RECIPE BELOW – SERVES 2-3

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of quinoa

1lb raw shrimp, unpeeled

1T kosher salt

1T cracked black pepper

1tsp KO spice mix (ask me about it!)

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp cayenne pepper

3T olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 avocado, cut into 1″ cubes

½ cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

¼ cucumber, cut in quarters

½ cup feta

ON TO THE COOKING..

First get your quinoa cooking. 1 cup of uncooked quinoa makes about 3 cups of cooked quinoa, so this recipe makes 3 generous portions, with some leftover.The quinoa takes about 15mins to cook, and another 10 to cool down a bit in a bowl.

While the quinoa is cooking, you can prep your shrimp and salad additions. Chop up the avo, slice the cucumbers and tomatoes, and set them aside.

Since we’re waiting about 10mins, you have some time to marinate the shrimp a bit. In a bowl, add the shrimp and spices and let sit. Once the quinoa has cooled to your liking, get a saute pan heated on medium-high, and add the 3T of olive oil. When the oil is at temp, add your shrimp, and cook on one side for about 1min. Turn the shrimp over, and add the minced garlic. Cook for another 1min to brown, then turn up your heat to high and toss the shrimp to get a nice crispy edge (and to brown your garlic). When the shrimp are nicely cooked, turn off the heat and place the shrimp on a plate. Do not throw out the oil in the pan! – that’s going in the quinoa.

Next, add half of the shrimp to the quinoa, along with the oil and crispy garlic left in the pan. Toss to coat the quinoa in some of that flavor, then season (if needed) with some salt and pepper. Add the cucumber, tomatoes and feta to the bowl, and toss to mix.

To serve, plate your quinoa salad, and top with the avocado cubes. Season the avocado with a little bit of salt and pepper, then place a few of the reserved shrimp on top.

And that’s it! Super easy, tasty and healthy. Plus, because you can enjoy this dish at room temperature (or from the fridge), it’s perfect for packed lunches at your office desk.

Buen apetito!

P.S. This was part of my “Clean Eating” 3-day diet, and according to MyFitnessPal app, each serving is 462 calories. Can we say low-cal? 🙂