Shrimp and Quinoa with Mango-Avocado Salsa

This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units). It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews. Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.

Heat Scale
Submit Recipe

Yield: Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
1 alfonso mango, peeled and diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 a lime, plus 2 lime wedges, for serving
Kosher salt
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 pound large (16-20) shrimp
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as rice bran or grapeseed

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toss together the diced mango, avocado, onion, serrano pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt in a small mixing bowl. Adjust to taste with more salt and lime juice, as needed.

Bring a saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer. Add the quinoa to the boiling water, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the quinoa is just barely al dente. Strain it using the fine-mesh strainer. Add an inch of water to the quinoa pot, set the fine-mesh strainer (with the cooked quinoa still in it) inside the pot; make sure the quinoa doesn’t touch the water. Cover with a dish towel and the pot’s lid, turn the heat up to high, and steam for 3-5 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and no longer waterlogged.

While the quinoa cooks, toss the shrimp with oil and 1 scant teaspoon of salt on a half-sheet pan. Roast until the shrimp are opaque, lightly pink, and cooked through, 5-6 minutes.

Divide the quinoa, shrimp, and mango-avocado salsa between two bowls; serve with lime wedges.

NOTES
If you’re working with shell-on shrimp, peel and devein them before seasoning and roasting. (To save time, buy shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined.)

From amodestfeast.com