spicy shrimp & quinoa bowls

juicy shrimp is marinated in chipotle peppers in adobo sauce then paired with roasted sweet potatoes, mexican style black beans, nutty tri-colored quinoa & avocado all finished off with cotija cheese & fresh cilantro for an easy weeknight dish.

Can a meal be your spirit animal? If so, this one is mine.

It combines all my favorite things – spicy shrimp, creamy mexican-style black beans, tender roasted sweet potatoes, nutty quinoa and loads of cotija cheese & fresh cilantro.

Perhaps the best part about it though is that you can really make it your own. Not into shrimp? This would work with chicken or tofu too! Don’t like quinoa? Go for brown rice. Black beans aren’t your thing? Pinto will work!

Truly you can do whatever you want to this dish and you won’t ruin it – I promise!

If you’re not big into spice, you may want to cook the shrimp without the chipotles in adobo because they definitely bring a little heat (I found that a dollop of plain yogurt did the trick to neutralize that a bit while still keeping the flavor).

Play around with this, make it your own (and then let me know what variations you did because I want to try them!) 🙂

spicy shrimp & quinoa bowls

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Cait
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Main Course

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Description

juicy shrimp is marinated in chipotle peppers in adobo sauce then paired with roasted sweet potatoes, mexican style black beans, nutty tri-colored quinoa & avocado all finished off with cotija cheese & fresh cilantro for an easy weeknight dish.

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Ingredients

For the Shrimp:

• 12 medium shrimp ((31/35 count per lb)) – you can also sub baked tofu or seitan!
• 1 7 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

For the Black Beans:

• 1 can low sodium black beans (DO NOT DRAIN!)
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• pinch of salt

For the Sweet Potatoes:

• 1 cup diced, peeled sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Bowl:

• 1/2 cup tri-colored quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup lower sodium vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons cotija cheese, crumbled
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 medium ripe avocado
• Fresh lime juice, plain yogurt

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Add low sodium vegetable broth and quinoa to a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 12 minutes (or until the majority of the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is light and fluffy).  Once done, remove from heat and set aside.
3. While quinoa cooks, place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Toss to coat then place in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
4. While quinoa and sweet potatoes cook, place a saucepan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Add 1/2 the diced medium onion and minced garlic cloves to the pan and allow to cook until fragrant and just tender (about 3-4 minutes).  Add black beans, cumin, cilantro, and pinch of salt stirring to combine.  Lower heat to medium low and allow to cook 15-20 minutes (see note)
5. Place a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, add a teaspoon of olive oil then add shrimp and the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.  Cook about 4-5 minutes each side or until shrimp are pink and opaque.
6. In a large bowl, layer half the cooked quinoa, 1/3 cup black beans, 6 shrimp, half the roasted sweet potatoes and half the avocado.  Top with cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, a dollop of plain yogurt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  Repeat in a second bowl and serve immediately.

Notes

Black beans can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  Recipe from Belle of the Kitchen

Sweet potatoes can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Keywords: shrimp, dinner, main course, easy meal

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