Who doesn't love one pot meals? Quinoa and Shrimp Paella

In my house, we LOVE big flavors. Under seasoned food, is up there on my list of pet peeves. Even if we just do sea salt, black pepper and hot chili flakes (which is in almost every one of our dishes), that can go a long way. We are raising our son to appreciate bold flavors as well. At six months old and ready for solid food, we would blend him curries (not spicy) and added cinnamon and vanilla to his fruit compotes. Now at three years old, one of his biggest loves is Frank's Red Hot! Just a dab or two, so he doesn't burn his little palate. But like the commercial says, he puts that *$%@ on everything.

I wanted to make paella, but instead of using rice, I used quinoa. To me, it's a power food. It's a complete protein, so if you are trying to do more meatless dishes but worried you aren't getting enough protein, this baby alone solves that problem. I use quinoa quite a bit, for the health purposes as well as to break from the rut of pasta and rice.

The ingredients(shrimp and peas not shown):

1 cup (or two if you'd like extra) of quinoa
2 cups (or 4 if doubling or just follow quinoa pkg instructions) of chicken or veggie broth)
1 large onion diced
1 lb of frozen shrimp (I peel mine and devein it)
1 bell pepper
1 jalapeno (optional)
1 small bag frozen petite peas
6 cloves finely minced garlic
Couple pinches of Old Bay or other Seafood seasoning
1 or 2 Bay leaves
Couple of threads of saffron
Couple of pinches of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Red chili flakes if desired.
1 tbsp of olive oil

First, I let the shrimp defrost in a bowl of cold water.

And it's like my cat knows I'm working with seafood, because he comes running. And also, he cannot resist running water. Any suggestions on getting (and keeping) cats off counters?

Then I begin chopping my veggies. If using jalapeno, but don't want a ton of heat, cut it in half and remove the seed and ribs. Also, wash your hands after. I have gotten a seed stuck under a nail before and let me tell you, it stings!

Little tip for getting the most out of your bell pepper. A lot of people, (I use to be a guilty party) end up wasting a good amount of the pepper by chopping the ends off. Cut the pepper in half vertically and then just carefully trim around the edge to remove the top/stem and then you can pull out the ribs.

I must say, I love that my husband can grow pretty much anything in our garden. Having homegrown garlic all year is just awesome. We are a garlic loving family.

Now, time for the shrimp. I prefer to get the shell on shrimp and not the already cooked kind. If you are squeamish, you may want to look away. I'm going to show you how to devein and butterfly shrimp. First, follow the curve of the back of shrimp with your knife. You will see a black line. That's the digestive tract. Simply remove and rinse. And now you  have your cleaned, butterfly shrimp.

As mentioned before, we try to waste as little as we can in the kitchen (and everywhere else too). We have a compost pile that will become rich soil for the garden and chickens that thoroughly enjoy most of our scraps. A favorite for them is shrimp shells!

I put the shrimp in the bowl and sprinkle on some Old Bay seasoning and put it in the fridge while I finish chopping the veggies.

My OCD at work

I heat the olive oil in a large pan and add in my veggies. Add in my paprika, salt, pepper and chili flakes. I cook them down for about 5 mins at a medium heat. Give the quinoa a good rinse under cold water (I use a very small strainer). This will get rid of any bitterness caused by the saponin. Add the quinoa to the pan with the veggies and toast for about 2 mins.

Put the saffron in your broth, add to the pan and give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf. Cover and turn down the heat to low. This will cook for about 15-17 mins. I take this time to join in on the game my little guy is playing on my phone.

Now I top the quinoa with the shrimp and frozen peas. Cover again and cook until shrimp is pink and no longer translucent. Remove bay leaf.

The aroma of saffron, garlic and onion will make your house smell like Spain without having to take out your passport. When a 3 year old gives you a thumbs up and eats all his veggies, you know you've got a winner.