Shrimp and Avocado Dip

On our recent trip to Austin and San Antonio, J and I encountered this tasty dish a number of times. I had never heard of it, but it's apparently popular in good 'ol Tejas. We ordered it as an appetizer during one of our numerous happy hours downtown Austin. The preparation at this particular restaurant had its flaws, but I definitely saw its potential. I threw together a version that was so tasty, we've had it twice since Saturday.

I'm going to pass on this recipe without tons of detail. It's really a general concept, and ingredients can be swapped out as your tastes desire. Also, the amounts of the ingredients are not very specific, as I believe you should add more or less of what you like or don't.

 
- Shrimp (any size, but always use raw shrimp. Buying cooked shrimp is pointless, tasteless and lazy, no offense. I used about 10-15 26/30s)
- 1 Avocado (diced)
- 1 plum or Romano tomato (seeded and diced)
- 1/4 cup red onion (diced)
- 1/4 cup green pepper (diced)
- 1/2 jalapeño
- some cilantro (chopped)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons mayo (I did not use fat free!)
- 1/2 a lime
- Flour tortillas
- Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Preheat oven to 400F

Start with the shrimp. Peel and devein them (if this hasn't been done for you), and chop into pieces. Fully cook the shrimp in a sauté pan, tossing/stirring frequently. This should take about 3-5 minutes. I used olive oil and also butter because the butter adds a richer taste, but use the cooking oil of your choice. After the shrimp is cooked, toss a little Lawry's over it, and put it into a bowl and place directly in the freezer.

Combine the tomato, green and jalapeño peppers, onion, cilantro, sour cream and mayo, and stir until everything is coated. When the shrimp is cool, add it to the mixture. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Lastly, add the avocado and mix gently until everything is coated. 

For the dippers, slice a few tortillas into triangles, and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Dust them with the Lawry's Seasoned Salt, and bake until golden brown. Remember Lawry's is mostly salt, so be careful not to overdo it.

For serving, arrange the dippers around a mound of the dip, and garnish with avocado slices and a few shakes of Lawry's.