This is a great weeknight summer dinner – sweet shrimp, slightly caramelized zucchini, and the mild bite of ancho chili powder served over tortillas.  Using pre-cooked shrimp helps when you are pressed for time, but if you’d like to cook your shrimp from raw, by all means do.  The heat from the chili powder and the cool of the light sour cream are a wonderful dichotomy on a summer evening.

Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas

4 burrito-sized flour tortillas
1 zucchini, cut into medium dice
1 pound shrimp, already cooked and chilled
pinch of salt and pepper
pinch of ancho chili powder
light sour cream and scallions for garnish

• In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast tortillas until lightly golden; set aside.
• Add canola oil and zucchini to the skillet; season with salt and pepper.  Saute zucchini until they are golden brown and crisp-tender.
• Roughly chop shrimp (or, if you prefer, leave them whole).  Add them to the zucchini once the zucchini has finished cooking and saute just long enough to warm them through.
• Season with a good pinch of ancho chili powder (which is NOT balancing for pitta, but everyone needs to live a little!).
• Spoon shrimp and zucchini onto prepared tortillas.  Top with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped scallions.

Source: Adapted from Everyday Food, May 2009

Wine pairing: This would go well with a young, grassy white wine such as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner.