Blog Transfer!

Are you ready for an exciting announcement?

I'M TRANSFERRING MY BLOG!!!

Yes that's right, Blogger has fulfilled it's purpose in my blogging journey and it's time to move on to something a little more advanced (Wordpress on Bluehost).  I have transferred all of my old recipe to my new blog, which is much easier to navigate than my current one.  It has drop-down menus that list all of my recipes, new and old, under specific categories (for example BBQ Chicken Pizza would be under Savory>Main Dishes>Pizza.)

It is now much simpler to find me on social media, and share my recipes.  You can click any of the social media icons at the top of my blog to find my accounts, and there are sharing buttons at the bottom of each of my posts so that you can share any of my recipes with the click of a button.

I have also added a new About Me page that has picture of me making scrambled eggs when I was 3, along with many other pictures of me cooking throughout the years!

Please visit my new blog (www.ThatHarpistCanCook.com) and subscribe, then un-subscribe from this blog as I will continue posting notices about my blog transfer.  Enjoy my new blog!

Blog Transfer!

Are you ready for an exciting announcement?

I'M TRANSFERRING MY BLOG!!!

Yes that's right, Blogger has fulfilled it's purpose in my blogging journey and it's time to move on to something a little more advanced (Wordpress on Bluehost).  I have transferred all of my old recipes to my new blog, which is much easier to navigate than my current one.  It has drop-down menus that list all of my recipes, new and old, under specific categories (for example BBQ Chicken Pizza would be under Savory>Main Dishes>Pizza.)

It is now much simpler to find me on social media, and share my recipes.  You can click any of the social media icons at the top of my blog to find my accounts, and there are sharing buttons at the bottom of each of my posts so that you can share any of my recipes with the click of a button.

I have also added a new About Me page that has pictures of me making scrambled eggs when I was 3, along with many other pictures of me cooking throughout the years!

Please visit my new blog (www.ThatHarpistCanCook.com) and subscribe, then un-subscribe from this blog as I will continue posting notices about my blog transfer.  Enjoy my new blog!

Smoked Salmon Spring Rolls (10 minute meal)

You know how there are some hot days when all you feel like eating is a salad, but you want something a little more interesting?  The answer for those days is spring rolls.  They're quick, easy, healthy, and much more interesting than salad.  You can substitute the smoked salmon for any other protein, you could even use a sliced omelet!

1 bell pepper, sliced
1 persian cucumber, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup snap peas, sliced
½ avocado, sliced
Whole lettuce leaves
Smoked salmon
Spring roll wrappers (you can find these at 99 market)

Arrange all of your prepared ingredients in a large container for easy access while making your spring rolls.

Soak one spring roll wrapper in water for 10 seconds, fill it with your desired amounts of vegetables and salmon, then tightly roll up the spring roll, much like a burrito.  Repeat this process to make as many spring rolls as desired.

Serve the spring rolls alongside wasabi dipping sauce and edamame for a refreshing summer meal!

Smoked Salmon Spring Rolls

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 persian cucumber, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

2 green onions, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 cup snap peas, sliced

½ avocado, sliced

Whole lettuce leaves

Smoked salmon

Spring roll wrappers

Arrange all of your prepared ingredients in a large container for easy access while making your spring rolls.

Soak one spring roll wrapper in water for 10 seconds, fill it with your desired amounts of vegetables and salmon, then tightly roll up the spring roll, much like a burrito.  Repeat this process to make as many spring rolls as desired.

Serve the spring rolls alongside wasabi dipping sauce and edamame for a refreshing summer meal! 

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.

Coconut Chocolate Date Truffles

This past week it's been roasting, and when I say roasting, I mean roasting.  So when I felt like making a dessert it was either ice cream (which I just made) or a no-bake dessert.  So since we still have coconut passion fruit ice cream left, I was left with a no-bake dessert.  And I've never been happier.

You will never know how good dates can be until you try these truffles.  They're the perfect texture, flavor, size, everything!  You seriously need to try them.  One thing I will say though; they're better after they've been in the fridge for 30 minutes, it gives them a better texture that's more like a truffle and less like cake.  But if you want them to have a caky texture, by all means!  Eat them at room temperature.

