sprinkle a handful of cheese on top. Now, arrange small handfuls of the remaining ingredients evenly across the tortilla. Don’t get carried away and go too thick. Sprinkle on more cheese, top with another tortilla, and then cover with a lid.

After a minute or so, check to see if the cheese is melting. If so, carefully flip the quesadilla. Once both sides are browned, remove it from the pan, let it cool, cut it in quarters, and serve it with salsa and/or sour cream.

Armed with these great recipes, you just can’t lose this year, so sit back and enjoy the adulation!