Ginger Lime Shrimp Quinoa with Red Pepper and Yellow Corn

Hope "ya'll" had a great Thanksgiving!  We spent the holiday in Paula Deen's hometown, Savannah GA and also visited what I consider to be the South's best kept secret- Beaufort, SC.  Both cities provided a ton of beauty, history and exceptional food.  If you indulged like we did, then this week is all about Thanksgiving damage control!

Actually, Chris and I have decided to make a commitment between now and Christmas to fill our body with healthy and nutritional things. Our Fall weekend get-a-ways have been fun and we have eaten at some amazing restaurants, but with a looming trip to the Caribbean with my husband's family between Christmas and New Years, things have to change!  The next few weeks of recipes are going to be about using fresh, unprocessed food and seasonal ingredients.  Though there might be a couple with some butter or sugar in one or two, because well, we're not perfect ;)

This recipe is one I threw together and loved the resulted flavor combination.  Healthy quinoa is topped with a ginger lime shrimp and accented with crunchy yellow corn and bright red pepper.  The flavors are bold yet taste fresh and simple.  I didn't write down how much of the red bell pepper and carrots I used (oops), so just eye-ball it to your preference.  Give this recipe a try if you're looking for something different!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
Red bell pepper chopped
Carrots chopped
1/2 cup yellow corn
1/4 lb shrimp
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
peanut oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
Sea Salt to taste

Method

Prepare quinoa as directed to on box and set aside.  In a medium skillet heat oil and add garlic and ginger.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes on each side until they are no longer opaque.  Add lemon juice, corn, carrots and red pepper and saute until soft.

To make the dressing, whisk together lime juice, lime zest, peanut oil, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper.  Combine dressing with shrimp and quinoa.  Serve either warm or cold!

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Green Curry & Quinoa

I have been eating a lot of quinoa lately.  It's a powerful grain, high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals.   Quinoa is nutty with a delicate fluffy grain texture that cooks quickly.   And due to its wild popularity in the last 18 months, there are a zillion recipes out there for it.  But I decided on a whim to replace my usual brown rice with quinoa in my green curry and it turned out to be an ahhhhhmazing combination.

I never used to like things like green curry.  I always thought it was strictly for Indian cuisine, and that it would be crazy spicy.  In actuality it is a term used in many different cuisines, with my favorite being Thai, who's curry is based with creamy coconut milk.

When I lived in Philadelphia, there was a local Thai restaurant in Manayunk that my roommates almost exclusively ate at.  Chabaa is a beautiful and tasty little spot (and byob!).   My go to dish was one of the pad thai's, usually with jumbo lump crab, which was wonderful, but I had no idea what I was missing until three years ago when I had my first green curry! (Chabba pictures courtesy of yelp.com)

My husband and I were lucky enough to spend the summer traveling in Thailand and Cambodia 3 years ago.  I surprisingly became obsessed with the green curry!  In fact, my love of green curry was so strong that while honeymooning in Bali last summer, we made a quick trip up to Koh Lanta, Thailand solely partially because of my green curry obsession. 

Since then Chris and I have been experimenting with our own light and healthy version.  This recipe is pretty basic*, and changes due to what fresh ingredients you have in your fridge, freezer or pantry.   For vegetables, you can use almost anything of your liking- broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, bamboo shoots, asparagus, etc.  This recipe is also extra healthy because I used low-fat coconut milk, brown sugar splenda and quinoa instead of white or brown rice.

Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa
14 oz (1 can) low fat coconut milk
1-2 tablespoons of green curry paste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/3 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons brown sugar splenda
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Thai basil, thinly chopped plus extra for garnish

Method

It is a really good idea to rinse your quinoa before you cook it.  Quinoa seeds have a unique coating called saponin that will taste bitter if not removed. In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa grain well under cold running water.

In a sauce pan, bring to a boil 2 cups of water and the rinsed quinoa.  Cover and simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

In a large sauce pan, simmer coconut milk and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of green curry over medium heat for 5 minutes. 

Add fish sauce, brown sugar, thai basil, mushrooms, red peppers and peas.  Let simmer for 10 minutes uncovered and serve in a bowl over quinoa.  Garnish with extra Thai basil.

*This recipe is actually vegetarian because I was too hungry to wait for chicken to defrost and didn't have any frozen shrimp in the freezer.  But you can add chicken, tofu, pork or shrimp if you like!

Enjoy!  Follow me on Twitter @CheesePlease531