May 14, 2010

My Take on Coping with Frugality's Mexican Shrimp and Quinoa

Quinoa is a seed that's rich in amino acids, manganese, iron, copper and phosphorus. It has a nutty flavour and I recently discovered that it comes in different colours- original (off-whitish), red and black! I recently started experimenting with quinoa in the hopes that it may one day replace rice in my kitchen. Sadly, I'm not sure if that day will ever come. I'm not sure the crowds will be happy with quinoa biriyani!

One recipe that I tried with quinoa is from Amanda at Coping with Frugality-
Mexican Shrimp and Quinoa Salad with Avocado Lime Vinaigrette I'm posting my adaptations to her recipe. Hope you enjoy!

 
Mexican Shrimp and Quinoa Salad with Avocado Lemon-Lime Vinaigrette



1 c. quinoa ( I used red quinoa for this recipe)
2 c. water
15 shrimp, peeled and deveined ( I picked up a bag of frozen PC Organic shrimp for this recipe)
1 T. sweet and hot spice blend (you can sub in tandoori masala or chili powder )
1 avocado (mine was over ripe)
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp. garlic paste
2 limes zested and juiced
2 T. fresh lemon juice ( I added this because I couldn't get enough juice out of the limes)
drizzle of olive oil (for frying shrimp)
4 scallions, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded, chopped

Soak quinoa for 3 minutes in cool water. Rinse well to remove starch (run it through a small-hole strainer). Put quinoa and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then place in freezer to cool (or if you have patience, you can cool in the fridge).

Toss shrimp with seasoning, ginger, and garlic. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add shrimp. Cook until pink (approx. 5 minutes). Do not over cook.

In a bowl, smash avocado (like you would for guacamole). Add lime zest and juice, and lemon juice. Whisk together until blended. Add in quinoa, scallions, tomatoes and jalapenos and toss. Top with shrimp. Toss gently.

1 comment:

  1. sounds greats....Now I have to go back to the grocery store. Saba

    ReplyDelete