Lean and Flavorful Shrimp Salad

Quinoa is the base for this high-protein, low-fat seafood salad. It’s easy to fix and can be prepared in less than half an hour. Don’t forget to rinse the quinoa under cold water before cooking to remove the soapy flavors inherent in the grain.

Shrimp and artichokes are stir-fried together before being tossed with the cooked quinoa. After stirring in the chopped fresh vegetables, drizzle with the low-fat lemon vinaigrette made with a small amount of olive oil. Chicken broth takes the place of most of the oil in the salad dressing. Capers, mustard and garlic pump up the flavors.

To save preparation time, start the shrimp grilling while preparing the main salad ingredients. Serve this salad either at room temperature or cold on crisp romaine leaves.

SHRIMP AND ARTICHOKE QUINOA SALAD

LEMON VINAIGRETTE

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon capers

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

Cracked black pepper

SALAD

1 cup quinoa

Water

Nonstick cooking spray

1 (13 3/4-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half lengthwise

3 green onions, sliced diagonally

2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

SHRIMP GARNISH

24 shrimp in shell

Mesquite-flavored nonstick cooking spray

Sea salt

Romaine lettuce

LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Whisk together lemon juice, chicken broth, olive oil, capers, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

SALAD

Rinse quinoa in bowl under cold running water. Drain.

Combine quinoa and 2 cups water in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until water is absorbed and grains look translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat wok and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add artichoke hearts and stir-fry until edges begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to stir-fry until artichoke hearts are browned and garlic cooked. Spray with additional cooking spray as needed during stir-frying. Add peeled shrimp and stir-fry until opaque and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture to cooked quinoa. Stir in green onions, celery, tomatoes and cilantro.

Pour Lemon Vinaigrette over salad and stir lightly just until evenly mixed. Chill until serving time.

SHRIMP GARNISH

Grill shrimp in shell on grill pan sprayed with mesquite-flavored cooking spray until shells turn bright red and shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes. Lightly spray shrimp with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt while grilling.

Serve salad on romaine and garnish salad plates with grilled shrimp.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

224 calories; 832 mg sodium; 78 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 2.67 grams fiber.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Kitchen Tip

Quinoa, grown in the Andean valleys of South America, is one of the world’s most beautifully colored grains. It’s also highly nutritious and gaining in popularity in this country. Colorado farmers have been growing it in recent years.

Quinoa takes about 10 minutes to cook in boiling water; it’s ready when the grains turn translucent.

* German Asa selection plates from the Rose Cafe & Market, Venice.