Kitchen Experiment = Tasty Dinner

I love it when a kitchen experiment turns into a blog worthy meal. All the veggies in the meal were local, mainly from Ryder Farm in Brewster, NY.

(photo by Renato Ghio)Grilled Shrimp with “Green” Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Shrimp (US Wild-caught)
• 1 Cup Quinoa
• 1 Quart Fresh Tomatillos
• 2 Fresh Jalapenos
• 1/4 Yellow Onion
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro
• 1 Cup Broth/Stock
• 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Start your outdoor grill.
2. Peel and devein the shrimp.
3. Put them on skewers and season with salt and pepper. Set them aside.
4. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them to remove the sticky residue. Rough chop them and put them in a blender.
5. Remove the stem and roughly chop the jalapenos (I keep the seeds, but for a little less spice feel free to remove them). Add them to the blender.
6. Roughly chop and add to the blender: onion, garlic, cilantro, salt.
7. Start the blender and keep it going until the mixture becomes pureed. Set it aside.
8. In a large saute pan (make it’s one that has lid) heat the olive oil.
9. Pour the tomatillo mixture into the pan. Bring it up to a low sizzle (bubbling around the edges). Stir occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking or burning.
10. Pour in the quinoa and broth/stock. Stir everything together.
11. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and put on the lid. Cook the quinoa for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Once cooked remove from the heat.
12. Towards the end of the cooking time for the quinoa, throw the shrimp on the grill. Cook for a few minutes on each side.
13. Time to eat! Place a scoop of the “green” quinoa on each plate, remove the shrimp from the skewers and place them on top of the quinoa. For a little added color, place a juicy red grape tomato on the side.

Alternatives

• The “green” quinoa goes great next to any grilled meat or even grilled teriyaki tofu. Or just make a meal out of the quinoa itself.

Happy Experimenting! Happy Eating!