Shrimp Quesadillas for the Super Bowl

I just love it when shrimp are on sale, don't you? They really are such a treat, and when I find them at two pounds for 15.95, you'd better believe I'm snappin' them up.

Today, both the CenSea Cleaned Cooked Shrimp and the Uncooked are on sale....hhm, what a dilemma! Which to choose? I went with the cooked, 'cause no fuss, no muss is my motto. One of them, anyway. I have many mottos these days.

Anyway, I also chose the cooked shrimp because I didn't want to waste any time in getting this great recipe into your hot little hands quickly, so you could serve these to your friends for the Super Bowl on Sunday!

The luscious, melty cheese inside is the fabulous 3-Year Cheddar that's on sale in the cheese department, but of course you could cut a corner and grab some shredded cheese if you're short on time. Alongside, you'll want to serve a generous dollop of Breakstone's Sour Cream, and don't forget to garnish your platter with a few slices of sale avocado. You'll have a fresh, slightly fancy, yet frugal appetizer that everyone will adore!

Shrimp Quesadillas
Serves 2; easily doubled
Recipe adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/

1/2 lb. large shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined
the juice of one lime
2 scallions, minced
a hefty pinch of minced cilantro
1 jalapeno, minced (seeded and deveined if you can't take the heat)
1/4 t. chipotle chili powder (I added this, it's not on the original recipe)
1-2 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 or 3 flour tortillas

Sliced avocado or prepared guacamole
Sour cream & additional cilantro sprigs for garnish

Chop the shrimp into bite sized pieces. In a medium glass mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, scallions, cilantro, jalapeno, and chipotle chili powder. Toss shrimp in lime mixture and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Drain off lime juice. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Spray one side of flour tortilla with cooking spray and set spray side down on a cutting board. Top one half with some shredded cheddar, then some of the shrimp mixture, the a bit more cheddar. Fold over and set aside. Repeat with another tortilla. Place both quesadillas in the grill pan and cover partially with a lid. Toast until golden and cheese is melting, then flip and repeat on the other side.

Remove to cutting board and allow to rest for a minute or two. Cut into wedges and place on serving platter. Garnish with sliced avocado, a spoonful of sour cream, and cilantro sprigs.

Decadence on a Dime! WRITING SAMPLE ONLY

THIS IS ONLY A WRITING SAMPLE. SUSHI GRADE AHI TUNA WAS NOT ON SALE WHEN I WROTE THIS POST. (...ahhhh....got that off my chest. Guilt over Ahi is no good.)

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love Tuna Tartare.

A couple of years ago, the husband and I enjoyed an amazing Valentine's Day dinner at the wonderful Bacchus in downtown Milwaukee. For our appetizer, we split the most amazing Tuna Tartare I have ever had....it was salty, spicy, and served on top of crispy wonton chips.... so heavenly, I was still dreaming of it long after dinner ended!

Do you think it's normal to dream of tuna tartare?

So fantastic was this dish, that I even went so far as to write to the R.S.V.P column at Bon Appetit magazine to see if they could persuade the Chef to share the recipe. Would you believe he actually did? A couple of months later I received a letter from Bon Appetit and a copy of the recipe. I've been making it for cocktail parties ever since.

Now, you wouldn't necessarily think that Tuna Tartare would be at the top of a frugal gal's grocery list, but Ahi Tuna is .... you guessed it.... on special this week at Sendiks for $7.99 a pound! The finished dish is quite rich, so you don't need to buy much tuna - only half a pound or so.

Other ingredients for the dish are also on sale: the scallions, soy sauce, and the rice crackers that I serve alongside the tuna. If you're the over-achieving type who likes to go the extra mile, you can skip the rice crackers and fry up your own wonton chips like they do at Bacchus.

I've never been accused of being an overachiever. Also, I find frying to be a putzy chore that smells up my kitchen, so I leave deep fried foods to the professionals.

Over achiever or not, pair this decadent appetizer with the crisp Toasted Head Chardonnay (on sale!), or an icy-cold Sapporo.

Here's the recipe. Enjoy!