2 cups Medjool Dates from Trader Joe's, pitted
1 cup coconut flour
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup almond meal
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup agave nectar
1 cup almond milk

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.

Blend into a smooth dough, adding more almond milk as needed.  The dough should hold together easily when you try to form it into balls, but it shouldn't be sticky enough that you need to flour your hands.

Form the date dough into 64 uniform (about 1" across) balls.  I used my smallest ice cream scoop for this step, but if you don't have one small enough, you can just use your hands.  I personally thought these 1 inch truffles were the perfect size, but if you want them bigger of smaller, you can adjust the size to your liking.

Roll the date balls in your desired coatings.  I did 16 with coconut flour, 16 with cocoa powder, 16 with shredded coconut, and 16 with chia seeds.  You don't have to use all four coatings, I just think it gives them a nice finishing touch.

I love these truffles because they're so easy, they don't require any baking, and they're super healthy (which is always an upside)!  Wouldn't it be so cute to give people little boxes of these for Christmas?  And they also work as gifts for vegan friends!  Ideas . . .

Coconut Chocolate Date Truffles

2 cups Medjool Dates from Trader Joe's, pitted

1 cup coconut flour

¼ cup chia seeds

¼ cup almond meal

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup agave nectar

1 cup almond milk

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.

Blend into a smooth dough, adding more almond milk as needed.  The dough should hold together easily when you try to form it into balls, but it shouldn't be sticky enough that you need to flour your hands.

Form the date dough into 64 uniform (about 1" across) balls.  I used my smallest ice cream scoop for this step, but if you don't have one small enough, you can just use your hands.  I personally thought these 1 inch truffles were the perfect size, but if you want them bigger of smaller, you can adjust the size to your liking.

Roll the date balls in your desired coatings.  I did 16 with coconut flour, 16 with cocoa powder, 16 with shredded coconut, and 16 with chia seeds.  You don't have to use all four coatings, I just think it gives them a nice finishing touch.

I love these truffles because they're so easy, they don't require any baking, and they're super healthy (which is always an upside)!  Wouldn't it be so cute to give people little boxes of these for Christmas?  And they also work as gifts for vegan friends!  Ideas . . . 

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.

Spiced Glazed Carrots

Many people think that rainbow carrots don't taste different than orange carrots, but they really do.  They don't have the same intense carrot flavor that orange carrots have.  I almost think they taste like a cross between a parsnip and a carrot!  My favorite rainbow carrots are from Trader Joe's.  They come in a bag that says, "Trader Joe's and the organic carrots of many colors," and they are white, yellow, orange, and red.  Unfortunately the bag that I used for this recipe only had one red carrot, but usually the bag has a much higher ratio of red.  I found the base recipe for these glazed carrots on the back of the carrot bag, then made quite a few changes.

2 TBSP coconut oil
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Orange Juice Concentrate from Trader Joe's
⅛ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
½ head roasted garlic, peeled1 (2 lb.) bag Organic Rainbow Carrots from Trader Joe's, sliced
4 green onions, finely chopped

In a large pan, melt together the coconut oil, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, cinnamon, cayenne, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Add the roasted garlic and sauté until the sauce begins to bubble and the garlic is slightly caramelized.

Add the carrots, cover, then cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are slightly softened and golden brown.

Turn off the heat and stir in the green onions.

This is delicious as side dish served with mild fish, or anything with caramelized onions!  I served it with tilapia in a caramelized onion sauce and steamed green beans.

Spiced Glazed Carrots

2 TBSP coconut oil

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup Orange Juice Concentrate from Trader Joe's

⅛ tsp cinnamon

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

Salt

Pepper

½ head roasted garlic, peeled

1 (2 lb.) bag Organic Rainbow Carrots from Trader Joe's, sliced

4 green onions, finely chopped

In a large pan, melt together the coconut oil, brown sugar, orange juice concentrate, cinnamon, cayenne, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Add the roasted garlic and sauté until the sauce begins to bubble and the garlic is slightly caramelized.

