Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

It's shrimp week here on the blog! Before you get too deep in this post, let me redirect you to another recipe that serves as a precursor to this one. I'm doing a little two part mini-series that essentially gives you two delicious dinners for the work of one (and a half). If you haven't done so already, you will first want to go and make a big batch of the Chili-Garlic Shrimp that I posted about here and eat it for dinner tonight. Then tomorrow you can proceed with the rest of this post and make the recipe below.

The original recipe here called for chipotle chile in adobo sauce. The first time I made this, I didn't have any off hand and so I simply substituted chili powder and the results were fabulous. The next time around, I followed Cooking Light's version and used the chipotle chile in adobo. Interestingly enough, I didn't really care for it and found I liked my first version better. So that's the one I'm sharing with you today. I also found sunflower seeds to be a delicious alternative to the pumpkin seeds that are a bit tricky for wee ones to eat. This dish whips up super fast and is the perfect choice for those nights when all you have is 15 minutes. Of course to make it that quickly,you have to have planned ahead enough to make the shrimp earlier in the week but most of us can predict that Really Crazy Weeknight Where There's No Time For Dinner at least a day in advance. When that night is approaching, keep this recipe in mind. Also, a slightly less healthful alternative to the lettuce cups is to serve the shrimp mixture with chips for scooping. :)

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

2 cups shrimp mixture (reserved from Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas)

1/3 cup chopped English cucumber

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon dried chili powder (or 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

8 butter lettuce leaves

4 lime wedges

Coarsely chop shrimp mixture (about 24 shrimp) from Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas. Combine shrimp, cucumber, and bell pepper in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt, chili powder (or minced chipotle chile), and salt. Add yogurt mixture to shrimp mixture; stir to combine. Fold in avocados. Arrange butter lettuce leaves on a platter. Divide shrimp mixture among lettuce leaves; sprinkle evenly with sunflower seeds. Serve with lime wedges.