The Sunny Side Up Recipes

Fresh. Clean. Radiant. Living life on the sunny side.

15 Minute Lemon, White Wine & Herb Sautéed Shrimp with Quinoa

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Would you believe me if I said you could put this beautiful dish together in under 15 minutes? This recipe has everything you could want from a light summer meal–vibrant color, robust flavor, and, best of all, it requires minimal cooking time. The garlic and herbs pack in lots of flavor to season the shrimp, while the white wine helps to draw out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and creates a beautiful sauce that you can pour over the dish at the end. Quick, simple, and delicious, this is sure to be a new favorite summer go-to.

First, rinse one pound of peeled,  deveined, medium shrimp  (tail on) in cold water, and separately, rinse cherry tomatoes and quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer or sieve. Rinsing removes quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter and gives it a nuttier flavor.  Although most quinoa sold in the grocery store is often pre-rinsed, it doesn’t hurt to give the seeds an extra rinse before cooking it.

Now, time for cooking! Add hot water to a medium-sized pot and add in quinoa once it hits its boiling point. Then, reduce to a simmer. Always make sure that you have a 2 to 1 ratio of water to quinoa– you’ll know that it’s done when the seeds have opened fully and the quinoa can be fluffed.

While the quinoa is cooking, sauté garlic, onions, butter, and olive oil at medium heat in a large saucepan. Once tender or golden (approximately 1-2 minutes), add white wine and tomatoes and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add in shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly reduced, and top with fresh parsley. Pour over quinoa, finishing off with the remaining white wine sauce.


Lemon, White Wine & Herb Sautéed Shrimp with Quinoa
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, rinsed, peeled, and de-veined
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine (I recommend Chardonnay)
  • ¼ cup tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
  1. Rinse shrimp in cold water and, separately tomatoes and quinoa. Set aside.
  2. In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add in rinsed quinoa and bring down to a low simmer for 10 minutes until seeds begin to open.
  3. In a large saucepan, sautee onion and garlic in butter and olive oil on medium-high heat until fragrant and golden, approximately 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add rinsed shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have reduced. Garnish with parsley and serve over quinoa.

 

 

Roasted Shrimp with Feta and Orzo

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Do you ever feel like you’re in a recipe rut and eating the same dishes all the time? Last week I was in one of those moods (read: tired of making the chicken all the time) and came across this wonderful recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Light and refreshing, this Mediterranean-inspired shrimp and orzo dish is packed with lots of fresh herbs and is a perfect way to mix up weeknight dinners.

My tips? Add in some extra lemon juice and make sure you use a high quality feta cheese–my favorite is Bulgarian, which has a creamier texture and is less salty than Greek feta.  I also like to add in some ripe cherry tomatoes, but it would also be great if you added asparagus, olives, or other complementary flavors as desired!

Original recipe available here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe.html

 

 

Salmon Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa

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I am so excited to share today’s recipe with you! This week, a few friends and I got together for an amazing girls night in and had the best night laughing and sharing stories out on their patio, enjoying these last few bits of summer!

We knew we wanted to have a taco night, but these salmon tacos with black rice and mango guacamole (adapted from Ambitious Kitchen) were extra special and are definitely one of my all time FAVORITE recipes on the blog so far! I know you’ll love them!

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 FISH TACOS

Salmon Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • For the rice:
  • 1 cup black (forbidden) rice
  • For the salmon:
  • 1 pound salmon (can use fresh or frozen)
  • ¾ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ chilli powder
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • For the mango guacamole:
  • 1 avocado, diced in large chunks
  • ½ cup red onion, diced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 ripe mango, diced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook rice on the stovetop according to the directions on the package, and set aside (note: the rice will take 40-45 minutes to cook, so I recommend cooking it in advance and storing in an airtight container).
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place salmon in lined baking dish, rub with olive oil, and season with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder mixture. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until cooked medium.
  3. While salmon is cooking, lightly toss avocado, red onion, cilantro, mango, and lime juice. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Once salmon is done cooking, flake it with a fork assemble tacos on warm corn tortillas as desired.

 

Easy Citrus Salmon

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Most nutritionists will tell you that they love salmon, and for good reason. This fish is loaded with lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids (critical for cardiovascular health), vitamin D,  is lower in mercury than most fish, and even supports brain development.  Here’s the quickest, easiest way to prepare it that you’ll enjoy every time.

First, sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. I also add herbes de provence, a blend of dried French herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, and marjoram, and thinly sliced lemon on top. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

When paired with leafy greens, the proteins, B vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids in salmon are a complement their vitamin C and antioxidants. I usually make my salmon with this salad with arugula, avocado, and asparagus with a citrus vinaigrette (pictured above) and they go beautifully together.

