For the past few months, I’ve been pretty particular about what foods I eat. I didn’t want to go on a diet, because I didn’t think it’d last, so I just changed everything. What I eat, what I drink, how often I sleep, physical activity, hair products, body products, everything. I’ve completely changed the way I take care of myself, and meal prepping is a small piece of that change. Now, to the recipe.
Quinoa is not for the faint at heart. The texture is something much different than what I’m used to, and it took some getting used to, but I can honestly say I enjoy playing around with recipes. I’ve been craving tacos lately, I don’t know why, but I had to do something about it.
First, the quinoa needs to be washed. It has a soap-like residue called saponin, which can cause a pretty bitter taste. The easiest way to do so, is to put it in a large bowl, whisk, and rinse. That is of course unless you have a small enough strainer. Either is fine! I generally do this the day before cooking, and allow the seeds to dry overnight in the fridge. It isn’t necessary, though. You can get right to it.
Ingredients
1 C quinoa
1 C black beans (mine were dry and cooked earlier in the week, canned is fine)
3 C Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 C diced tomatoes (these were fresh, 1 can should do the trick)
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 chopped green bell pepper
salt, pepper, cayenne, parsley, taco seasoning, and garlic powder
Instructions
Cook the quinoa stovetop. No oil. No water. No nothin’. Just allow it to cook to a crunch that you deem satisfying. It will start popping like popcorn, keep an eye on it. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes on medium. Put these to the side.
In a pan mix seasonings, onion, bell pepper, black beans, and tomatoes. Add about a cup of water, and allow it to simmer for 8-10mins. In the picture attached, I put them on the plate separately for a visual, it is fine to cook them together. DO NOT overcook the beans. They’ll get mushy.
In a separate skillet, add a tbsp of EVOO, a dash of black pepper, and your shrimp. Make sure they are fully cooked.
Mix EVERYTHING in a bowl, and top with a bit of lime juice. This can be eaten in the bowl as is, or spooned onto a whole wheat tortilla. I had the bowl and was more than satisfied.
If this is your first time reading a recipe of mine, please don’t be frustrated with my lack of detail. I think it’s important not to take away the magic of cooking with meticulous recipes. HAVE FUN WITH IT. Mix it up. Enjoy. Please give feedback if you try this recipe and any recommendations are welcomed. If you have questions, please feel free to ask!
Thanks for reading.
I love you.
