Drunken Tequila Shrimp

After having a whack of shrimp left over from a previous dinner, I was looking to experiment with a new dish and stumbled upon this recipe. I liked that it had few ingredients and was short on prep time, but was a little concerned about never having actually attempted to flambé anything before.

Armed with extra-long matches and my sturdiest cast iron pan, I gave it a go and it turned out great. The tequila adds a lot of interesting flavour, but avoids tasting like you marinated your shrimp in a summer cocktail. Don’t be alarmed at how long the liquor takes to burn off (or how high the flames are), just stand back and carefully shake the pan from time to time wearing a good quality oven glove.

Tequila Shrimp

1.5 lbs. large shrimp (think about 20 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 bunch green onions, chopped on the diagonal
fresh cilantro
kosher salt and pepper

Toss shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside. Place coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add shrimp and sauté until they’re pink and opaque, about five minutes.

Turn heat down low and slowly pour the tequila into the pan. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and use a long match to set fire to the tequila. Careful here – flames may be big and shoot up high. Stand back and carefully shake the pan as the flames die down.

Once the fire has subsided, remove the pan from the heat and add in cream. Mix well and sprinkle with green onions and chopped cilantro. Serve over brown rice and/or quinoa and enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Cucumber, Peppers and Cilantro

We’ve all heard about the various merits of quinoa– it’s as easy to  make as rice and is an excellent source of fibre and protein. The thing is, I’m not always sure what to do with it, since it’s quite tasteless, and frankly, a little boring. Last summer, however, I started making this salad (which started as one of those ‘we need to use up all of the vegetables in the fridge’ type things) and have recently returned to it as part of an attempt to get back to lighter meals now that I’m slowly  phasing out winter’s comfort foods.

I like to make a big batch at a time, so I can keep it in the fridge for a few days for easy lunches and dinners, when needed. I just wait to add the avocado and cilantro until right before serving, so they don’t get mushy and brown between meals. It’s delicious on its own, with the combination of crunch, citrus, and creaminess, so you can serve it alone, as a sidedish, or with sauteed shrimp or chicken.

Quinoa Salad

2 cups quinoa, rinsed
half a red pepper, diced
half a green pepper, diced
half a cucumber, diced
avocado, diced
handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
juice of one lime
drizzle of olive oil
drizzle of red wine vinegar
sea salt and pepper

Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add quinoa, stir, and place the lid on the pot. Turn down the heat to simmer, and continue to cook until all of the water is completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork and place quinoa in a large bowl and let cool. Once cool, add in remaining ingredients (save for the avocado and cilantro, if you’re not serving right away).

To add shrimp, saute half a pound of deveined shrimp, with tails removed, over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until pink and opaque. Serve shrimp over the salad and enjoy!