This post combines two of my greatest loves – tacos and wine. You’ve got to check out how to make these mini taco shells in the oven – it’s sooo cool! (No fancy moulds required!) Introducing my mini Shrimp Tacos!
Mini Shrimp Tacos
I am literally beside myself with excitement, being able to share with you a chance to win an entire CASE of my favourite Australian wine – Turkey Flat. And not just for my Australian readers either – Australian AND AMERICAN readers!! {Just drop a comment below to enter!} ** Giveaway now finished! Winners at the bottom of the post!**
This is not a sponsored post! I was emailing back and forth with one of my readers (a certain lady from Portland, Oregon – you know who you are!) and she told me that she used to sell wine for a living. We got to chatting about Australian wines, and it made me think that I would love to do a giveaway of my favourite wine.
Australia is known for great wine, and I’ve sampled my fair share since I hit the legal drinking age (OK, possibly from a couple of years before then….don’t tell my mum!). But there’s one that’s been near and dear to me since I was the tender age of 21, and today it still remains my “go to” wine for special occasions.
It goes back to a girls’ weekend away to the Barossa Valley wine region in South Australia. It wasn’t the first time I’d been to vineyards – we have a great wine region called the Hunter Valley only a few hours drive from Sydney. But the Barossa is exceptional and produces what I believe to be the best wine in Australia.
We trotted from vineyard to vineyard, sampling as much free wine as we could. Because, let’s be honest, when you’re a poor uni student, it’s not so much about swirling the wine and analysing the tannin, but more about how much wine we could get – for free. Sometimes I would buy the occasional bottle, but a case was way out of my budget.
Until I visited Turkey Flat Vineyard.
I fell in love with their Rosé. When they saw my enthusiasm, I got top up after top up (excellent sales tactic) and…well….that’s when it happened.
I bought my first case of wine from a Vineyard. First ever.
I absolutely couldn’t afford it. What (normal) uni student can afford to blow $300 on a case of wine??
I lived on canned baked beans for dinner for a while after that. Totally worth it.
Here, have a good look at the offender that sent me broke 😉
When I have an all girls-only gathering, it seems expected that rosé is present. And one of my favourite things to pair rosé with is seafood. So I’ve made these mini tacos filled with prawns / shrimp. Aren’t they cute? Do you make a mess of yourself when you eat tacos? I know I do! So these one-bite tacos are especially perfect for me.
Making the mini taco shells is kinda fun. You don’t need any fancy moulds, just your oven rack! Cut rounds out of tortillas (use an empty can if you don’t have cutters – they are the perfect size!), brush with water (this is key to make them floppy), warm in the microwave then drape over the oven rack. Bake for 5 minutes then voila! Mini taco shells!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, these are my lunch. Mmm….and I can’t let that wine go to waste so I get to have Turkey Flat rosé with my lunch!
– Nagi
** See below recipe for how to enter to win one of four cases of Turkey Flat wine worth around $350 each! You just need to leave a comment below telling me what your favourite wine is and whether you live in Australia or America! **
Some more mini one-bite Appetizers!
-
Quiche Toast Cups – mini quiche made with bread!
-
Browse all Party Food
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Prawn / Shrimp Taco Appetizers
Ingredients
Prawns
- 3.5 oz / 100 g raw prawns (peeled and deveined)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , separated
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- Salt and pepper
Mini Taco Shells
- 4 flour tortillas (extra soft ones, if you can find them)
- Oil spray
Adobo Chipotle Sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (preferably whole egg)
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 2 chipotle chilies + 1 tbsp sauce from 1 can of chipotles in adobo
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Pico de Gallo
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes , finely diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro / coriander leaves , roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion , finely diced
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- Salt and pepper
To Serve
- 1/2 cup very finely shredded green cabbage (or lettuce)
Instructions
Marinade Prawns
- Dice the prawns into 1/3" / 1cm pieces. Combine all Prawn ingredients in a small bowl and set aside while you prepare the other components.
