Shrimp Recipe

I mentioned this recipe on Facebook, and so many people asked me for it that I am going to post it here. It is from the September 2010 issue of Food and Wine, page 65. I will enter the recipe as it appears in the magazine and then mention the changes I made or will make next time - just quantity, though. It tastes good just as it is.

Quinoa with Spice-Roasted Shrimp and Pistou

1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
!/4 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup(packed) basil leaves (they obviously mean fresh)
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley (they obviously mean fresh)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
2 1/4 cups water

1. In a resealable plastic bag, toss the shrimp with the garlic and onion powders, paprika, oregano, fennel, dried thyme, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until coated. Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor pulse the basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme leaves,garlic, and cheese. Add 2 tablespoons oil, puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a sauce pan, combine the quinoa, water, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
Season lightly with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the quinoa is tender - about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
4. On a baking sheet, roast the shrimp for about 8 minutes, until curled and pink. Cut the shrimp into thirds and add to the quinoa with pistou. Toss well, season with salt and pepper and serve.

My note: This recipe is for four people. I doubled it for the eight people we were having for dinner - except we bought two pounds of shrimp. Each person was served seven shrimp - just about right. We have a great fish market nearby, so we bought fresh shrimp. I am sure frozen would be OK, maybe not quite as wonderful.

I didn't cut my shrimp into thirds and toss in with the quinoa. I did toss in the pistou. Then I served the shrimp on top. Way prettier for a dinner party.

When I doubled the amount of quinoa, I had enough for my dinner party and then two more nights for Papa and me. So, maybe you don't need so much of that. I usually cook quinoa in broth, but I used water like the recipe says. I may use broth next time.

When deciding what to serve on the plate with the shrimp and quinoa, I considered color. Since the pistou would be making the quinoa green, I thought I needed something red on the plate and decided tomatoes would be a nice compliment to the other dish. So I roasted tomatoes, one of our favorite dishes, anyway.

Here's how:

I bought enough small (about 1 1/2" to 2" diameter) tomatoes to serve at least four per person plus a few.

I boiled a big pot of water and dunked each tomato until the skin broke. I lifted the tomatoes out, let cool just a bit, and slipped the peels off.

I lightly greased a large casserole dish and lined up the tomatoes in a single layer. I dotted butter evenly over the tomatoes, then sprinkled on a little sugar, salt, and pepper.

I roasted them at 300 degrees for about two hours. They were wonderful with the main dish.

I garnished the plate with chopped fresh parsley.

We had a crabcake appetizer, a green salad with raspberries, and a chocolate dessert. Yum.

Hope you enjoy.