Usher in the weekend with this quinoa salad filled with vegetables and shrimp and topped with a citrus-and-olive-oil dressing. Quinoa, an ancient grain from the Andean Mountains, has become very popular in recent years. It's a good source of protein and it is gluten-free.
Cooking the onions until their natural juices caramelize, a process that takes about 10 minutes, gives the salad a hint of natural sweetness. Let the onions cook while you prepare the rest of the components.
Chilean Quinoa Salad With Shrimp
1 cup sliced white onion
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup sliced carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup defrosted frozen corn kernels
2 cups cubed tomatoes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 pound peeled, cooked shrimp
4 cups romaine lettuce, rinsed
Pour 1/2 cup water into a medium-size nonstick skillet. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add more water if onions become too dry. They should be golden, but not browned.
Meanwhile, rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve.
In a small pot, combine the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 10 minutes or until quinoa is tender and all of the water is absorbed.
When onions are ready, add carrots, garlic and green beans. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. The vegetables will be crunchy. Remove from heat. Add cooked quinoa, corn, tomatoes and cilantro to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Mix orange juice, olive oil and cayenne pepper together. Add the shrimp to the mixture. To serve, line a serving platter or 2 individual plates with the lettuce leaves and spoon the quinoa salad on top. Spoon the shrimp and dressing over the quinoa.
Makes 2 servings.
Food on 07/09/2014