Mini Taco Shells
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F.
- Get a rack out of the oven and place it on two bowls to elevate it off the worktop surface.
- Cut 3" / 7.5cm rounds out of the tortillas (I usually get 4 out of each).
- Brush generously with water (this makes them soft and pliable). Place on a plate in single layers (i.e. not overlapping) with a wet paper towel between each layer. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, until hot and pliable.
- Drape each piece over the wires of the oven rack. Because they are floppy, they will just drape into shape. Work quickly as when they cool, they will stiffen (wet again and microwave them if this happens). (See photo below)
- Spray with oil then bake for 5 to 7 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Adobo Chipotle Sauce
- Combine ingredients in a small food processor and whizz until combined. Alternatively, finely chop the chipotle then hand mix with the other ingredients.
Pico de Gallo
- Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix.
Cook Prawns
- Heat a heavy based fry pan over high heat until screaming hot. Add the prawns and cook for 40 seconds, until just starting to brown on the outside. The pieces are so small they will cook really quickly. Remove from pan.
Assemble
- Dollop some Adobo Chipotle Sauce into a Mini Taco Shell. Top with shredded cabbage, Pico De Gallo and some Prawns.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
** Giveaway closed! And the winners are: AUST – Vicky from Cloverdale, Karen from Newtown, US – Melissa from Redwood City, Connie from Somerville **
TO ENTER to win one of FOUR cases (12 bottles) of Turkey Flat Wine (~$350 value each!): Just drop a comment below and tell me what your favourite wine is! Also, please tell me:
a) Whether you live in Australia or the US (I’m giving away 2 cases in each country, 4 cases in total!); and
b) For US readers: Whether you prefer red or white (Australian winners will get mixed cases).
Giveaway ends Friday 10 April 2015. Winner will be randomly selected by a Turkey Flat representative. There will be 2 winners from Australia and 2 in the US.
** Many thanks to Turkey Flat Vineyard for donating these 4 cases of wine for me, at my request, for my lovely readers who love wine as much as I do! In Australia, you can get most of their wines from large liquor stores or order online direct from Turkey Flat Vineyard.**
AND THERE’S MORE!! The first 100 readers who purchase 6 wines from Turkey Flat will get 1 bottle free! So you get 6 but pay for 5! Just use the code “NagiLovesRose” when you check out. 🙂 (Only for Australian orders)
gina says
Those tacos look so amazingly delicious!! I live in the USA and I dont really have a favorite wine, it depends on my mood. Sometimes I love a cabernet and other times I crave a sweet sparkly white.
Dorothea says
I love a hearty dry red wine. In the summer I make it into a spritzer. I live in the United States and do prefer red wine.
Your recipes get my creative juices flowing.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
Well I would love to win, but I am equally as excited about your recipe! This is definitely up my alley…love, love, LOVE! Can’t wait to try them. I am sharing them all over the place…they look too yummy not to share the love! Hope you are having a great weekend!
Jan R says
These tacos are so cute. Love the giveaway!
Shinee says
Oh my gosh, this is like the best giveaway ever, Nagi! I love WINE!!! Pretty much all of them. It’s hard to choose. I don’t think I’ve tried Turkey Flat before though, so I’d love to win a box. I like reds over whites. 🙂 And I live in the U.S.
And those tacos! I totally stealing this idea. 😉
Shannon Sechler says
We love your recipes.
Noel Lizotte says
Loving these tiny tacos! I was wondering where you found the tiny shells! I love the trick for making them!!
We’re red wine loving US Ohioans in my house. I’m going to my local wine shop today to see if they carry this wine. Can’t wait to sample it!
Susanne McCarthy says
Love Shrimp and these tacos look scrumptious; can’t wait to try them!
I love Rose and light white wines. I live in the US.
stephanie says
Oh my! Mini tacos looks so wonderful. I’ll have thirty! I love anything, but favor reds over white. I guess it depends on my mood and the food! My mother is a die-heard Rosé fan.
