QUINOA SALAD WITH MANGO & HERB MARINATED SHRIMP

So as a part of my whole eating healthyish thing that I've got going on, I'm trying to eat more whole grains.  One of the grains that I'm loving right now is quinoa (pronounced keen-wah).  Quinoa, in case you were unaware, is the super grain of the future.  At least, according to quinoa.net.  As space-agey as that sounds, it's actually an ancient grain that comes from the Andes mountains in South America and was one of the staple foods of the Inca civilization.  It's terribly heathy, containing more protein than any other grain and it's good for people with wheat and gluten allergies.  If you happen to be concerned with things like that.  It also happens to have a really great texture that works well in soups, salads and on its own as a side dish.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.  The first time I made it I added grilled chicken but this time I decided to add shrimp that is marinated in olive oil and lots of fresh herbs.  Mango and shrimp work so well together, but if you prefer to make this vegetarian, as Deborah originally intended, just leave them out.  Unless you are one of those vegetarians who don't consider seafood to be animals.

INGREDIENTS
(For the shrimp)
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails cut off
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup each of chopped fresh cilantro, parsley and mint
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

(For the Curry Dressing)
2 tablespoons yogurt, mayonnaise, or sour cream
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(For the Salad)
1 cup quinoa
2 large, ripe mangoes
1 jalepeno, seeded and minced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 English or 2 Persian cucumebrs, chopped
1/3 cup roasted almonds
salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
a handful of fresh spinach leaves

METHOD
First make the marinade for the shrimp.  In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, and the chopped cilantro, mint, and parsley.  Stir to combine.  Add the shrimp, a teaspoon of salt and a grinding of black pepper and stir again to coat the shrimp with the marinade.  Cover and put the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Next make the curry dressing.  In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, curry powder, lime juice and zest, the chopped cilantro and mint. 

Whisk whisk in the olive oil and then season with the salt and pepper.

Place the quinoa in a small sauce pan with two cups of water and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the quinoa has absorbed the water.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the cucumber, mango, sliced green onions, and minced jalepeno.  When the quinoa has finished cooking, add it to the bowl and stir to combine. 

Pour in the curry dressing and the chopped almonds and stir to coat.

Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator.  Heat a saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about two minutes per side, just until the turn pale pink.

To serve, place a bed of spinach on a plate, top with the quinoa salad and 4 or 5 shimp and then scatter over the chopped mint.

As I cook more I find that the meals I enjoy the most tend to be a melange of contrasting flavors and textures.  This dish is a perfect example.  The mango, fresh and sweet, and the clean tasting cucumber work well with the nutty, crunch of the toasted almonds and the mildy spicy curry dressing.  The quinoa gives the salad a very unique texture.  It's similar to couscous but is earthier and has more of a bite.  It sort of soaks up and becomes one with the dressing, clinging to the surfaces of the mango, cucumber, shrimp and the spinach leaves.  It's great when the quinoa and the shrimp are still warm, but it's equally nice cold.

Serves 4

Comments

[edwina]

You know how I was obsessed with Quinoa when I was eating those cakes every day. This looks divine. Yay Quinoa - oh and you're a genius.

[yoony]

i'm trying to eat healthier too! this looks delicious.

what does quinoa taste like by itself?? i made quinoa once and got turned off bc it came out kind of bitter. maybe it was the vege stock now that i look back.

[Erin G.]

Huh. I've been pronouncing it wrong -- Qwee-no-ah. (durr!) Thanks for the informative post.

[Heather]

Where do you find quinoa?

[Jessica]

I've bought it at Whole Foods.

[Kathryn]

This looks so summery and perfect I could cry. Can't wait to make it.

[yoony]

hi grant!

in one of your older posts you mentioned a little shop called pink pistachio. where is this shop?? i tried to look up the address on the web and was unsuccessful. i like stationery. :)

[charity]

To the person who said your quinoa came out "bitter":

It was probably because the quinoa still had the saponin covering the seed. If you buy bulk quinoa you need to rinse it several times in cold water to remove the saponin. This isn't necessary if you buy quinoa prepackaged (in a box).

[yoony]

hi grant,

i got a tip for the chile de arbols - store them in the fridge. the humidity in the fridge will keep them from drying out too much.

i saw a huge box of arbols at aoc this weekend that seemed a lot softer/fresher than the dried ones i have at home. but the aoc ones are were also dried (seemed partially dried). so we're still on the right track with using dried ones but keep em in the fridge for softer chilis.

[Rorie]

Quinoa really surprised me with its tastiness - sounds like a delicious (and healthy) dish!

[beth]

This sounds divine. I'm making it for dinner tonight. However, as I loathe cilantro, I'll replace it with something...basil maybe.

[Ash]

I made this last night for my husband who SWEARS he doesn't like quinoa (in fairness I made something that turned out pretty gross before) but he LOVED it! This is such a good recipe, it's going in the make-again pile!
Oh, and they sell quinoa at Trader Joe's too.

[amanda]

this looks wonderfully refreshing and very summer-y! I love a good quinoa salad and you can't go wrong with shrimp (unless you over cook them, i guess). :-)

[JenPDX]

I made this for my 4 July party yesterday. It was a hit! Thanks for the great recipe.

[sandra]

Howdy! Realize this recipe was posted a couple of years ago, but it still rocks. My family loved this dish. And quinoa is so healthy. Amazing. FYI, I found a great deal for quinoa (and it's organic) at http://www.nutsonline.com/seedsspices/quinoa.html

And I didn't have to wash it. Not bad for $2.90 a pound!

Enjoy!