Shrimp Tampico: Taco Cabana Style

I'd say about a year ago, maybe two, Taco Cabana started advertising for their Shrimp Tampico Quesadilla.  Shrimp marinated in ancho and chipotle spices, and grilled with garlic, lime and cilantro.  Of course this was a seasonal item, so I HAD to try it before it was gone!!  I'm not gonna lie.  It's delicious!  I'm a huge fan of Taco C. and this was no exception.  The shrimp is tangy and spicy and frankly, I'll eat pretty much anything if it's mixed with cheese and put inside a tortilla.  :o)

The next obvious step was creating this on my own.  I get such a high when I can recreate something I've eaten at a restaurant at home.  I successfully created it my frist go-round, but did not have this blog at that time.  I'd completely forgotten about it until I recently saw the commercials for it again.  Thanks for the reminder, Taco C.!

Since I was making a Tex Mex meal, I decided to cook beans and rice as well.  I don't have any secrets for refried beans (Open can, mix with olive oil, and lots of chili powder and cumin.  Heat and serve.) but I have adopted my mom's Spanish rice recipe.  It's ridiculous.  Everyone loves it.  Of course the "secret" ingredient is bacon.  I will post that separately as it's delicious enough to warrant its own post.

Shrimp Tampico (makes 2-4 servings)
1 dried (or fresh) ancho chile
1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
2T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 8oz pkg shredded cheese of choice (I used the Mexican Four Cheese blend)
4 tortillas of choice

Place dried ancho chile in a bowl and cover with boiling water.  It will float, so approximate (1.5-2 cups).  Flip every minute or so as you complete the following steps.  If using fresh, skip this step.

Leaving the chiles whole, empty the can of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce into a gallon ziplock bag.  Add garlic, lime juice, cilantro and EVOO.

Chop shrimp into small bite-sized pieces and place inside ziplock.

Remove the ancho chile from the water, remove the stem (if there is one) and empty of seeds (these should spill right out).  Cut chile into long thick strips and put them in the ziplock.  Seal the bag and give it a good toss/massage just to incorporate all the ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Before cooking, remove the chile strips from the ziplock and discard.  Put the remaining mixture into a sauté pan and cook on medium high heat until the shrimp is cooked and no longer translucent.  3-5 minutes, tops.  Drain the shrimp into a colander.  Place shrimp into a bowl and toss with a good handful of the cheese.

 

(The next step varies from the pictures a little.  Lessons learned!)
Spray a sauté pan or comal with cooking spray and place on the oven over medium heat.  Place one tortilla on the pan and let it heat up for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  You just want to get it a little hot.  Flip the tortilla and layer a generous pinch of cheese over the entire surface.  (You know... make The Claw with your hand.  Now generously pinch the cheese.  There.  That's the perfect amount.)  Just as the cheese starts to melt, spread 1/4 of the shrimp cheese mixture over half of the tortilla and then fold the empty half on top to make a half circle.  Continue to cook the quesadilla until the cheese is melted.  Don't be afraid to give it a little press with your spatula to help the binding process.

Remove to a plate and cut in half perpendicular to the fold.  I like to eat mine with sour cream and guacamole.  I usually like a little salsa as well, but the chiles in the marinade give this shrimp dish enough heat so it's not really necessary.

We didn't like it at all!!!