Add the carrots, cover, then cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are slightly softened and golden brown.

Turn off the heat and stir in the green onions.

This is delicious as side dish served with mild fish, or anything with caramelized onions!  I served it with tilapia in a caramelized onion sauce and steamed green beans. 

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.

Pear Sausage & Goat Cheese Pizza

Several days ago I came across a pin on Pinterest of what looked like a pear pizza.  The picture didn't link to a recipe, so I had to decipher what was on the pizza and come up with my own version!  If anyone knows where this recipe came from please tell me and I will give the author credit.  But until then, here's my version of the pear pizza.

6 pears, thinly sliced
1 head roasted garlic, peeled½ red onion, thinly sliced into crescents
3 Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages from Trader Joe's, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese1 (11 oz.) log Fresh & Creamy Goat Cheese from Trader Joe's, frozen and crumbled
½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 cup spinach, thinly sliced
Balsamic Glaze from Trader Joe's
1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough (try my Pizza Dough recipe)

Prepare all of your ingredients and arrange them in a large container for easy access while topping the pizzas.

Roll out your pizza dough, then fold over the edges and heavily brush the entire surface of the crust with olive oil.  Since this pizza has no sauce, this step is very important.  Without the olive oil you will wind up with a flavorless, doughy crust, and who wants that to ruin this delicious pizza!

Cover the dough with a layer of pear slices, sprinkle on some Mozzarella cheese, then add the garlic, onion, sausage, and sprinkle with a light layer of Mozzarella, Goat, and Gorgonzola cheese.

Bake on a preheated pizza stone until the cheese begins to bubble.  Sprinkle on a light layer of sliced spinach, then finish cooking the pizza just the way you like it.  Remove from the heat and immediately drizzle with Balsamic Glaze.  Repeat this process with all of your ingredients, or until you run out of pizza dough.  For me this makes 6 pizzas, which is just enough to feed a hungry family of four for two meals.

Slice the pizzas into eighths, then serve alongside a salad.  I served this pizza with a candied pecan spinach salad and it was the perfect combination!

 Pear Sausage & Goat Cheese Pizza

6 pears, thinly sliced

1 head roasted garlic, peeled

½ red onion, thinly sliced into crescents

3 Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages from Trader Joe's, cooked and crumbled

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 (11 oz.) log Fresh & Creamy Goat Cheese from Trader Joe's, frozen and crumbled

½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1 cup spinach, thinly sliced

Balsamic Glaze from Trader Joe's

1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough

Prepare all of your ingredients and arrange them in a large container for easy access while topping the pizzas.

Roll out your pizza dough, then fold over the edges and heavily brush the entire surface of the crust with olive oil.  Since this pizza has no sauce, this step is very important.  Without the olive oil you will wind up with a flavorless, doughy crust, and who wants that to ruin this delicious pizza!

Cover the dough with a layer of pear slices, sprinkle on some Mozzarella cheese, then add the garlic, onion, sausage, and sprinkle with a light layer of Mozzarella, Goat, and Gorgonzola cheese.

Bake on a preheated pizza stone until the cheese begins to bubble.  Sprinkle on a light layer of sliced spinach, then finish cooking the pizza just the way you like it.  Remove from the heat and immediately drizzle with Balsamic Glaze.  Repeat this process with all of your ingredients, or until you run out of pizza dough.  For me this makes 6 pizzas, which is just enough to feed a hungry family of four for two meals.

Slice the pizzas into eighths, then serve alongside a salad.  I served this pizza with a candied pecan spinach salad and it was the perfect combination!

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.

Coconut Passion Fruit Ice Cream

As usual, we have passion fruit coming out of our ears, and since we have been having Indian and Asian food over the weekend, I figured I would make coconut passion fruit ice cream!  This ice cream would be just as good without the passion fruit pulp, but I had passion fruit that needed to be used, so I figured I would put it in to add a little bit of tartness.

This ice cream came out so well, it was the perfect consistency, easy to scoop, and had just the right balance of coconut, passion fruit, and sugar.

