One of the very basic principles of healthier eating and cooking is to incorporate as many deep and bright colored veggies as you can in your meals. Of course, there are a few exceptions like coconut meat, cauliflower and certain whole grains (Whole Oats, Millet, Kamut), etc., But generally speaking, the darker or deeper the hue the fruit and/or vegetable, the more nutrients you will get getting. This dish hits most of those bases, with deep colors in the onions, beans, corn, avocado, and tear drop tomatoes.
Ingredients
Fresh Shrimp 1 lb. – Med. Sized**
Fresh Corn on the Cob 2 Ears
Black Beans 1 Can (drained)
Tear Drop Toms 1 qt. halved and lightly salted
Red Onion 1 medium, chopped in ½” slivers
Avocado Cut into ½” chunks
Cilantro One bunch, chopped/halved
Quinoa 1 ½ cups (cooked)
Garlic 3 cloves, minced
Olive Oil 2 Tbsp
NOTE: To make this vegan – swap out the shrimp for either chickpeas or jackfruit. Jackfruit takes a bit of prep – a quick read here: https://www.delishknowledge.com/how-to-cook-jackfruit/ should get you geared up. Be sure to marinate the prepared jackfruit for a good two hours.
For the Dressing and Marinade:
Garlic 3 cloves, minced
Anchovies 2, mashed up into a paste or ¼ t. paste
Cilantro 1/4 cup, chopped
Spicy V-8 (low sodium if possible) 3/4 cup
Red Wine Vinegar 1/3 cup
Olive Oil 1/3 cup
Limes 2 oz juiced
Chipotle Chili Powder ½ tsp
Cumin Powder 1 tsp
Tomato Paste 2 Tbsp
Clam Juice 1 Tbsp (optional)
Vodka 2 Tbsp
Kosher Salt 1tsp
Smoked Sea Salt ½ tsp
Ground Black Pepper 5-6 twists or grinds
Please buy organic whenever possible!
Preparation
For the Dressing/Marinade:
Combine all ingredients and whisk together briskly. Taste for salt and pepper balance and let sit at room temp for a good hour. ** this makes approximately 2 cups of dressing/marinade, store for further use for, say, fish tacos, grilled chicken, or steak salad.
Marinate the shrimp:
Clean and wash shrimp in a colander. Transfer to a non-reactive bowl (metal or glass) and pour just enough of the dressing/ marinade over the shrimp to cover them. Place in fridge to marinate for the remainder of prep.
For the bowl ingredients:
Prep Quinoa first – make 1 1/2 – 2 cups according to directions. Using a small sauté pan, heat up olive oil and sauté 3 Ts of red onion along with the minced garlic until softened -about two minutes. Combine the onion mix with the Quiana – salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Cook the shrimp next. Using a sauté pan, add just enough olive oil to cover bottom of the pan and on medium heat, cook the shrimp on one side for about a minute and half turn for another 45 seconds (until shrimp is just done) and return to fridge to cool.
Cook the corn on the cob – boil or grill – your choice. Cut corn off the cob and set aside. Drain the black beans, but do not rinse.
Assemble the bowl:
In a salad sized bowl, pile the cooked Quinoa on the bottom of the bowl and smooth out. In sections, arrange the chilled cooked shrimp, the beans, the remainder of the slivered onions, the cut corn, and the halved tear drop tomatoes. Place the diced avocado in the center.
To serve – either dress the entire bowl with the dressing or dress individual servings. Garnish w/ chopped cilantro and serve with tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas. Enjoy!