Healthy Red Quinoa Salad with Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Spring is just around the corner and then before you know we are going to be in...I know...don't say it...but I have to because it is true...

BEACH WEATHER!

Yes in just about 3 months it will be time to bare our bodies and slip into the old bathing suit! Yikes! 

So in an effort to fight the battle of the bulge, I am streamlining my diet to include a ton more veggies and grains like Quinoa, Farro, gluten free pastas in addition to loads of lemon water. Unfortunately I am not familiar with these new grains so I need to find recipes which include them. The other day I came across this recipe over at MyRecipes.com for a spicy grilled shrimp and quinoa salad which also had a lot of ingredients I normally enjoy! Pretty simple to make, you just need to be a patient because the quinoa does take a little while to cook.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided

10 teaspoon olive oil, divided 

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 

1/8 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika

4 garlic cloves, chopped and divided

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound) 

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1 cup water 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon honey 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 

1/2 cup diced peeled avocado 

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled 

Cooking spray 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Believe it or not I had every ingredient in the HOUSE! 

Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, black pepper, hot sauce, paprika, and 2 garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss well. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime...

Rinse and drain quinoa. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and then add the onion to pan, sauteing about 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 garlic cloves and quinoa then cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and honey in a large bowl. stir with a whisk. Add quinoa mixture, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and toss gently.

Remove shrimp from bowl and discard marinade. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 8 (6-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. 

(Since there is about 15 inches of snow on the ground I decided to forgo the outside grill and used my old George Forman to cook my shrimp.)

Divide the salad up onto 4 plates and then top with the skewed shrimp and fresh cilantro!

I think this recipe would be equally as yummy with a nice piece of grilled salmon too.

So eat healthy and enjoy!!!

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XO