You could also replace the passion fruit with mango to make a coconut mango ice cream, I might do that next time I make it!

⅓ cup passion fruit pulp
1 (14 oz.) can Light Coconut Milk from Trader Joe's
1 (14 oz.) can Coconut Milk from Trader Joe's
1 cup sugar

Mix together all of the ingredients, then churn in an ice cream maker until the mixture has dramatically increased in size and won't churn without being stirred.

Transfer to another container and freeze for at least 24 hours.  Don't skimp on the freezing time or you will have coconut soup instead of coconut ice cream!

This easy coconut ice cream is the perfect ending to any Asian or Indian meal, serve it alongside your favorite tropical fruits for a perfect combination!

Coconut Passion Fruit Ice Cream

(you could substitute mango for the passion fruit to make coconut mango ice cream)

⅓ cup passion fruit pulp

1 (14 oz.) can Light Coconut Milk from Trader Joe's

1 (14 oz.) can Coconut Milk from Trader Joe's

1 cup sugar

Mix together all of the ingredients, then churn in an ice cream maker until the mixture has dramatically increased in size and won't churn without being stirred.

Transfer to another container and freeze for at least 24 hours.  Don't skimp on the freezing time or you will have coconut soup instead of coconut ice cream!

This easy coconut ice cream is the perfect ending to any Asian or Indian meal, serve it alongside your favorite tropical fruits for a perfect combination! 

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.

Naan

Yesterday I posted my Indian Coconut Pork Curry and promised to post a recipe for naan, so here it is. This naan is the perfect side for any curry, you can also cut a piece of naan in half and fill the pockets with curry to create an Indian sandwich!

This recipe makes sixteen pieces of naan.  I froze most of mine, that way next time I make a curry (or am just in a naan mood) I won't have to make it from scratch!  Naan freezes very well, just lightly toast it and it tastes like you just made it.

For the dough:
1 ¼ cups fat-free milk
¼ cup Fage yogurt
1 ½ to 3 cups All Purpose flour
1 cup White Whole Wheat flour from Trader Joe's
1 tsp salt
½ tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder

For dusting:
(you can just use flour, but mixing these ingredients with it gives the naan more flavor)
¼ cup White Whole Wheat flour from Trader Joe's
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Whisk together the milk and yogurt, then heat in the microwave until it reaches body temperature.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix together the milk/yogurt mixture, 1 ½ cups All Purpose flour, White Whole Wheat flour, salt, yeast, sugar, garlic, and curry powder (I used my KitchenAid mixer for this step).  If you don't have a standing mixer, you can use a wooden spoon to mix together the ingredients in a large bowl.

Keep adding All Purpose flour as needed until the mixture forms a moist dough that easily cleans the sides of the bowl (it should be a little sticky).  Form the dough into a ball, then transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, then cut into sixteen even pieces.  Lightly cover with a tea towel and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Roll out the individual pieces of dough into thin football shapes, dusting with the flour/curry powder mixture as you go.

Bake the dough on preheated pizza stones until it begins to bubble and brown.  Use tongs to flip the naan, then finish cooking until both sides are evenly browned.

Enjoy your naan alongside any Indian curry, try it with my Indian Coconut Pork Curry!

Naan

For the dough:

1 ¼ cups fat-free milk

¼ cup Fage yogurt

1 ½ to 3 cups All Purpose flour

1 cup White Whole Wheat flour from Trader Joe's

1 tsp salt

½ tsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp curry powder

For dusting:

(you can just use flour, but mixing these ingredients with it gives the naan more flavor)

¼ cup White Whole Wheat flour from Trader Joe's

1 TBSP curry powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Whisk together the milk and yogurt, then heat in the microwave until it reaches body temperature.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix together the milk/yogurt mixture, 1 ½ cups All Purpose flour, White Whole Wheat flour, salt, yeast, sugar, garlic, and curry powder (I used my KitchenAid mixer for this step).  If you don't have a standing mixer, you can use a wooden spoon to mix together the ingredients in a large bowl.

