Ever since i was little, I’ve loved shrimp. I have fond memories of overdosing on it back in ’99 at my cousin Sandy’s wedding. I think I had about 30 shrimp cocktail that night at her seafood bar. I also loved when my Mom made shrimp scampi, covered in garlic, parsley and white wine and tossed over linguine. It’s quick cooking and makes for the perfect weeknight meal.
I went in a mexican direction with this dish, and the result is simply scrumptious and it can be tossed over anything from pasta to quinoa. The red onion in the dressing gives it a kick, while the avocado gives it a smooth and creamy texture. The Israeli couscous, which is sometimes called pearl couscous, is the perfect back drop for the shrimp. I boiled it with some vegetable stock for added flavor and this dish was ready is under 30 minutes.
- 6 oz Israeli couscous (sometimes called pearl couscous)
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ c vegetable stock
- 10 shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Dressing:
- ⅓ c extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs chopped red onion
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 handful cilantro
- ¼ avocado
- ½ tsp chili powder
- Dash of salt and pepper
- In a pot, add evoo and couscous. Cook on medium for 3 minutes to lightly toast couscous.
- Add vegetable broth, bring to boil, and simmer on low for 10-12 minutes or until couscous is tender.
- In a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the dressing except the evoo. Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped then stream in evoo. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the shrimp and seasonings from the garlic powder to the pepper. Mix well so that shrimp is covered in spices.
- Add a drizzle of evoo to a saute pan and heat on medium.
- Place shrimp in pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
- Immediately remove from the heat and combine all ingredients in a bowl (couscous to dressing to shrimp).
- Can be served warm or cold.
I think I’ve listened to this Rachael Yamagata song 15 times so far this week, because I love the intro so much. I scoured the internet to find an instrumental version of it and failed, but either way, the beat is catchy and contagious. I jammed out to “Even If I Don’t” while making this dish, so give it a try while you’re whipping things up in your cucina!
Enjoy more pescetarian meals like this one below! Click the picture for the recipe.
