Name: Garlic Shrimp with Chickpeas over Quinoa
Total time: 28 min
Ingredients: 2 cups vegetable broth; 1 cup quinoa; 1 Pound frozen shrimp ((deveined & shelled)); 2 Tablespoon butter; 1/2 Teaspoon salt; 2 cloves garlic ((minced)); 1/2 lemon; 1-2 Tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 medium onion ((chopped)); 2 cloves garlic ((minced)); 1 Tablespoon tomato paste; 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 Teaspoon salt; 1/4 Teaspoon paprika; 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper; 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth; 15 ounce can chickpeas ((drained & rinsed)); 1/2 cup parmesan cheese ((grated)); 3 big handfuls baby spinach; 1 1/2 cups cherry/grape tomatoes ((halved))

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Garlic Shrimp with Chickpeas over Quinoa on plate

Lately I have been craving more veggie-heavy meals. While poking around online for inspiration, I was totally drawn in by this NY Times Chickpeas with Baby Spinach recipe. I was hoping for a chickpea recipe (cause my kids love chickpeas), so it seemed perfect. But I felt it wasn't enough of a meal in and of itself. So, for protein, I added garlic shrimp, which I love. And I altered the recipe quite a bit, making it into more of a chickpea-tomato sauce. By then, the dish was just screaming for a grain to absorb the sauce. So, I added quinoa to the whole mix. The result: a deliciously saucy, chickpea recipe!

Kids' Reactions

I'll tell you what my kids thought of this meal. They loved the individual parts, but didn't want to combine everything. I plated their quinoa, shrimp, and chickpea sauce separate. Both my kids love quinoa, so that was a winner. My 4 yo loves shrimp. As far as the sauce, both kids loved the chickpeas and picked those out. My 6 yo loves tomatoes, so he ate those too. But the spinach and onions from the sauce were strategically left on the plates. Lol. I can't complain, though. Overall, it was a crowd pleaser.

Time is of the Essence

Worth mentioning is that this recipe uses every minute of the 28 minutes allotted. If your quinoa is cooking slowly or your oven burners don't heat up very fast (like mine!), this recipe may take a little over 28 minutes. A great way to save time is to divide and conquer. Lol. Some ideas: (1) Have your little one halve the tomatoes and chop the onion right away. If your kid complains about their eyes, have them wear goggles while chopping the onion! (2) Show your kid how to use measuring spoons and have them measure the sauce spices into a little bowl together, ahead of time. (3) Your kid can probably rinse the chickpeas on their own. Mine loved that task.