Paired with a Pale Ale
I was just thinking the other day how I don’t post nearly enough “recipes for two.” I mean that’s what I cook most of the time anyway, and it has been a long time learning to do so. For a long time, I always cooked way too much for dinner. We would have leftovers for days, and you guys know how I feel about leftovers. There was a lot of unnecessary waste, and I started to make improvements in cooking smaller portions.
Instead of trying to adjust the recipes I post to cater to crowds of 4-6, I decided to make my life easier and post a few recipes that cater to those of us where there are only two.
Enter surf and turf quinoa bowls with roasted garlic vinaigrette. I think shrimp is such a summery ingredient. Wouldn’t you guys agree? I mean, I eat my fair share of seafood in the winter too, but there is just something about shrimp that has me thinking about summer.
Now these surf and turf quinoa bowls aren’t anything fancy. I ditched the traditional lobster and filet to keep things cheaper and a little bit lighter. I enhanced these bowls with some of my favorite spring and summer flavors: heirloom cherry tomatoes and avocado. The roasted garlic vinaigrette? Well that just brings the whole dish together!
Pair these surf and turf quinoa bowls with a pale ale and have a great day everyone! xo
Yields 2
15 minPrep Time
40 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic, top cut off and exposing the cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon mayo
- salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked per manufacturer's instructions (makes between 3 and 4 cups)
- 8 ounces petite sirloin (or other steak of choice)
- salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound shrimp, cleaned
- 1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
- chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place the head of garlic in the mold of a regular-sized muffin tin, with the exposed cloves facing up. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and cover with foil. Roast the garlic for 40-45 minutes or until fragrant, soft and brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, push the garlic cloves out from the head by pressing the bottom firmly. They should pop out easily.
- Add the garlic cloves to a blender along with the white wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, mayo and a dash of salt and black pepper. Pulse 7-8 times. With the blender speed on low, slowly drizzle the extra virgin olive oil into the pitcher until all has been added. Continue to puree until completely smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste and then refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
- Season your steak generously with salt and black pepper. Preheat a large griddle pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt. Once melted add the steak and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side (for medium rare). Remove from heat and set aside to rest. Once rested, slice the steak against the grain in long, thin strips. Set aside.
- While your steak is resting, prepare your shrimp. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Assemble your surf and turf quinoa bowls by layering steak, shrimp, cherry tomatoes and avocado over two beds for quinoa. Garnish with parsley and drizzle with roasted garlic vinaigrette.
- Enjoy immediately!