Keep adding All Purpose flour as needed until the mixture forms a moist dough that easily cleans the sides of the bowl (it should be a little sticky).  Form the dough into a ball, then transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, then cut into sixteen even pieces.  Lightly cover with a tea towel and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Roll out the individual pieces of dough into thin football shapes, dusting with the flour/curry powder mixture as you go.

Bake the dough on preheated pizza stones until it begins to bubble and brown.  Use tongs to flip the naan, then finish cooking until both sides are evenly browned.

Enjoy your naan alongside any Indian curry, try it with my Indian Coconut Pork Curry!

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.

Indian Coconut Pork Curry

I think just about everyone loves Indian food.  It's very unusual, and there are so many different dishes you can make that all taste different!  One of my dreams is to one day make an Indian feast with side dishes, vegetable curries, naan, the whole bit.  But until then, I'm happy with my curries served alongside a salad.

I always make my own curry powder for Indian food (I have a bucket filled with whole un-ground spices), it just makes the curries that much better.  If you don't feel like making your own curry powder, which I totally don't blame you for, you can just use a high quality pre-ground curry powder.

For the curry:
1 onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 lb. pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 whole bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1 lime, juiced
1 ½ qt. chicken stock
2 ½ lb. tricolored potatoes, quartered
8 carrots, roughly chopped
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
Chile Sambal

For the curry powder:

(you can use ⅓ cup high quality curry powder instead)

2 TBSP coriander

2 TBSP cumin

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

20 peppercorns

8 cloves

Use a mortar and pestle to grind together your spices.  You will still have a few whole seeds, but they should be mostly ground.

Preheat a large pan coated in ghee or butter.  Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger until the onion turns a light golden brown.

Add the curry powder and bay leaves and sauté until the spices are fragrant.  This smell is why I love making curries!

Add the pork and some more ghee or butter, then thoroughly brown the pork cubes on all 6 sides.

Put the onion/pork mixture in a slow cooker with the salt, lime juice, and chicken stock.  Cook on high for 1 hour.

Add the potatoes, turn the heat down to low, and cook for another 45 minutes.

Stir in the carrots, turn the heat back up to high, and cook for another 1 hour 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and cook on high for a final 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the pork is tender.  Add salt and Chile Sambal to taste.

While your curry is stewing, you may want to consider making naan.  It goes perfectly with any Indian curry, and I'll be putting up the recipe tomorrow!  Naan is also a relatively quick bread, so you don't need to plan too far in advance if you're going to make it.


This curry is ideal served over rice with a side of green beans or salad, and naan to soak up the sauce.  For all you spice lovers out there, the perfect add-on spice for this meal is Chile Sambal.  This chile goes with the pork curry perfectly, and it actually accents the flavors of the dish.  Enjoy your indian feast!

Indian Coconut Pork Curry

For the curry:

1 onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

2 lb. pork, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 whole bay leaves

2 tsp salt

1 lime, juiced

1 ½ qt. chicken stock

2 ½ lb. tricolored potatoes, quartered

8 carrots, roughly chopped

1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk

Chile Sambal

For the curry powder:

(you can use ⅓ cup high quality curry powder instead)

2 TBSP coriander

2 TBSP cumin

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp fenugreek seeds

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

20 peppercorns

8 cloves

Use a mortar and pestle to grind together your spices.  You will still have a few whole seeds, but they should be mostly ground.

Preheat a large pan coated in ghee or butter.  Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger until the onion turns a light golden brown.  Add the curry powder and bay leaves and sauté until the spices are fragrant.  This smell is why I love making curries!  Add the pork and some more ghee or butter, then thoroughly brown the pork cubes on all 6 sides.

Put the onion/pork mixture in a slow cooker with the salt, lime juice, and chicken stock.  Cook on high for 1 hour.  Add the potatoes, turn the heat down to low, and cook for another 45 minutes.  Stir in the carrots, turn the heat back up to high, and cook for another 1 hour 30 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and cook on high for a final 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the pork is tender.  Add salt and Chile Sambal to taste.

While your curry is stewing, you may want to consider making naan!  It goes perfectly with any Indian curry, and is also a relatively quick bread, so you don't need to plan too far in advance if you're going to make it.

