Quinoa, Broccoli, Shrimp Curry Casserole

 Sometimes mistakes turn out okay, and sometimes they're even worth blogging about! I was daydreaming about doing some curry shrimp kabobs using a delicious sauce from a Kalyn's Kitchen recipe I used for marinating. The sauce was part of a casserole, but I thought it would be great to give my shrimp a nice flavor.

That's not what ended up happening. Since a pound of shrimp seemed like a lot, I made the original quantity of sauce and it was WAAAAAY too much. I was heartbroken by the thought of throwing it all out after fishing the shrimp out, so I decided to makeover the original casserole recipe and see how it turned out. I liked it!

Also it was pouring, and who likes grilling in the rain? Not me.

Inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen's chicken recipe, which you can view here.

Curried Shrimp, Broccoli, and Quinoa Casserole
Serves 6
What you need:
1/2 C dried quinoa, rinsed until no foam appears
1 C water to cook quinoa in
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces (the stalk "trunk" part is totally worth peeling and cutting up too!)
1 C diced bell pepper-about 2/3 large pepper
1 lb. shrimp (I used raw, deveined, peeled shrimps with tails on. If you don't like picking out tails, opt for tail-less shrimp!)

Sauce
1.5 C. light sour cream
1/2 C light mayo
1 t dijon mustard
3 t curry powder
3 T lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

What to do:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook quinoa according to package directions-in case you bought it in bulk, after rinsing, put quinoa into a small pot of water, get it to a boil, cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes.
• Start water boiling-enough to fit the broccoli and pepper in. Cut up broccoli and pepper. When water is boiling, dump veggies in and cook for about 3 minutes-broccoli will turn bright green. Then drain or immerse in cold water to stop cooking.
• Mix the sauce ingredients in a jar or bowl and mix well. Taste. Taste again. Try not to eat the whole bowl with a spoon. Mix well with the shrimp in a big bowl.

• Lightly spray an 8x8" casserole dish. Layer quinoa, veggies, and shrimp/sauce mixture. 

• Cook for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly and browning. 

Verdict:
It showed up on the blog and I wouldn't give you a flop! Delish and healthy to boot! I'd top with parmesan if I had any. Or could find it in the fridge. Anyway. I'll try the shrimp skewers another time and let you know how those turn out, too. 

Nutrition:
1/6 of this dish is 7 Weight Watchers Points+.

Baked Anaheim "poppers"

These are not so much inspired by, but a direct copycat attempt of Toni's cousin Kim's appetizer. We had these in Alaska and gobbled them up! I liked the anaheim peppers (in Alaska) because they were much milder than jalepenos. But the ones I got in Colorado were H-O-T! I guess it just depends on the pepper, like jalepenos, but if you really don't care for spice or are feeding these to kids, you can always use bell peppers.

These are traditionally appetizers, but I ate them all myself and called it lunch. :) Obviously if you are serving a crowd, make more!





What you need:
-Anaheim peppers (3)
-2 Laughing cow cheese wedges of your choice
-1 egg white
-1 C. corn flakes, crushed

What to do:
-Cut the peppers in half longwise and scoop out seeds and ribs-I'm thinking my peppers might have been hot because I was a little lazy with the ribs.

-Spread about 1/3 cheese wedge in each pepper
-brush with egg whites and coat in corn flakes
-bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until corn flakes turn brown

One thing I struggled with was getting the cornflakes to stick. My mom recommended whipping up the egg whites next time before dipping so hopefully that helps! Let me know if you have tips, too!

Nutrition info
For a serving size of 3 poppers (appetizer), 2 WW points. If you eat them all, 5 points.

Carol's Famous Portabello Mushroom Marinade

This is a family favorite and one my mom has been asked for again and again. These mushrooms are great as a side dish or a main dish for vegetarians. We're making them again for the 4th!

What you need:
Portabello mushrooms-as many as you want, at least 4.

Marinade:
1/3 C. of canola oil
3 T. lemon juice
4 1/2 T. soy sauce
2 1/2 T. sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. ground ginger

What to do:

• Cut of stems and clean gills from the mushrooms with a spoon. Cut into thick slices, or, if you prefer, leave a few whole. Lay out in a baking pan or other flat rimmed dish.
• Mix ingredients for the marinade in a jar, shake vigorously, and pour over the mushrooms. Allow to sit for several hours if possible, turning a few times so both sides can soak up marinade.
 

• When ready to cook, lay foil on a heated grill and lay mushrooms out on foil. Let cook for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush leftover marinade over mushrooms while cooking.

Nutrition Info: Weight Watchers calculates this as 8 points, but not all marinate is used....so I'd guess 6 or 7.

Note: I'm sure leftovers would be great in an omelette, on a sandwich, a pizza, or a salad. But we've never had leftovers. True story.