Shrimp and Quinoa "Paella"

I thought for sure my family would hate this dish. At dinnertime, Lucy, 10, wasn't having any of it. Penny, 7, who helped me make the entire thing liked the shrimp and quinoa parts. Jeff, age not disclosed, liked it all. That's a win, right?

It was light and tasty — just what we need after holiday binging. Looking for a new way to make quinoa? Give this a go!

XOXO,
Amy

Shrimp and Quinoa "Paella"
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon saffron threads (or combine 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large tomatoes or smaller tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh sliced cremini mushrooms
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 ounces baby spinach
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and cooked

Combine the wine and saffron and set aside until ready to use.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened and cooked down, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in wine and saffron. Bring all to a boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add quinoa and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half — about 3 minutes.

Stir in broth, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until quinoa is tender — about 20 minutes.

Gently stir in spinach and top with shrimp. cover and cook until shrimp is heated through — about 3 to 4 minutes.