Avocado and Grilled Shrimp Guacamole


It's summer and time for salads that are great for sunny, warm days! One of my favorites is this recipe for Avocado and Grilled Shrimp Guacamole. I first had this at my sister's house several years ago and just loved it. Originally, the shrimp was cooked in a pan over high heat, but I wanted to see if grilling the shrimp would make it better. Well, let me tell you...grilling the shrimp brings out its meatiness and adds an extra layer of flavor that you just do not get from pan cooking. 

Though I call it guacamole, it could easily be eaten as a side because of the big, juicy, grilled chunks of shrimp. This dish is delicious served with pita or tortilla chips. We like to put it on top of our grilled steaks-it's so good! Depending on how spicy you like to eat your food, you can add additional jalapeno for more spice. You can also add more lime and cumin if you want more intense flavors as well. Give this recipe a try because I know you are going to love it as much as we do!


For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients:
2 pounds of shrimp, grilled and chopped*
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp finely ground pepper
5 ripe avocados, chopped
2 tbsp shallots, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bundle of cilantro, bottom stems removed and chopped
1 tsp jalapeno pepper, finely chopped with seeds and ribs removed
1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
2 tbsp pepperoncini juice
1 lime, juiced
3 tsp of cumin
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp sugar or Lakanto sweetener 

Directions:

1. Prep shrimp by peeling and deveining. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Seasoning with salt and pepper and mix until coated with oil. Place 8 shrimp on each skewer and set aside. You will have approximately 8 skewers total. 


2. Preheat grill to approximately 325-350 degrees. Place shrimp skewers on hot grill. Cook about 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Remove shrimp from skewers and roughly chop. Set aside. 


3. Prep cilantro, shallots, garlic, and tomato. Place in a large mixing bowl. Add pepperoncini and lime juice to bowl. Add cumin, salt, garlic salt, and Lakanto sweetener. 


  

4. Mix all ingredients in bowl with a fork. Mash any larger pieces of avocado. Add shrimp pieces and lightly mix with a spoon.


5. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours in the refrigerator.

   
6. Serve with tortilla chips, pita crackers, or eat alone as a side salad.