My brainstorming process for The Crunch almost always involves at least 30 minutes poring through a book called The Flavor Bible, a book organized by ingredient with lists of flavors that work well together. As a college student on a budget, I consult the book before my grocery run, so I spend less money toying with ingredients and flavors that might taste slightly off when paired together in the recipes I develop.
I have a self-diagnosed shrimp addiction. They’re versatile, quick to cook and fill you up without weighing you down. When I was deliberating between recipes this week, two combinations in The Flavor Bible piqued my interest: One that would lend to a shrimp curry, and another—shrimp, lime and garlic—that could be the base for a mean seafood taco. But with temperatures on the rise and days growing longer, light and mild foods are more appealing to me than heartier Mexican and Indian dishes. So I took that shrimp, lime and garlic flavor combo and turned it into the topping for this Greek quinoa salad.
If you don’t share my unconditional love for shrimp, try swapping in other proteins, like salmon or chicken. Or omit the meat and seafood entirely and top the quinoa with chopped pistachios instead.
Greek Quinoa with Shrimp
12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup quinoa
1 cup water
¼ cup diced cucumber
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss until evenly coated. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate.
Meanwhile, cook quinoa: Bring water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook about 15 minutes, until water is fully absorbed. Use a fork to fluff the cooked quinoa and set aside to cool.
Once cool, toss cucumber, feta cheese avocado and mint into quinoa. In a small bowl, mix together remaining olive oil and lime juice. Drizzle over quinoa salad.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Top the quinoa mixture with shrimp and serve immediately.