Sarasota's English Muffin Shrimp Pizzas |
|
 |
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes |
Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 4 |
|
These are great little pizzas. I created this one night after wondering what to do with a bunch of leftovers. I had some leftover shrimp from a Mexican party a few days back that I had froze, some Queso Blanco which is a great Mexican cheese (similar to feta, but not as salty), and my favorite, green salsa (salsa verde) - so what to make. PIZZA! I had seen something in a magazine that used salsa verde, so I though why not. Well, it was late, nothing open and no pizza crust, so we used English muffins. I had a spicy Mexican sausage and bean soup I was planning on serving anyways, so this was perfect. Three (3) years later, I make these little pizzas all the time, and always serve it with my spicy Mexican sausage and bean soup. It has become a regular meal that everyone loves. Grilling the shrimp to me really makes a difference, the cilantro vs parsley, and the queso blanco if possible really adds a lot to the whole dish. All my local Mexican markets and main grocery stores carry the green salsa (salsa verde) in the Mexican or Ethnic aisle, as well as the Queso Blanco in the gourmet cheese aisle. It is well worth it. This would be great idea for a Mexican Nite with friends. Some margaritas, soup, and some spicy dip to start things off. Have someone bring dessert and play some cards or watch a movie, for a fun night with friends with hardly no work or clean up. My type of party! Quick NOTE: You can always use regular pizza crust for this if you want - I just like these for a change. Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp (grilled) |
1/2 teaspoon cumin |
1/2 teaspoon chili powder |
1 tablespoon olive oil |
8 english muffins, split in half |
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded |
2 cups queso fresco, crumbled queso anejo, mild goat cheese, paneer, ricotta silata, jack cheese (according to cooks thesaurus as a sub, mix equal parts cottage cheese and feta cheese, farmer cheese) |
16 tablespoons green chili salsa (1 tablespoon per muffin half) |
1 cup black olives, cut in half (more or less, according to your taste) |
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine |
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes |
Directions:
1. Shrimp Marinade - Mix the cumin, chili powder and olive oil in a small baggie and add the shrimp. Just marinade 2-3 hours, at least 1 hour.
2. Grilling - I prefer to grill the shrimp on a outdoor or inside grill if possible. You could also broil or even pan saute, but grilling to me works best. They only take just a couple of minutes. Just until they start to curl and start to turn pink. Remove, let cool slightly, and then rough chop. You could easily make these ahead of time.
3. Muffins - Slice them in half and then just toast under the broiler until slightly brown. They will take just a minute and watch them carefully.
4. Cheese - In a small bowl, mix both cheeses so you always get a good blend of both cheese when you add it to your muffins.
5. Toppings - Top each muffin with a tablespoon of the salsa verde (green salsa), then 1/2 of the cheese, shrimp, olives, cilantro, a few red pepper flakes, and the other 1/2 of the cheese. Place on a baking sheet.
6. Bake - 400 degrees in the oven on the middle rack for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the muffins are golden brown.
7. Serve - Garnish with any leftover cilantro if you want and just enjoy them. Serve with a good bowl of soup for a nice dinner.
|
|