ROTW, Week 6 - Shrimp Quinoa Salad

Is it week 6 already?  Crazy.  And crazy is just what my life has become these days, so while I will do my best to keep up with the recipes, the rest of life blogging is rapidly falling by the wayside.  But here goes.

I was inspired to make this salad after an uh-MAZING salad I had at Sweetgreen last week.  The ladies I was with know that I was unreasonably obsessed with it, and insisted on wolfing down every last bite before we could leave.  This salad was not as good (but could have been!  Next time I make it, because I know I will, I will make sure I have some key ingredients on hand, and it will be blow-your-mind good.) but as a perfectly acceptable weeknight supper, it was still a success.  And reasonably healthy to boot.

It is possible I totally forgot to photograph this before I just dove in.  Please forgive me my lame photo this week.

Shrimp Quinoa Salad (for 2, with leftovers)

15 or so shrimp, large (21-30 per lb is great) (I use frozen - yay Costco!.)
1 cup quinoa, dry
2 cups chicken/vegetable stock, or water
3 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots or one red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic (I like garlic.) minced
1 yellow squash or zucchini, chopped to roughly 1/2" pieces
handful butter lettuce
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
1 avocado
1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

*I cannot for the life of me now remember if I used bacon, or didn't.  I am going to assume I did not, and that that was why this salad was not quite as epic at the Sweetgreen one.*

If like me you used frozen shrimp, defrost them.  In either case, peel them, clean as necessary, and pat dry with paper towel.

In a medium saucepan, cook the quinoa according to its instructions.  I have found its pretty much exactly like rice: twice the liquid as grain, bring liquid to boil, add grain, turn to low, simmer for 20 minutes until fluffy and liquid is gone. Bam. (Sorry Emeril.)

In a saute pan, heat 2tbsp olive oil over medium, and saute the shallots.  After 3 or 4 minutes, add the garlic and coninue cooking until both the shallots and garlic are a light golden brown.  crank the heat up to medium high/high and add your squash pieces, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from burning.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and add contents to the pot of quinoa.

Line your bowls with butter lettuce, town into bitesize pieces.  Spoon the quinoa mix on top, then top with sliced cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, avocado.

Put your saute pan back on the stove, and heat another tbsp of olive oil on medium high, and add the shrimp when it is very hot.  Sear the shrimp until they are opaque, maybe 3 minutes.  Add the freshly cooked shrimp to the top of your salad, and drizzle the whole mizture with fresh lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy warm (with your beverage of choice.  You guys know that goes without saying, at the end of all these recipes, right?)