Spanish Shrimp Bowl

This is a new (well, to me, anyway) cooking style that I want to

explore.  It consists of combinations of flavors that all fit together in a bowl.  This was my first attempt and I approached it with trepidation.  

• Would it taste good?  
• Would it be enough food for a meal?  
• Do quinoa and lentils work well together?  
• My ancient grocery store doesn't carry pine nuts, red lentils and hot paprika.  What do I use instead?  
• A mortar and pestle - really?

This is what I learned:

• Yes it did!
• Definitely.
• Fairly well, although just one or the other would probably be better.
• Chopped almonds, regular lentils and regular paprika
• I covered the cumin seeds with a paper towel and used a rolling pin to crush them.  It smelled wonderful.

Also, it turned out that escarole comes in bunches so big that they wouldn't fit in my vegetable bin, so I used lettuce instead.  In short, I took quite a few liberties, but they worked out well. 

May 3, 2018

I made it again, but after all of my changes, you'd hardly recognize the recipe:

• The only paprika I had was very hot, so after 3 combinations of spices (too salty, too hot) I simply used Old Bay Seasoning.
• The dressing was really blah, so I added honey.
• Almonds instead of pine nuts 
• Lettuce instead of escarole
• No lentils
• Wild rice instead of quinoa
• Cumin instead of cumin seeds

The result was very good!  I still served it in bowls.  I've changed the ingredients and directions below to reflect my modifications.  Also, at Mary-jo's suggestion, I will add mandarin oranges next time.  Warning:  Don't add additional salt. There is enough in the dressing and Old Bay Seasoning.

Serves 2

8 calculated points

Albarino

Ingredients

• Pilaf
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup wild rice
• ¼ cup sliced almonds (sauteed)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
• 2 cups (480 ml) chicken broth
• Salad
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Honey, to taste
• 1 head lettuce, cored and torn into bite-size pieces
• Shrimp
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tsps Old Bay Seasoning
• ½ tsp salt
• 20 peeled shrimp (21-25)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

For the Pilaf:
Add the garlic and pepper flakes to a medium saucepan and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice and the broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

For the Salad:
Put the cumin, garlic, vinegar, honey and olive oil in a large bowl. Whisk to combine then season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

For the Shrimp:
In a medium bowl, stir together the garlic and Old Bay Seasoning. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly with the spices. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook, turning once until they are pink and opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.