Baked Shrimp with Quinoa and Peas

Shrimp baked with tomatoes and feta cheese  and served with quinoa and peas.  A great meal to entertain friends and family. 

I'm in my little cabin in the Sierras enjoying summer's last hurrah. Fall is definitely in the air. There is some smoke from distant fires that are burning in the foothills, but our little area has been spared so far. A couple of years ago, we had a huge fire in the Emigrant Wilderness that made it difficult to be here. People living in the area had to stay inside during the day because of the smoke. But this year, people are able to come up from the Central Valley of California to enjoy the High Sierras and our lake. There are lots of hikers and campers at the forest service office who get permits to enjoy the high mountains. The Pacific Crest Trail crosses at the top of Sonora Pass at an elevation of 9500 feet. The John Muir trail is part of the Pacific Crest Trail to the south. When I do my day hikes in these beautiful mountains, I always imagine the first settlers crossing these treacherous mountains. Some areas have appropriate names like Deadman's Creek.Here in Pinecrest, we are 60 miles (as the bird flies) from Yosemite National Park. Since I can't fly, I have to go the long way around the Emigrant Wilderness to visit Yosemite. South of the lake is a charming little town called Sonora, a historic commercial center where gold miners brought their gold. Next to Sonora is Columbia, a smaller historic gold mining town. My husband's grandfather and his brother used to hitch up a wagon to deliver produce to the miners from their ranch in Knight's Ferry which is in the Sierra foothills. ​

Pinecrest Lake

Well, you ask yourself, what does this have to do with a cooking blog? Nothing really, but I enjoy sharing part of my world with my blogging buddies—just as I enjoy reading about Australia, England, Italy, and other countries where some of my blogger friends live. ​

Today, I'm going to share a recipe with you that I have made numerous times. It is a scrumptious meal to share with friends and is easy to make. The recipe comes from Elfie Krieger at the “Food Network.” I tweaked it quite a bit. It is not inexpensive because it requires almost two pounds of shrimp. I usually serve this dish with quinoa and peas. Sometimes I serve it with polenta, but always with crusty bread and a salad.

If I'm pressed for time, I buy shrimp that is already deveined and peeled, but still have their tails. I made this dish several times since I posted this recipe. I used large shrimp or prawns and liked it. It is such an easy meal to prepare and so delicious .

Print Recipe

Baked Shrimp with Tomato and Feta
6-8 servings 

Ingredients 

2 TBS olive oil
1 large red onion, diced (about 2 cups) 
4 cloves garlic, minced (2 TBS)
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
2 (14.5 ounces) cans of diced tomatoes 
½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 
2 TBS minced fresh dill
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ½ to 2 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (with tails on)
10 ounces crumbled feta



Ingredients for Quinoa 
8-10 servings

1 ½ cup quinoa 
2 tsp olive oil
3 TBS finely chopped shallots
1 ½ TBS minced garlic
½ tsp.salt
2 cups chicken stock
½ tsp. salt 
1 ½ cup frozen peas (or fresh peas if available) 
¼ cup plus 2 TBS chopped flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 TBS chopped fresh chives
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper ​

Directions for Baked Shrimp

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit 

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and sauté, stirring until softened which will take about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the fresh tomatoes and sauté for another minute, then add the canned tomatoes (with the juice) and bring to a boil. Add the sugar, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and boil covered for about 5 minutes, until the juice thickens. Add the dill and parsley, seasoning with salt and pepper. Finally, add the shrimp. 


Remove from heat and pour in a deep baking dish in which you will serve the shrimp. Sprinkle with feta and bake in the middle of the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until it starts to bubble.


Directions for Quinoa


Rinse and drain the quinoa. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for about a minute. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute stirring constantly. Add the quinoa and sauté for 2 more minutes stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Add the peas and cook for about a minute. Add the parsley and chives, season with salt and pepper and put in a serving bowl


Guten Appetit
Recipe for the shrimp from Ellie Krieger 
Recipe for quinoa by ©Sunnycovechef ​
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