Recipe to Reality: Zesty Shrimp with Quinoa

I'm constantly on a mission to improve my husband's opinion on seafood.

While he still won't go near a filet of fish (of any kind) I'm working on the shrimp front!

I found this shrimp recipe from Greatist.com. Since my first experience with quinoa went so swimmingly, I decided to make it again with this Asian-inspired dish.

Serves: 3

Here's What You'll Need! (Adapted from Greatist.com)

• 1 1/2 cups of raw, frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 balsamic vinegar
• 4-5 dashes of hot sauce (optional)

Put it All Together!

1) Start by making the sauce. Combine the the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, pepper, garlic, and hot sauce in a medium sized bowl.

2) Make the quinoa according to directions on package. Or view my instructions from my Monster Taco Salad with Chimichurri Quinoa.

3) While quinoa is cooking, heat 1 tbs. of oil (I used sesame) in a skillet and add shrimp and onions.

4) When the shrimp starts to turn pink, add the sauce and continue cooking until the shrimp are completely cooked through (completely pink and opaque). 

5) To serve, make a bed of quinoa and add the shrimp on top! Enjoy!

I would make a few changes the next time I prepare this, one being to use less soy sauce. I followed the recipe and used 1/2 cup of soy and it was way too salty for me and my husband.

Also, the recipe says to add the quinoa straight into the shrimp/sauce mixture (which I did) and the quinoa totally soaked up all that salty sauce... I would prefer to serve them separately next time.

The great thing about this meal was that I had all the ingredients in my house already!

I think this dish could be really successful with a few changes that I included in my recipe! It was quick, easy, and full of protein! 

Stay Savory,

Recipe to Reality: Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Sorry about the red plate and red food...

 Fra Diavolo means "Brother Devil" in Italian, and this dish delivered on the spice! My husband and I are no strangers to spice and often add red pepper or hot sauce to any dish, so I was not worried about this at all!

The shrimp were plump and tender, the pasta al'dente (of course...my high school Italian teacher always told us that we'd never find a husband if we couldn't cook the pasta al'dente!) and the sauce was tangy with a bit of kick!

I found this recipe in the Food & Wine Annual Cookbook of 2011.
Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs of shelled and deveined shrimp
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup diced pancetta
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups jarred marinara sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Marinating Shrimp

I started with Easy to Peel deveined frozen shrimp. I thawed them out in a bowl of cold water, drained them, and got them marinating in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the crushed red pepper, some salt and pepper, and I added some garlic salt also. I used my hands to coat them all and let them sit for 20 minutes.

Next, heat up a skillet to medium high and sautee your shrimp until lightly golden brown which is about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan with the diced pancetta, diced onion, and minced garlic until the pancetta is crispy and the onions are soft, about 4 minutes.

Pure Deliciousness

Then, add your shrimp back to the pan with any juices left on the plate, and add a jar (about 2 cups) of your favorite jarred marinara sauce, or use homemade if you have some on hand. I used Bertolli Tomato and Basil. After the shrimp is warmed up again this sauce is ready to go!

I made some thin spaghetti to go with the sauce and it was just about perfect! We loved the saltiness from the pancetta, and tang from the tomatoes, the succulence of the shrimp, and of course, the heat!

Stay Savory,
Jasmine