Shrimp Lettuce Cups With Mango Avocado Salsa

After a week of indulgence over Christmas and New Years, I thought it was time for a break from heavy foods. I still wanted something with a lot of flavor but with minimal fat, so I came up with shrimp tacos, but replacing the tortillas with lettuce cups. Bryan loves my guacamole, so I decided to mix it up and make a mango avocado salsa. It wad really easy, delicious and we have a lot of leftover mango salsa for use on grilled halibut, seared pork loin or just with chips.

Here's how I made the Mango Avocado Salsa:

• 3 ripe Haas avocados
• 1 large, ripe firm mango, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (feel free to use less if you don't like cilantro)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 8 dashes hot pepper sauce (I use Trader Joe's Jalapeno Pepper Hot Sauce)
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
• 2 large garlic clove, minced (we love garlic; feel free to use less)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 18 peeled and de-veined shrimp, tails removed
• 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, washed and separated into individual "cups"

Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the mango, tomato and garlic. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper. Set aside.

------------

Tip: Don't know how to cut a mango? Either buy pre-peeled and sliced mango, usually found in the produce section of your local grocer. Or, buy a whole mango and follow these instructions:

1. Slice both ends off the mango, revealing the long, slender seed inside. Set the fruit upright on a work surface and remove the skin with a sharp knife.
2. With the seed perpendicular to you, slice the fruit from both sides of the seed, yielding two large pieces.
3. Turn the seed parallel to you and slice the two smaller pieces of fruit from each side.
4. Cut the fruit into 1/2" cubes.

-----------

Once the mango salsa is done, start on the shrimp. Fill a 3-quart pot with water and bring to a boil. Top with a strainer or steamer attachment and add the shrimp. Cover and steam the shrimp until they are pink and fully cooked through, 3-4 minutes.

Remove the shrimp, mix with your favorite sweet and sour or hot sauce. My favorites are Trader Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce and Yank Sing's Chili Pepper Sauce (a Dim Sum restaurant in San Francisco that makes their own chili sauce).

Place three shrimp into each lettuce cup and top with a spoonful of the mango salsa. You're ready for eat! Make sure to have some napkins handy, as they can be deliciously messy!