Quinoa Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is a favorite dinner of mine (you can see one of my favorite recipes here). It's all butter and white wine and comes together so quickly that it makes a fantastic weeknight dinner. Yum!

This is a lighter version than my usual go-to. It's a little less butter, and instead of copious amounts of white pasta, it includes quinoa as the main grain.

Even though this is a bit lighter version, I promise it is no less delicious. I highly recommend you make this for yourself this week. 

Quinoa Shrimp Scampi, serves two.

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa (I used a mix of traditional and red just for color)
1/2 pound cooked or uncooked shrimp
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup white wine (any brand/vintage you like to drink; I used Chardonnay)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt + pepper
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 lemon

Begin by cooking the quinoa. Follow the directions on the package. To add flavor, replace some (or all) of the water with vegetable stock.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. If needed, remove the skins and tails from the shrimp. If you are using uncooked shrimp, first cook them in a pan with a little olive oil over medium heat until they are opaque in color. I often use precooked shrimp to make weeknight dinners super fast to make, and that's what I did here. If you are using precooked shrimp then there's no need to cook it ahead of the veggies.

In a pan, combine the butter and olive oil. Over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. Then toss in the cooked shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Cook another couple of minutes. Now pour in the wine, and add the cheese and red pepper flakes. Once the quinoa is ready, toss that in as well. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Sprinkle on the parsley and squeeze on some fresh lemon juice. Serve with a salad or your favorite vegetable side dish and enjoy! And be sure to drink the rest of the wine with this meal. That's just a necessity. Now that I think about it, maybe that's why I like shrimp scampi so much. Hmm. xo. Emma

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.