Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Fiesta Quinoa Salad with Grilled Shrimp

This was a wonderful colorful salad. The dressing was really great and the shrimp were simple, yet delicious. It is fairly quick to throw together and can be prepared in advance. This would be great for a party,perhaps with some other meat, such as chicken stirred in.
Here is the original recipe: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/fiesta-quinoa-salad-shrimp.aspx
Grilled Shrimp with Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup white quinoa
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 medium cloves garlic, mashed to a paste
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. extra-jumbo (16 to 20 per lb.) peeled, deveined shrimp
1 can fire roasted corn
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced - small cubes!
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare a medium-high (400°F to 475°F) gas or charcoal grill fire.
2. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender and all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or jar, combine 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, the lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and whisk or shake until combined.
4. Thread the shrimp on metal or wooden skewers. Brush them with 1 Tbs. of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the shrimp until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
5. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, corn, beans, bell pepper, cilantro, and scallions. Toss with the dressing, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the shrimp with the quinoa.

What we liked:

Quick, easy, light and good! 

What we didn't like:

Could have used more shrimp. If serving more than 2 people, definitely get more shrimp. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He really is not into foods that are not homogenous... He loves beans and corn, but by themselves without any suspicious "salad" (cilantro) around. 

Next time:

More shrimp - maybe some additional spices on the shrimp.

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