Shrimp-Stuffed Little Chiles

Looking through one of my many cookbooks one day I stumbled upon some great shrimp recipes. I have always been attracted to fusion cooking, that is fusing two cultures of food into one dish.  The flavors of soy sauce and chiles are a great match for the shrimp stuffed peppers. I will admit that this recipe requires a few steps, but is so worth it in the end! This was my husband's request for his birthday dinner, after all, it was his birthday. 

Ingredients:

14 jalapeno peppers or assorted sweet and hot peppers

¾ cup finely chopped white onion

½ cup finely chopped Anaheim peppers

1 habanero, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, cleaned, and finely chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Canola oil

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

I love using assorted sweet and hot peppers for this recipe. I prefer to fry the peppers in a deep pan for less splattering.

Directions:

1. Pour enough oil into a large heavy skillet to come a ½ inch up the sides of the pan and preheat to medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add the chiles and fry, turning frequently, until golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate that is lined with paper towels to drain and set aside. Chop the shrimp and transfer it to a bowl, season with smoked paprika,salt, peppers, and 1 tablespoon of oil, set aside.

3. Discard the oil, leaving only 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Add the onions and peppers,season lightly with salt and pepper,and saute until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the shrimp, and cook until pink and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Taste for salt and let cool.

4. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile and carefully scoop out the seeds, leaving the stems intact. (For milder heat, carefully cut out ribs.) Divide the shrimp filling among the chiles, careful not to overfill because peppers will tear.

5. On a shallow serving platter, toss the cucumber, onion, soy sauce, and lime juice and spread out on the platter. Arrange chiles seam side up on top and serve. Garnish with cilantro. Serve at room temperature. Yields up to 7 servings.

I like to prepare the onions and cucumbers an hour ahead so they have a chance to marinate for a while. You can also use thinly sliced sweet onions instead of red. We like spicy, so I added a thinly sliced habanero to the mix.

Other recipes by Sonia:

Beef Chili
Buñuelos
Cheesy Chorizo Bread
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip Chimichangas
Pork Chile Colorado
Polvorones (Mexican Shortbread Cookies)
Pork Chile Verde
Lemon Pepper Chicken Fajitas
Simply Seasoned Shrimp

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