Margaret Mahoma says
I LOVE your post!
Makes me want to run to the kitchen and cook! My favorite wine a Chianti Classico!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Betz says
Thanks for another fun recipe Nagi! Full bodied RED for me please!
Stephanie says
I live in the United States and prefer a dry white wine!
Tacos look awesome!
Lynette Day says
I love your recipes and now started a new camp book with a lot of them, love my camping,
My wine pick being an Aussie is Brown Brothers, but like others from the Brosser Valley.
Keep the goodies coming, this one is a winner with my grandies
Hao Nguyen says
I’ve had many tacos: beef, carnitas, pollo, al pastor, fish but have never tried shrimp. They look interesting. Will have to put this on my list to try. Thanks Nagi.
U.S. & red wine.
Sharon says
When I received your email asking what country I was in, I giggled like a school girl…lol. You are such a celebrity to me.. Nani I am in the United States.
Shannon says
I love Moscato, Pinio Grigio, and Merlot. I like the Leelawneu Penninsula wines-made in Michigan, their Witche’s Brew is amazing, and their Winter White with the berry and green apple variations are scrumptious!!
Karen Allan says
What good timing. I’m having a Mexican party and needed a seafood recipe! And here are you to the rescue again. Can’t wait to try this. I ordered a whole lot of Mexican cooking goodies on line so I have all the ingredients apart from the mayo believe it or not. Pico de Gallo was already on the menu. Pop up to the IGA for mayo and I am ready to go. (I wondered what I was going to do with that tin of chipotles in adobo. Any ideas for the cactus in a jar I thought looked interesting? ;-0)
Love the cute little tacos – but I think I’m going to use the usual sized ones (lovely hand made I purchased on line as well) and I’m giving my guests gigantic tea towels instead of napkins so I expect a messy good time.
I’m in Sydney Australia. My fave wine? Hard one. A Shiraz or a pinot gris if pushed. From a lovely tiny vineyard preferably.
I’ll rate this recipe tomorrow when I’m looking at the pile of washing up wishing it would disappear (and possibly nursing a hangover) and looking for a distraction.
Thanks again!!!
Karen Allan says
another 5 stars! Guests love it. I had to slap their hands away as they picked at the pawn pieces straight from table to mouth. “Use a plate. Put on the sauce!!!!” And luckily they listened because all agreed the the creamy spicy sauce really completes it. Gives it that zing. I have a little left over. It’s in the fridge looking for a new use tonight if I can think of one. (Still got that jar of cactus to eat sometime – but don’t think it is a match).
I think next time I will make the little tacos and serve at a girlfriends’ lunch (as you intended). That would suit the delicate flavour balance and they deserve considered eating.
Girlfriend lunch planning to start now.
Thanks again
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Yay! I love the thought of you slapping hands away – too funny!! Usually it’s ME getting slapped rather than doing the slapping 🙂 I used the leftover sauce as a salad dressing – just loosened it up with a touch of milk. So yummy it makes any veggies taste irresistible!!
Thanks so much for coming back to share your feedback Karen!! 🙂
PS I can honestly say I have never cooked with cactus….nor tried it! However, I do remember a Jamie Oliver recipe using it!! It was on his US road trip cooking show, I think. 🙂
Elaine Marshall says
I am from the US. I prefer red wine and my favorites are Beaujolais. That being said I do like a cool rose on a hot summer day!
Claire says
I just joined your website. so far I’ve loved your recipes, this mini tacos is no exception. I can’t wait to try it! I love all kinds of wine, my husband and I love to visit wineries on our trips. Chardonnay, pinot grigio are my two favorites but the rose you mentioned sounds wonderful too! I live in the US and hope to be one of the winners….I sooo love to try new wines!!!
Heather Wyles says
just stumbled across your blog while looking at Pinterest and this recipe looks incredible! & i’m a huge wine lover 🙂
also, how do you get such beautiful pictures? (camera/lens/lighting?)