This curry is ideal served over rice with a side of green beans or salad, and naan to soak up the sauce.  For all you spice lovers out there, the perfect add-on spice for this meal is Chile Sambal.  This chile goes with the pork curry perfectly, and it actually accents the flavors of the dish.  Enjoy your indian feast! 


To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.

Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Quinoa Salad

I've decided to start a new routine; the Thursday of every week is 'Quinoa Salad Night.'  I started this new tradition yesterday, so here you go.  My first weekly quinoa salad recipe!

I found the base for this recipe on Spoonful of Flavor, then did what I always do and dramatically 'enhanced' it.

This quinoa salad was delicious, and very easy too!  The only ingredients that require any cooking are the shrimp, bell peppers, green onions, and tomatoes, so it's great for during the summer when the absolute last thing you want to do is turn on the stove or heat up the oven.

For the dressing:

⅓ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

For the salad:

½ lb. raw shrimp

2 TBSP olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

10 mini bell peppers

1 bunch green onions

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (½ cup quinoa, 1 cup water)

1 (15 oz.) can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

3 persian cucumbers, quartered then thinly sliced

4 radishes, finely chopped

⅛ cup parsley, torn into bits

⅛ cup basil, torn into bits

⅛ cup oregano, torn into bits

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and let them sit for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl toss the shrimp in the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 clove of the garlic, oregano, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Let them marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a small pan coated in olive oil.  Sauté the remaining 1 clove garlic until is begins to bubble.

Add the tomatoes to the pan and sauté until they have slightly softened and are just beginning to brown.  Turn off the heat.

Preheat a BBQ to medium/high.  In a grill basket, toss the peppers and shrimp until the peppers are fully coated in the shrimps marinade. Grill the peppers and shrimp until the peppers are softened and the shrimps bodies are touching their tails.

Lightly grill the green onions until they begin to brown, then finely chop them.

Cut the tops off of the roasted bell peppers, then roughly chop them.

In a large bowl, toss together the dressing, peppers, green onions, tomatoes, quinoa, garbonzo beans, feta cheese, cucumbers, radishes, parsley, basil, and oregano.

Serve a bowl of the quinoa salad topped with sliced avocado and several shrimp.  This is a perfect meal for those summer days when you want to be outside but also want to put a delicious meal on the table!  If you want to do all of your cooking outside, you can cook the tomatoes in a grill pan on the BBQ instead of on the stove.

Mediterranean Grilled Shrimp Quinoa Salad

For the dressing:

⅓ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

For the salad:

½ lb. raw shrimp

2 TBSP olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

10 mini bell peppers

1 bunch green onions

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (½ cup quinoa, 1 cup water)

1 (15 oz.) can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

3 persian cucumbers, quartered then thinly sliced

4 radishes, finely chopped

⅛ cup parsley, torn into bits

⅛ cup basil, torn into bits

⅛ cup oregano, torn into bits

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and let them sit for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl toss the shrimp in the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 clove of the garlic, oregano, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Let them marinate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a small pan coated in olive oil.  Sauté the remaining 1 clove garlic until is begins to bubble.  Add the tomatoes to the pan and sauté until they have slightly softened and are just beginning to brown.  Turn off the heat.

Preheat a BBQ to medium/high.  In a grill basket, toss the peppers and shrimp until the peppers are fully coated in the shrimps marinade. Grill the peppers and shrimp until the peppers are softened and the shrimps bodies are touching their tails.  Lightly grill the green onions until they begin to brown.

Finely chop the green onions.  Cut the tops off of the roasted bell peppers, then roughly chop them.

In a large bowl, toss together the dressing, peppers, green onions, tomatoes, quinoa, garbonzo beans, feta cheese, cucumbers, radishes, parsley, basil, and oregano.

Serve a bowl of the quinoa salad topped with sliced avocado and several shrimp.  This is a perfect meal for those summer days when you want to be outside but also want to put a delicious meal on the table!  If you want to do all of your cooking outside, you can cook the tomatoes in a grill pan on the BBQ instead of on the stove. 


To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.