Quinoa Salad with Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Quinoa Salad Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1. Quinoa – 1/2 cup

    Vegetable/ chicken stock / water – 1 cup

    Salt – 1 pinch

    Oil – 1/2 tsp

2. Black beans, cooked – 1/2 cup (Use canned black beans or soak dried black beans for about 8 – 10 hrs and then cook in a vessel adding enough water, for about 20 – 30 minutes until done. Drain water and set aside. Remove excess moisture using a paper towel. If you don’t have black beans, you can use rajma / red kidney beans instead.)

   Tomato – 1/2 cup, seeds removed

   Fresh / frozen corn – 3 tbsp

   Jalapeno – 1 tsp, finely chopped

   Spring onion / red onion – 3 tbsp, finely chopped

   Cilantro – 3 tbsp, finely chopped

For the dressing

3. Lime/lemon juice – 2 – 3 tsp or as required to taste

   Extra virgin olive oil – 1.5 tbsp

   Garlic – 1 small, minced

   Cumin powder – 2 pinches

   Sugar – 1 – 2 pinches

   Freshly ground black pepper – 2 pinches

   Salt – To taste

Method

1. Place quinoa in a fine meshed strainer and wash thoroughly under cold running water. Put drained quinoa in a pan along with veg/chicken broth, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp oil. Bring to  a boil and cook covered for about 15 – 20 minutes at medium-low heat until done. Fluff the cooked quinoa and set aside to cool.

2. In a bowl, toss the cooked quinoa along with all ingredients numbered 2.

3. Whisk ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Pour over the quinoa mixture and toss well. Chill in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour and then serve.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients

Adapted from here

1. Shrimp – 10 – 12

2. Garlic clove – 1, minced

    Lime juice  1.5 tsp

    Olive oil – 1 tsp

    Chilly powder / paprika – 1/2 tsp

    Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

    Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

    Hot sauce – 1/2 tsp (I used Sriracha chilly sauce)

    Salt – As required to taste

Method

Marinate shrimp with all the ingredients numbered 2. Set aside for 20 minutes. Thread on to skewers and grill / pan-fry on both sides until done. Serve with quinoa salad.