Do you like variety in your diet or do you want the same meals over and over again? I think there’s a continuum between an extra adventurous foodie and a super picky eater.
On one end you have folks like my brother who loves spicy and exotic foods. He’s even eaten balut, the Filipino treat that is a fertilized duck egg. It’s served steamed, and you eat it from the shell. The bones are soft enough to chew and swallow. That’s just ewww!
At the other end of the spectrum, you have the classic picky kid like my little cousin who lived on hotdogs and ketchup for years.
Most of us are somewhere in between. I lean towards adventurous, but I can’t tolerate super spicy foods. My husband leans a little picky. He eats a lot of things, but he’s suspicious of trends and has some issues with textures.
The part of me that lives by the motto “variety is the spice of life” loves trying new recipes, including those trends (avocado toast, anyone?). Quinoa popped up in U.S. Cooking around 2010. When I tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wah, not kwen-oh-uh like I used to say, just like the commercial about turning into your parents), I liked the nutty taste. My hubby, who by the way doesn’t like any tree nuts mixed in with his food but will eat peanuts or sunflower seeds in things (?), wasn’t a big fan.
To me, quinoa tastes like brown rice and couscous had a baby, and boy, that baby tastes good! Unlike couscous, quinoa is gluten-free. According to Healthline, it contains plenty of protein, fiber and antioxidants. It has fewer carbs than rice and, because of its high protein, may help you lose weight.
Today’s research rabbit hole showed me that quinoa is not a grain but a seed and is a relative of spinach and beets. It grows in Bolivia and Peru in the Andean mountain region, where there is very little rainfall, frequent hail, a lot of cold weather and poor soil. So farmers who couldn’t raise much else could grow quinoa. Now their crop is booming. Go farmers! And most observers think quinoa is here to stay.
If you’ve never been brave enough to try quinoa, this is a great recipe. It’s super easy and the ingredients are simple. White and red quinoa are the most popular types, and I usually buy white because it’s the cheapest.
I tweaked this recipe I found on Pinterest from As Easy as Pie. I tend to make it when my GF daughter is eating with us because she loves it. And I make it more when the weather turns warm because it’s a light, quick recipe that doesn’t involve the oven. I used to make it on the stove. But when I got my Instant Pot, I tried it there, and it worked great! The Instant Pot makes quinoa so very easy.
Be sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking. Some brands come pre-rinsed, but many do not. It has something called saponins that make it bitter, if you don’t rinse them off. I place a paper towel in the bottom of a fine mesh strainer because quinoa is so tiny.
I also use frozen shrimp. It easily cooks with the quinoa, even frozen.
Instant Pot Garlic Shrimp Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1.5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a fine-meshed strainer, rinse quinoa.
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Set Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker) to sauté and add olive oil.
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When oil is hot, add onion and green pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions and green pepper are softened.
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Add garlic, quinoa, chili powder and salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute.
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Add broth and shrimp and set pressure cooker to 1 minute. Allow for natural release for 10 minutes.
Want more easy gluten free recipes? You can find many on my blog like this gf dump-and-go chicken alfredo casserole and this gf lemon blueberry butter cake. Both can be made with gluten, if you’re not GF. I’ve been trying gluten free recipes since my daughter was diagnosed with celiac. Here’s more on our GF journey.
Hope y’all have a delicious day!