Since I’ve moved to a new town, I haven’t been able to frequent one of my favorite taco places as often as I’d like. One dish I’d been jonesing to try there was a BBQ shrimp quinoa dish that was kind of cold meets hot. So, it was off to try to figure out how to make something similar.
The base layer is a chilled quinoa mixed with a lemon aioli that I could have easily eaten alone. That aioli was good. The recipe for that part is similar to this Martha-approved version.
Then it’s all topped with some seasoned and skillet-ed shrimp, sauteed spinach, and barbecue sauce. It’s deceptively easy, a little bit unexpected, but turned out really tasty.
I’ve been hoping to try a few more breakfast quinoas, so expect some of those to end up here down the line. The kind I used in this dish is that tricolor variety which just looks more fun to me. use whatever kind you like!
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 pound fresh shrimp
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 3 Tbsp barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under running water. Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and mix with the lemon aioli. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator or until ready to serve.
- Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat and sear the shrimp quickly until cooked — about 2 minutes. Add in the spinach to the skillet and wilt for another minute or so.
- While still warm, serve the shrimp on top of the lemon quinoa and drizzle with barbecue sauce to serve. Garnish with parsley, and season with any additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
If you make this recipe, share a photo and tag it @BIJOUXANDBITS. I’d love to see what you’re cooking!
Catherine Clark is a Chicago native sharing noteworthy things she sees and attempts to make in the world. She's a geek, cat lady, designer and editor by day, and noob chef by night.
