I was craving shrimp and avocado, but coudldn’t for the life of me find a texture combination that worked. I think I was going for a deconstructed shrimp taco…? Regardless, this turned out spicy and delicious. Very happy with the result, but would continue to tweak until I get the textures just right. Sorry for the out of focus pictures, I’m a bit out of practice juggling my camera in the kitchen… 
Cilantro Lime Rice
1 cup rice + 2 ¼ cup water (or however your rice cooker does it)
Zest of ½ lime
¼ cup cilantro, stems removed, minced
½ tsp salt
Start this first, as it’s the part that takes the longest.
Avocado Yogurt Sauce
1 Hass avocado, pit and skin removed
¼ cup fresh Nancys low fat yogurt
3 tbs marinade mix (below)
1 tsp salt
Whirl ingredients with immersion blender, cover and refrigerate.
Shrimp Marinade
1 poblano pepper, most of the seeds removed and diced small
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
½ bunch cilantro, stems removed, minced
juice from 1 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbs olive oil (reserved)
In a large bowl, whirl together ingredients with immersion blender, reserve 2 tbs for avocado sauce.
Add olive oil to remaining marinade and whirl again.
Add deveined shell-on shrimp to marinade, stir to coat, and let sit, 15 minutes. Much longer and the acid from the lime will start warping the shrimp meat.
Salad
Fresh hearts of Romaine, washed, drained, chopped
Half a shallot, sliced in thin rounds
One tomato, seeds and liquid removed, diced
Half an avocado, diced
Sprinkle of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Cook the Shrimp
Move the oven rack about 4 inches below broiler element and heat broiler (high).
Remove shrimp from marinade, shake excess liquid off, and lay in a single layer in a cold cast iron skillet.
Sprinkle with a dash of paprika, a light dusting of red pepper flakes, and a few bits of garlic and Poblano from the marinade.
Broil shrimp until opaque and shells are beginning to visibly dry, about 2 to 4 minutes depending on your oven.
Remove pan from oven and flip shrimp. Broil until shells begin to brown, another 2-4 minutes. This side typically gets done faster than the first side because of how the cast iron.
Transfer shrimp to a serving platter and serve immediately. You may need to make several batches if your cast iron isn’t large.
If at the end of cooking you find yourself with extra liquid, pour the remaining marinade into the cast iron and put it back in the oven to broil. The cooking does magical things to the poblano and garlic, so you don’t want to just toss this!
Wait until the liquid reaches a roiling boil, then remove from the oven. Give it a minute or so to cool, so it doesn’t continue to cook when poured over the plated shrimp.
Serving
I wasn’t sure which way method made me happier, eating shrimp out of its shell over a bed of savory rice or peeled in a bowl of crispy salad dressed with the sweet avocado dressing. Both were very, very tasty!
