Pad Thai Quinoa and Shrimp

Lately I’ve had a taste for Thai food.  Really, what’s not to like? It’s fresh, flavorful and colorful. A feast for the eyes and mouth.  Doesn’t a great meal start with our eyes? After the lovely fresh spring roll I almost always have Pad Thai. I have to admit I’m a bit of a whimp when it comes to hot spices so Pad Thai usually fits the bill for me.  When I saw that I could make Pad Thai with quinoa I had to give it a try.  It was delicious so I want to share it with you.

It is definitely an easy recipe and comes together very quickly, especially if you use my tips.  It kept very well and I was able to take it for a couple of lunches during the week. Don’t you love it when you can cook once and eat multiple meals.  I love shrimp and by the last meal there was none left so I simply added some leftover chicken. Since quinoa is protein you really don’t need to add any meat but it it seems more satisfying to me.  You can also substitute rice or noodles for the quinoa. Or cut out the chicken and shrimp, increase the edamame and you have a vegetarian dish. A simply good and versatile recipe.

 

 

Pad Thai Quinoa & Shrimp

Prep time: 30 Minutes

Cook time: 30 Minutes

Serves 4-6

Ready in: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
• 20 medium cooked shrimp (or 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips)
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup edamame
• 1/4cup diced brocoli stems
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Thai peanut sauce:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Directions:

1. Bring vegetable broth and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender. 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil in wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp if not precooked, stir until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Remove shrimp from wok. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil. Add cabbage, edamame, broccoli, carrot and green onions and saute until vegetables soften slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Whisk eggs with sesame oil in a bowl. Push vegetables to the sides of the wok to make a well in the center, pour eggs in and stir to scramble, about 3 minutes.
4. Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Pour Thai peanut sauce over vegetable and egg mixture in the wok.
5. Return chicken to the wok and add quinoa, mix well to combine. Stir in chopped peanuts and parsley or sprinkle on top and serve.

Tips:

My carrot match stick chopping skills leave something to be desired, although I thought they looked better than smaller pieces would.  Usually I would buy the bags of matchstick carrots but I forgot.Same with the cabbage, I buy the bag of shredded cabbage that you can buy to make coleslaw.   This would definitely save some time.

I choose the shrimp because it did save time as I had precooked shrimp in the freezer.

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