Shrimp and Quinoa (Instead of Grits)

I love quinoa and so does my two and a half year old. If you have not tried it yet, do so soon!

I am lucky enough to live in the low country where shrimp and grits is easy to come by. It is made differently depending on where you go. I had a version of shrimp and quinoa at a restaurant and it was delicious! I wanted to make it at home one day but I could not find a recipe for it anywhere so I decided to come up with my own. I measure most things with my eyes and do a lot of taste testing so don't take my measurements too seriously.  Don't plan on having leftovers!

* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
* juice of 1 lemon
* hot sauce
* salt
* pepper
* 1 cups quinoa
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 6 thick slices bacon, chopped
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves (but we love garlic), minced
* 2 scallions
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* ½ cup (or however much you want) Asiago cheese
* chives

Preparation
· Combine the shrimp with the lemon juice and a couple of generous splashes of hot pepper sauce. Let sit while you work on everything else.

· Make the quinoa according to package instructions. Usually 1 cup of quinoa and 1½ cups chicken stock. I cook the quinoa in olive oil for a minute or two before adding the stock.
· While the quinoa simmers, fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown but still limp. Stir in the onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking until the onion and pepper are soft but still have a bite to them, about 5 minutes.

 Add the scallions, sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and continue sautéing for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the stock and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat while you finish the quinoa.
· When the quinoa is translucent, stir in as much butter as you like, followed by the cheese. Add a splash of hot pepper sauce and additional salt if you like.
· Return the gravy to medium heat and stir in the shrimp.

 Cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.

Serve immediately, mounding the quinoa in large shallow bowls or on plates and covering them with shrimp and gravy. Top with chives and enjoy!

And this is what it looks like at the end of dinner!

Did you make this recipe?  I would love to hear what you think! Pin It

CSA-Community Supported Agriculture

We love fresh, local produce. Who doesn't? It tastes better and it's better for you and the economy. I have also just discovered that a lot of organic foods at certain grocery stores (yes, including Whole Foods) are not really organic. They are made in China. The best way we have discovered to get local produce every week is through our CSA. You basically buy a share of produce from a farm. You are an investor in the farm and you take the same risks and benefits as the farmer. We lost a week last summer because it was just so hot that nothing was growing. However, when the fall CSA started, we got two weeks added on early because the weather was cooperating.

The farm that we get our produce from is about 40 minutes away from our house. I know I will not drive there every week. Luckily, they have a delivery service. Every Thursday, we drive to another CSA members house, about ten minutes away, and pick up our bag of produce. We also get a dozen fresh, local, organic eggs which are absolutely delicious!

You do not get to choose what's in your bag. It depends on what is harvested that week. This is actually something I love. I love having all these vegetables that I've never tried before. I have discovered that I really like tat soi and beets. I had never heard of tat soi before and I almost never bought beets. Also, if you think you don't like a certain vegetable, try it from a local farm. The radishes we get are unlike anything you can buy in the store and are just delicious. I make my menu for the week based on the vegetables we get in our CSA.

Here is the breakdown of the cost. It is $16 a week for a small share. There is a $2 delivery fee per week. It is $4.75 per week for a dozen eggs. Our CSA goes almost all year long excluding July and August when it is terribly hot and during those months, I go through CSA withdrawal and can't wait for it start back up again.


From this weeks CSA minus some strawberries that got eaten on the way home. Scallions, swiss chard, bok choy, arugula, carrots, spinach, beets, radishes, head lettuce, strawberries.


We do Ambrose Farm CSA and have nothing but wonderful things to say. It is time to sign up for the spring CSA which begins the first week of April! Support your local farmers! You can learn more and sign up here: http://www.stonofarmmarket.com/ambrosefamilyfarmcsa.html


Picking strawberries at Ambrose Farm U-pick strawberry field! Pin It