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Easy Citrus Salmon
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 lb salmon
  • 1 tablespoon herbes de provence
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper to slice
Instructions
  1. Rinse salmon and place on baking dish.
  2. Sprinkle salt and pepper and herbes de provence as desired. Add sliced lemon.
  3. Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until cooked through.

Mediterranean Remade

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One of the defining characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine is that it uses simple recipes with fresh, often local, flavor-filled ingredients. I love that it really embraces high quality ingredients but also that most dishes aren’t super complex. The result is that I typically spend less time in the kitchen (bonus during busy work weeks!) and get inspired visiting farmer’s or artisan markets in my neighborhood to get the best stuff just like my Greek grandmother used to.

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Here’s a quick  lunch I put together a few weeks ago after a trip to Cava Mezze on Capitol Hill. If you’re looking for a new spot near Eastern Market that’s relatively healthy, I highly recommend their tapas-inspired menu! Start with their watermelon salad with feta and mint and top it off with their grilled shrimp with fava bean puree.

First, I did a seasonal spin on a classic shepherd’s salad (typically called Greek salad in American restaurants)  by tossing together cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and radish with parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. I don’t love green peppers, so adding radish instead adds a wonderful crunch and a crispness. I topped my salad with Cava’s tzatziki, but I do often make my own for the week (recipe here) when I have more time. If you do end up making your own, you can recycle it later in the week or make these gorgeous lamb burgers if you’re feeling extra ambitious!

 

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With the salad ready, saute shrimp in olive oil, oregano, garlic and lemon juice for about 10 minutes or cooked through. Here I added leftover grilled corn and asparagus as well to add flavor, but tomatoes or squash would also be excellent. For added bonus, you can also add a dry white whine (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, etc.) or parsley and mint for garnish.

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Angel Hair Shrimp Scampi

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As the summer comes to an end, one of the things I’ll miss most during the cold months in DC is the opportunity to have long candlelit dinners on our rooftop. The recipe below comes from a surprise dinner that my wonderful boyfriend, Michael, made a while back. No doubt we will be recreating this delicious recipe soon while we can take advantage of this beautiful September weather and fit in a few more rooftop evenings! 🙂

IMG_2235The first dish, angel hair pasta with shrimp scampi, is the perfect savory summer dish. We love that it’s light, colorful, and easily adapted to suit whatever summer flavors you want to incorporate!

For a quick dinner, cook pasta until al dente while sautéing shrimp in olive oil and garlic until fragrant. Add white wine and lemon juice on high heat and reduce, adding in butter and a ladle full of pasta water.

IMG_2245Add shrimp and vegetables (we used cherry tomatoes and yellow squash) until cooked through, pour over your pasta, and garnish with freshly chopped basil, parsley, and lemon zest.  If you want to give it a kick,  you can also add red pepper flakes, but for those of us who aren’t big fans of spice an extra sprinkle of basil also does the trick! Serve with fresh baguette and wine. Bon appetit!

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A quick note on cooking with wine: Michael used Rodney Strong’s Sauvignon Blanc to make his reduction. Whenever you’re cooking with a white wine, I highly recommend using a dry, crisp white wine such as a Pinto Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or (unoaked) Chardonnay since acidic flavors will stand up to the heat better than overly sweet ones.  You can then use the rest for drinking wine to accompany your dish—it’s a win win!   

 

Baked Salmon with Mustard-Dill Sauce

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I know that I just posted another salmon recipe a few weeks back (check out this amazing recipe for Brown Sugar Honey Marinated Salmon here), but salmon was on sale at the market this week and I was too excited not to post this one! I’ve been looking to recreate this dish that I always grab when I’m back in California and was shocked by just how EASY it is.

This is a great, simple summer dish that only takes 10 minutes to prepare but will definitely impress your friends and family, plus it has so much fresh flavor from the dill and dijon mustard.

 

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Baked Salmon with Mustard-Dill Sauce
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Wild caught salmon
  • 3 tbs. Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani, but any variety will work)
  • 2 tbs. Dijon mustard
  • 3 tbs. Fresh dill (it's really important that this is fresh!)
  • 1 tsp. Garlic (or sub 1 tbsp garlic powder)
  • 1 tsp. Lemon zest
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 dash of salt/pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit.
  2. Cut salmon into small, portion-sized pieces (about 3" thick) and place on lined baking sheet
  3. Mix all other ingredients together with finely chopped dill and spread yogurt mixture over salmon Top with a squeeze of lemon juice and thin slices of remaining lemon
  4. Bake for 10 minutes and serve hot on a bed of greens

 

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