Recipe: Loaded cajun scallop tacos, chipotle yogurt sauce will set you drooling

Roses are red, violets are blue, we want tacos and salsa too. This traditional Mexican dish is a deeply diverse food and since there are an amazing variety of tacos out there, we decided to whip up some that are packed with nutrition.

In our quest for the same this Taco Thursday, we stumbled upon a recipe of loaded cajun scallop tacos with chipotle yogurt sauce which instantly made us go weak in the knees. They say, the only bad taco is the one you didn’t eat so we are leaving no room for regrets today as we whip up loaded cajun scallop tacos with chipotle yogurt sauce in the summertime.

Check out its recipe below and drool away your mid-week blues:

Ingredients:

2 tortillas

A handful of fresh leafy greens of choice

sauteed asparagus

baby tomatoes, sliced in half

mango chunks

avocado

red cabbage

scallions

cilantro

Ingredients for scallops:

6 scallops, fresh or frozen

Salt and pepper to taste

chipotle chili powder

ghee (or butter or coconut oil)

Ingredients for Chipotle Yogurt Sauce:

¼ cup almond milk yogurt (or yogurt of choice)

1 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tbsp chipotle hot sauce

1 tbsp coconut aminos

Method:

Heat the tortillas for about 1 minute per side in a skillet over medium-low heat. Set aside.

To make the scallops, pat the scallops dry and season with the salt. Put them back into the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Take them out again when ready and season with salt, pepper, and chipotle chili powder. Heat a cast iron to medium-high heat and melt the ghee, butter or coconut oil.

Add the scallops and sear for 2 minutes per side. Make sure the scallops are spread out to get a nice crisp. Once ready, remove from heat and place onto a plate.

To make the chipotle yogurt sauce, add the yogurt, lime juice, hot sauce, and coconut aminos together. Mix well until smooth.

To assemble the tacos, top the tortillas with the greens, sautéed asparagus, fresh sliced baby tomatoes, mango chunks, avocado, red cabbage, scallions, cilantro, scallops and the chipotle yogurt sauce. Serve and enjoy!

(Recipe: Caitlin Greene, Instagram/starinfinitefood)

Benefits:

Eating asparagus has a number of potential health benefits since they are a great source of nutrients, including fiber, folate and vitamins A, C and K. They are low in calories and help in weight loss, improve digestion, aid in healthy pregnancy outcomes and lower one’s blood pressure.

Unless consumed excessively, there are no side effects of eating mangoes which are high in vitamin C, helps cleanse skin from deep inside, treat pores and gives a glow to the skin. Their Vitamin C content helps to produce skin protein – collagen.

Mango consumption helps in making hair healthy courtesy its vitamin A and keratin content that encourages hair growth and health, helps protect cells from harmful radicals owing to its several antioxidants, helps in reducing facial wrinkles and avoiding loose skin and is also rich in nutrients like Vitamin K, potassium and magnesium.

Avocado is rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, a host of vitamins and minerals including magnesium, B-6 and folate. Adding avocados in your daily diet can help improve gut health as the dietary fibre and monounsaturated fat in them impacts the microbes in the gastrointestinal system.

Apart from making one feel full and reducing blood cholesterol concentration, avocados consumption reduced bile acids and increased short-chain fatty acids. It is an energy-dense and nutrient-dense nicely packaged fruit that contains potassium and fibre that are important for health.

A study at the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, consumer and environmental sciences had revealed that people who ate an avocado every day, as part of a meal, had a greater abundance of gut microbes that break down fibre and produce metabolites that support gut health. The daily consumers of avocado also had greater microbial diversity compared to people who did not receive the avocado meals.

Red cabbage’s Vitamin C content acts as an antioxidant which helps protect our cells while its potassium content ensures we have a healthy heart. Being high in fiber, it makes digesting foods easier and keeps the digestive system healthy apart from providing small amounts of calcium, magnesium, and zinc, which can help build and maintain healthy bones.

It is also a good source of vitamin K and makes for a perfect immune booster since it has ten times more vitamins, cancer-fighting flavonoids and a winning amount of antioxidants than a green cabbage. Hence, its consumption improves eye, teeth, bone and immune health.

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