I’m on a protein kick – I’ve been going for over 100g/day which, unless you’re willing to suffer masses of artificially-flavored shakes and supplements, can be a challenge. I also avoid processed foods, so I have learned to be pretty handy with shrimp and quinoa. This is one of my favorites.

You’ll need:

• About 20 shrimp
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced.
• A mix of about 2.5 tablespoons of fresh ground black pepper with about 1/2 tablespoon salt. Grind in a few sichuan peppercorns too for a nice extra somethin’-somethin’.
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Olive Oil
• Quinoa

I use frozen cleaned shrimp because I’m lazy. Fresh would make this even more awesome.

So, get your quinoa cooking as you do. While that cooks, saute your garlic in olive oil. Toss in the shrimp (at room temperature), and stir in about half of the pepper/salt mix. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are almost done. At that point, stir in the rest of the salt and pepper.

When the shrimp are fully cooked, remove them to your serving dish and deglaze the pan with some more oil and the lemon juice. When it’s reduced halfway, and you’ve got all the good charred pepper and garlic crust re-emulsified into a sauce, pour that directly over the shrimp and quinoa. A parsley garnish is a nice touch if you’re feeling fancy.

And here’s your dinner – bloody good, pretty quick, and full of protein!

-MAW