Hello everyone! As you know, I just moved to the Chicago area a few months ago. It took us a while to get the apartment set to receive some visits but we finally did, the first one was my beloved sister Eva. Let me tell you a little bit about her, she’s the youngest one of my sisters (I only have two and one brother) and let’s say she always has been my role model when it comes to workout and healthy living, she knows EVERYTHING – and I mean it – about what is good or bad for your skin, digestive system, eyes and so on. I think she started workout seriously when she was about 8 years old and I mean seriously, well enough about her :P (love you sis!).
The following recipe is my take on something she made for us last Friday for brunch, as usual I just made some modifications to the original recipe and it turned out great!
It is my “Quinoa-Shrimp cake with a Mango & Avocado Salad”. I decided to show you this because, as my sister is, I have many Quinoa lover friends. Personally, I think I started switching rice to Quinoa about a year ago or so, reasons?
It is way more versatile than rice.
It is healthier than rice (less sodium, less cholesterol, more protein).
It looks prettier on the plate U_U.
Thinking about efficiency? Average, it only takes about 8 minutes to cook it.
Hope you like it! I’m sure you will, just give it a try.
INGREDIENTS (4 servings)
For the shrimp cakes:
12 oz. of medium shrimp (peeled and deveined) which are about 10 pieces total.
½ cup of uncooked quinoa (I’m going to tell you how I cook it later on in this recipe).
1 cup of water.
1 tbs. of fresh basil.
1 whole egg.
1 tbs. of cayenne pepper.
½ tsp. of Himalayan salt.
1 tbs. of ground black pepper.
½ tbs. rosemary.
½ tbs. parsley.
1 tbs. of whole flour (If necessary).
2 tbs. of coconut oil.
For the salad:
1 small mango (whichever you like).
1 small avocado.
½ cup of chopped red onion.
1 cup of chopped firm tomatoes.
½ chopped Serrano pepper.
1 tbs. of coconut oil.
1 chopped stick of celery.
½ cup of yellow bell pepper.
3 tbs. of lime juice.
3 tbs. of fresh cilantro.
½ tbs. of ground black pepper.
½ tsp. of Himalayan salt.
PREPARATION (It takes 30 – 40 minutes total)
Pour 1 cup of water into a small pot, add ½ cup of quinoa and turn the heat on high for 5 minutes and put the lid on, after it starts boiling uncover the pot, lower the heat to the minimum and cook for another 3 minutes or until the water is gone. Make sure to stir the quinoa every 2 or 3 minutes. Finally, move the pot from the heat and reserve.
In a super-hot but not boiling water cook the shrimp for only a minute and a half until they turn pink. You can use a strainer to get them in and out quickly. Once the shrimp aren’t hot, chop them and reserve.
In a big bowl mix the cooked quinoa, the shrimp, basil, 1 whole egg, coconut oil, cayenne pepper, rosemary, salt and pepper and give it a nice stir until it’s all incorporated. It should feel like a sticky paste that keeps it together, if you think you haven’t reached this consistency then you can add 1 tbs. of the whole flour.
This is the fun part. Make some small balls using 2 spoons of the mix and press them to get a round shape like a big fat cookie, I actually used a cookie cutter to get a perfect shape but you can use your hands if you don’t have one. Place the cakes-to-be in a pre-oiled baking sheet and toss them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350° F until they are nice and golden brown.
Meanwhile, for the salad you only have to toss all the ingredients together and you’re good to go! Easy right? Now you’re ready to plate.
What I did is just take one quinoa-shrimp cake and top it with the salad. It fits perfect for a brunch or you can make bigger portions and turn the recipe in a great lunch.
ENJOY!
See you soon!
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