Obsessed? YES. I. AM.
This meal was somethin' from nothin'.
The other night, I found myself standing in front of the refrigerator, with the door wide open, thinking, what in the H. E. Double Hockey Sticks am I going to have for dinner.
I have been on a Mexican kick, for like, the last year. Fish tacos, chicken enchiladas, rice bowls, you name it, I want it. Naturally, any Italian girl on a Mexican kick would have cans of beans and corn piled in her pantry. Luckily, this Italian girl also keeps fresh tomatoes and garlic on hand, you know, for emergency situations.
A little imagination and a bag of frozen shrimp later this dish was born. It was the bomb. Being Mexican obsessed, of course I had sour cream, guacamole, and limes within an arms reach. I can barely eat a chip without dipping it into a big bowl of mashed up green goodness. Good fats, right?
Chips. Yes, lots of corn tortilla chips.
Go. Now. Raid your pantry.
I hope you find cans of beans and a little sombrero in the back.
Put on your party hat and get the fiesta started. I will bring the margaritas.
Cha Cha Quinoa and Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 cup tomato, diced (I used grape tomatoes)
1 cup corn
1 cup black beans
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
1/2 fresh lime
2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Sour cream, guacamole, and chips to garnish and dip!
Directions:
1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Prepare steps 2 and 3 while quinoa cooks.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium. Saute garlic and onion until soft, approximately
10 minutes. Add tomato to pan, saute for another 5 minutes. Add corn and black
beans to pan, continue to saute for 5 minutes. (Are you sick of sauteing yet???)
3. Add all spices to pan and constantly stir for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add cooked quinoa to pan, mix thoroughly with vegetable saute. Squeeze fresh lime over
mixture. Stir, cover and reduce heat to low, to keep warm.
5. In a second pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to medium heat. Saute shrimp,
approximately two minutes on each side.
6. Serve shrimp atop a bed of quinoa. Garnish with sour cream and guacamole. Serve
with chips.
If you didn't find a sombrero or a can of corn in your pantry, I would put these items on your next grocery list.
This "somethin' from nothin" meal turned out fab. I have eaten leftovers twice and will definitely make again.
