Red Quinoa with Pineapple and Shrimp

Ever since before Thanksgiving, I've been kind of in a cooking slump. My excuses were closing on a condo, packing, moving, visiting my family in Seattle, coming back, unpacking, getting settled, etc. Really, I could go on with these excuses for ever. But I need to remember how satisfying it is to make a simple meal in my kitchen and not to be eating out every single night.

Over the weekend I was inspired by a recipe Anna developed for Fitness Magazine and decided to make Red Quinoa with Pineapple and Shrimp. The flavors in this recipe are bright, sweet and spicy. They definitely will wake up your taste buds during the cold days of winter, but the dish can be made year round.

Red Quinoa with Pineapple and Shrimp (serves ~ 3)

Ingredients
for the shrimp
15 large frozen shrimp with tail on, defrosted {The ones I had were already cooked. If you use uncooked shrimp, just increase the cooking time by a little.}
zest and juice of one lime
2 garlic cloves, microplane'd
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt

for the quinoa
water
salt
2/3 cup red quinoa
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
drizzle of olive oil

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients for the shrimp and marinade for 20 minutes.
2. Cook shrimp in a bit of olive oil until it's warmed through: do not overcook.

2. Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil, add quinoa and cook for about 15 minutes. I also added pineapple core to the water to give a slightly sweet flavor to the quinoa. Drain the quinoa and get rid off the pineapple core. Add chopped pineapple and cilantro. Check for seasoning and drizzle with olive oil.

3. Serve shrimp on top of the quinoa. Enjoy!

This dish is great served hot, at room temperature or even cold. The flavors play together nicely and become more pronounced on the second day: great leftovers!

Please share the dishes that help you get out of the cooking slump.

And if I don't talk with you soon, have a wonderful New Year celebration. I wish you happiness, health, fun adventures, supportive family and friends and of course a lot of good food.