This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and the Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #LetYourHolidaySparkle #CollectiveBias
Now that we have our first official dining table, I love changing up the tablescape for each season. I tend to gravitate towards neutrals, whites, and a pop of blue regardless of the season. The beach is my happy place, so I love incorporating it whenever I can. For the holiday season, I put together a coastal Christmas tablescape. I’ll be keeping it on the table all season long as part of our holiday decor. To play off the coastal theme, I even added starfish to our Christmas tree which is in the room next to the dining room. We had another couple over for dinner the other night and I decided to play off the coastal Christmas decor with a summery menu feature of spicy mango shrimp tacos. We chose smartwater sparkling water as our featured drink as we felt it matched the sparkly and modern holiday vibe we had going on. Read on to learn how we put together our coastal Christmas tablescape and the recipe for the spicy mango shrimp tacos.
A Coastal Christmas:
Tablescape Inspiration and Spicy Mango Shrimp Tacos
The Tablescape – A Coastal Christmas:
Since we live in Southern California and our version of a White Christmas is a sandy one, I thought, why not go for a coastal Christmas tablescape. I found a glittery champagne garland that had a driftwood vibe to me. If you can’t find a glittery one like this, I think a traditional rustic garland would be perfect as well. I scattered teal and white starfish all over the driftwood then added mini white Christmas trees with teal ornaments and starfish. I also found large ornaments that looked like blue sea glass and scattered those around the “driftwood”. The centerpiece was a Christmas tree made of shells and topped with a starfish. If you can’t find one like this, I bet you could easily make your own by gluing shells on a cardboard cone.
The Food – Spicy Mango Shrimp Tacos:
Tacos are so California to me and shrimp went with my coastal theme. I wanted the tacos to be really spicy to add a kick and I also thought it would be fun to play off the summer fusion and tone down the spiciness with mango. Since fresh mango isn’t available this time of year, I just used frozen mango. smartwater sparkling water was the perfect beverage to pair with my spicy mango shrimp tacos. Bassam and I actually don’t usually like sparkling water, but smartwater sparkling water is vapor distilled with electrolytes and it really makes a difference in the taste. I served the sparkling water in gold champagne glasses to match the elevated feel of smartwater’s sparkling water. Doesn’t everything just feel fancier and more festive served in a champagne glass? The whole vibe just felt very “eat and drink sparkling” to us and matched the sparkly coastal Christmas. If you wanted to add another beverage to the mix, a glass of white wine would make a great addition. We found smartwater sparkling water at our local Vons. Click here to find a location close to you.
The spiciness on the tacos can be dialed up or toned down according to your preference. Just use less or more chili powder and red pepper to your taste. The creamy mango sauce feels very decadent, but is actually really light and healthy. The whole meal comes together in under 20 minutes, but will impress your guests and seem like you took a lot longer!
Spicy Mango Shrimp Tacos
Easy and healthy spicy shrimp over a bed of mango coleslaw and topped with slices of avocado. The perfect light and healthy meal. You can serve these with tortillas or lettuce wrapped; great either way!
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp ancho chili powder more to less according to spicy preference
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes more to less according to spicy preference
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 16 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp
For the mango coleslaw:
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper more or less according to spicy preference
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/8 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp sesame chili oil or any chili oil
- 1 cup mango defrosted if using frozen
- 3/4 cup shredded cabbage
Topping (optional)
- avocado
- cotija cheese
- chili lime salt
The "shell"
- 10 small tortillas or lettuce cups
Instructions
Mango coleslaw:
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Pulse all the ingredients, except for the cabbage, in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add a bit more coconut milk if it's too thick. If it's too thin, add more mango. You can also let it sit in the fridge overnight to thicken it
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Toss the shredded cabbage with the mango sauce. You may use less than what you have, you just want it to reach a coleslaw consistency. It should be weighed down a little bit. If you have leftovers you can store the sauce in the fridge and use on other meals for up to three days
Shrimp:
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Heat the olive oil on medium high heat
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Add the shrimp and then pour the seasonings right on top
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Saute for about 5-8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until cooked through. Make sure the shrimps are evenly coated with the seasoning.
Assemble the tacos:
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Bassam says coleslaw first then shrimp on top. Lena says shrimp first then coleslaw on top. You choose whichever way you prefer. Also, comment below and let us know which way you chose because this is becoming a major debate in our house
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Top as desired. We like to use avocado and chili lime salt. If you have cotija cheese that would be delicious as well!
What theme are you going with for your holiday entertaining this year?
Whatever you choose, consider serving smartwater sparkling water as one of your main beverages!
We purchased our bottles at Vons. Find the store closest to you HERE
What a lovely tablescape. It’s so festive without being traditional. I love it.
I’m so glad you liked it!