This Coctel de Camarones is a healthy, refreshing appetizer full of tender, delicious shrimp, tomatoes and all your favorite Mexican condiments!
Hi, hello there! Man, does it feel good to be back home. After a marathon week of eating alllll of the delicious things in Hawaii followed immediately by a way-too-much fun bachelorette party in San Francisco, I’m digging in to all of my go-to healthy recipes, like this Coctel de Camarones!
That’s right, I’m taking full advantage of this week and a half I have at home before heading back up to Napa next week to clean up my act and eat as lean, clean and green as possible (all while maintaining that balance of course!) Seafood, veggies, broth-based soups and nutrient-packed salads have been my standbys this week and boy, do I feel the difference! I feel less bloated, have more energy, and am genuinely excited for my next meal when I have all of this delicious, healthy stuff waiting for me.
I am soooo excited to share this Coctel de Camarones recipe with you for many reasons. First of all, I’ve been obsessed with Coctel de Camarones ever since I first tasted it at the Rubicon (now Inglenook) Harvest Party the first year I worked at the world-famous winery. What was this delicious dish that basically encompassed all of the best flavors of ceviche, shrimp cocktail and Bloody Mary’s??
After a quick interrogation of the caterer, I learned that the secret to this amazing appetizer called Coctel de Camarones was not just the typical ingredients you find in salsas, guacamole and ceviche (cilantro, jalapeno, onion, and the like) but a sauce made up primarily of Clamato. Say what?
You see, this gal won’t usually come within 10 feet of a Bloody Mary, or anything involving tomato juice, for that matter. But this, this was insane! You could tell there was just something about the whole “do” that wasn’t your average tomato juice.
I spent some time trying to track down a similar recipe shortly after the Harvest Party, but to no avail. I just couldn’t find a Coctel de Camarones recipe that encompassed all of the delicious ingredients that had been in that caterer’s version. I quickly forgot about it and went along making my typical Mexican food go-tos, like this Shrimp Ceviche with Papaya, this Mango Salsa and this Kimchi Bacon Guacamole.
Fast forward to planning the FEED Supper I hosted last month, and my old, fond memories of Coctel de Camarones resurfaced. I just HAD to make a version to serve my guests as they arrived. There was no other appetizer that would make the cut. I needed to find (or at least try to create) a version of this recipe.
I turned to Pinterest (of which my obsession has steadily grown since that fated Harvest Party, and therefore my library of pins) to see what I might be able to find. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy! But, after much searching and deliberation, I came across this recipe. Bingo!
Using the small amount of information I’d gathered from the caterer, I modified this recipe slightly by using Clamato instead of V8 (there is a difference, trust me!) and, to add a little more depth of flavor, I roasted the whole tomatoes before chopping them up and throwing them in.
Let’s just say my Coctel de Camarones was more than a hit, it was a grand slam! The entire bowl (I had doubled the recipe for this event) disappeared before my eyes, and guests were coming up to me saying that this was the best thing they’d ever tasted.
Now, I know that I’ve been preaching the healthy, whole foods in this post, but you really must not skip serving a hefty side of tortilla chips with this recipe. It’s a must. They are the perfect vehicle for scooping massive amounts of Coctel de Camarones directly into your mouth, because who wants to bother using a spoon when you’ve got something this delicious to inhale? There are plenty of healthier versions of tortilla chips out there, or you can even make your own!
Basically, there are no excuses as to why you should not be making this ASAP. Plus, this recipe gets even better with a day or two to let all of the flavors come together in the refrigerator. Looking to mix up your holiday appetizers this year? Coctel de Camarones would be the perfect make-ahead dish (and no doubt you will not have to worry about any leftovers.)
Whether you decide to make Coctel de Camarones for the holidays, a healthy football Sunday snack, or even for a weeknight dinner, you will not be disappointed. Now, excuse me, I’ve got to go plow through the leftovers I have marinating in the refrigerator right now…
Coctel de Camarones
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound raw shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 1 1/2 cups Clamato
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Tapatio
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and place in a well-oiled baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over top of tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool once done. Once tomatoes are cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite-size pieces.
- Place a large saucepan filled with generously salted water over high heat. Bring to a boil, then add shrimp. Boil shrimp for two minutes, then remove to an ice bath. Let sit in ice bath for three minutes, then drain.
- Chop up shrimp into small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl with roasted tomatoes, Clamato, ketchup, lime juice, Tapatio, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and salt. Add avocado right before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Did someone say lycopene?
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