Seafood

Shrimpy Burgers

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Confession: This is not a recipe I created in any way.  I can’t take any credit for this. I can’t even claim like I add something small or adjust a ratio – literally, the only change I make is to remove the salt.  Otherwise, it’s perfect as is and works for my CKD diet. What more can you ask for???

Warning: You have to like shrimp to like this recipe.  I have actually tried to make it with other fish but it just wasn’t the same. It’s chunky and spicy and delicious.  But still, I can’t take credit for any of it.

So here it is, someone else’s amazing shrimp burger recipe. Please enjoy if you’re on the CKD diet (or even if you’re not).

Original Recipe: HERE

There is no revised recipe.  I just omit the salt.  And if you have high potassium, you can omit the avocado from the aioli and just make the sauce without this.

Also, I put these on regular English Muffins instead of a brioche bun.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbl chopped cilantro
  • 1 Tbl garlic
  • 1/2 cup Low-Salt Breadcrumbs (See my note on breadcrumbs HERE)
  • 1/2 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup red pepper, chopped small
  • 3 Tbl canola oil

Avocado Aioli

  • 1 avocado, halved, seeded and peeled (save the pit!)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbl fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbl minced garlic
  • 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (or 1/2 tsp cayenne)
  • 2 Tbl chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Avocado Aioli

  1. Scoop the avocado pulp into the bowl of a food processor.
  2. Add the sour cream, lime juice, garlic cloves, jalapeno, cilantro and pepper.
  3. Process until smooth.
  4. Check and adjust seasoning.
  5. Place in a dish, add the pit (this helps prevent it from turning brown), cover and chill for an hour.

Burgers

  1. Divide the shrimp in half.
  2. Coarsely chop one half and set aside.
  3. Put remaining half in a food processor and grind to a coarse puree.
  4. Add egg, shallot, cilantro, jalapeno and garlic to processor.
  5. Process until smooth.
  6. Sprinkle mixture with breadcrumbs and process again.
  7. Transfer contents of food processor to a large bowl.
  8. Add coarsely chopped shrimp and red pepper.
  9. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well.
  10. Form burgers and chill for 1 hour (covered).
  11. Heat oil in a heavy skillet.
  12. When very hot, fry the shrimp burgers until golden, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
  13. Drain on paper towels.
  14. Serve on an English Muffin.

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Spicy Shrimpy Salsa

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As you will see, I love salsa. I have a ton of salsa recipes because A.) they’re super easy B.) they’ve got a nice kick of spice and C.) I’m a fan of any type food where utensils aren’t required. Most salsas that you buy from a grocery story have a lot of salt or fruit/veggies that aren’t great for me, but after experimenting a bit, I realized that I can successfully make my own. So over the past 3 years, I probably have attempted to make over 20 varieties of salsa (I’m only posting the successes). Yes, I know – I’m salsa crazy.

This one in particular was inspired by the fact that I made a tortilla soup for dinner one night but needed something on the side.  I started to make a salsa to blend in with the Mexican theme but realized I could really use a protein. So instead of adding chicken or shrimp to the soup, I just put it into the salsa.  And the combination was AMAZING.

A note about shrimp: I love shrimp but they’re tricky for me because while they’re acceptable on the CKD diet, they are higher in sodium.  So when I use them, I try to use them sparingly.  This recipe is great because I can chop up a few shrimp and make a little go a long way.  Also, I highly recommend that if you’re going to cook shrimp, you buy the raw ones. They can be frozen or fresh, but they’re so much better when they’re not pre-cooked.  You can add whatever flavor you want and they cook to be much more tender.

Also, if you don’t like spice, you won’t like this recipe (or the rest of my salsas). That said, feel free to add as much or as little spice as you want – you can make this mild or super hot, but you need to be comfortable with a little heat.

Author: Me 🙂  Jackie

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Pound Raw (Fresh or Frozen) De-Veined Medium-Sized Shrimp
  • 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
  • 1/2 Red Onion, diced finely
  • 2 Limes
  • 1 Tablespoon of Agave Syrup or Honey
  • 1-2 Jalapeños (If you don’t like spice, only use 1 and remove the seeds), finely diced
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Optional: 1/2 Fresh Avocado, Cut into Small Cubes (Note: If you have high potassium or your doctor recommends that you avoid potassium, please do not include this. I’m allowed to have some potassium in my diet and avocados are my potassium of choice.)

Directions:

  1. Make sure shrimp are thawed and cleaned prior to cooking.  Once they are ready, heat the canola oil in a pan over low heat.  Place the shrimp in.  Keep an eye on them as they cook very quickly.  After about 3-4 minutes, flip them to cook on the other side.
  2. While they are cooking, take one of the limes and zest it over the shrimp. Cut the lime and squeeze half of it over the shrimp.
  3. Allow it to cook all the way through so it’s a light pink throughout and there aren’t any clear parts. It should be a total of around 5-6 minutes.  Pull the shrimp off the pan and allow them to cool.
  4. While they’re cooling, chop all of your ingredients – the jalapeños, red onion, cilantro, and avocado. Place in a large bowl.
  5. Once the shrimp have cooled, remove the tails (throw them in the trash). Chop up the rest of the shrimp into bite-sized pieces.  Add this to the bowl.
  6. Squeeze the other half of the lime into the bowl, as well as the full remaining lime.  Add the agave syrup/honey.  Mix together.

Take a bite to assess the level of heat and if you need to add more or less.  If it’s too spicy, add more agave/honey. If it’s not spicy enough, add another jalapeño. This is a recipe where if it sits in the refrigerator for a few hours, the flavors all meld together and it gets better, so I also recommend trying it again later.

Enjoy this on its own as a dip or as a topping for a salad.  Or maybe on a corn tortilla. YUM!