Warm Shrimp Quinoa Bowl

This delicious warm shrimp quinoa bowl is a light-tasting meal that’s quick and easy to prepare. It’s full of vibrant flavours and made with simple ingredients, like fresh lime juice, avocado, and sweet cherry tomatoes. The nutty, protein-rich quinoa, is a nutritious substitution for simple white rice and soaks up all the flavours of the fresh ingredients. Serve this healthy summer-inspired meal for lunch, at a family barbecue or packed up for a picnic at the park with the kids.

Rice bowls (or in this case, quinoa bowls) will revolutionize your notion of what is a quick dinner. In fact, they will save your life. Well, not literally. They will however, save your life in terms of how much less of it will be spent in the kitchen! Rice bowls unify all those ingredients wasting away in the fridge. Plus, tossing everything into one bowl means less kitchen clean-up. Have I reeled you in yet? We all know that one less dish to wash on a busy and exhausting weeknight is almost like winning the lottery, right?

A little advanced planning is necessary in order to make this 15-minute meal. My regular Sunday prep includes cooking up a pot of rice or quinoa (or both), which I then store in the fridge as a base for meals throughout the week. My weekly recipes often alternate between Tex-Mex-inspired-with salsa, black beans, avocado, corn, scallions, salmon with pesto and pine nuts, and a Middle-Eastern-inspired lentil bowl with raisins, caramelized onions, and cumin. This recipe is foolproof. Simply add your condiment of choice-the flavour combinations are endless, and serve.

On a side note, Murphy’s Law would have it that the one time I prepare a meal and purposefully double the recipe for lunch leftovers the following day, my kids decide that they do in fact, like shrimp. *Sigh* I’m also quite certain that had I prepared this for the kids intentionally, it wouldn’t have been as well-received. Why does everything look so much tastier to them….when it’s not on their own plates?! Needless to say, despite my frustration over the kids ‘stealing’ my leftovers (which in turn required me to whip up another quick lunch), I’m happy that this warm shrimp quinoa bowl has been toddler-approved and can now be added to my recipe rotation.

If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!

Warm Shrimp Quinoa Bowl

2016-04-19

Servings: Serves 2

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 7-8 min

By: Lisa Codina

Ingredients

8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
about 3 cups cooked quinoa
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
lime juice for garnish, about 1 teaspoon
hot pepper flakes (optional), quantity as desired
1/4 tsp. sumac (optional)
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced

Directions

Peel the shrimp then devein. This process can be a bit tricky (and might require a blog post all on its own!). You do not have to devein the shrimp however, I prefer removing the gritty black vein from the inside of the shrimp.

To devein, hold the shrimp in one hand, stretching it out, then run a sharp knife along the middle of the shrimp, from head to tail. With your knife (or fingers), pull out the black vein and discard. Once deveined, place the shrimp on a large plate lined with paper towels to soak up any extra water, especially if they were previously frozen.

Heat oil in a large frying on medium heat for 1-2 minutes then add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Increase the heat to medium then add the shrimp and spices, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they turn a light pink hue.

Add the tomatoes to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. In the meantime, reheat the quinoa in a small pot of in the microwave until warmed through.

Serve over the quinoa, garnished with fresh lime juice, avocado slices, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.

Warm Shrimp Quinoa Bowl

Bites for Foodies