Grilled Corn & Lime Quinoa Bowls with Creamy Ranch
I know it's technically fall, but can I get a one-week extension on summer? I just have to share these delectable Grilled Corn & Lime Quinoa Bowls first. Corn and peaches are still in season here in Spain, but not for long. So put the ingredients on your shopping list today, and make this soon!
Here's the flavor rundown: smoky grilled corn & juicy peaches, tangy ranch dressing, lime, cilantro, and garlicky shrimp. If you wanted to keep this bowl all veggie, you could replace shrimp with warmed black beans or sauteed firm tofu. Just make sure you have this "garlicky component" in some form or fashion.
The mini stars of this dish if you can believe it, are garlic and onion powder -- used on the shrimp and in the ranch dressing. For the longest time I didn't stock garlic or onion powder. I thought they were old-school spices, used only in dried soup mixes and 70s style casseroles. Well, I was wrong. And I'm sure many of you already know the magic of these two humble spices. If you don't, you'll quickly discover it when you make this.
I'll leave you with a simple prep plan I highly recommend following to ensure this quinoa bowl comes together quickly any day of the week.
Quinoa Bowl Prep Plan
Cook quinoa and make the ranch dressing 1-2 days ahead. (Quinoa is often a weekend meal prep item for me. And the ranch dressing just gets better as the flavors have time to mingle in the fridge.)
The day of, simply use the same large heavy-bottomed (i.e. cast-iron) skillet to cook in sequence the corn, then peaches, then shrimp. While these cook, the avocado, tomatoes and cilantro can be prepped on, and served from, a large cutting board.
Let diners assemble their own bowls complete with lime, cilantro and ranch. Place leftover ranch on the table for passing.
Grilled Corn & Lime Quinoa Bowls with Creamy Ranch
Serves 4
Notes: If you wanted to keep this bowl all veggie, you could replace shrimp with warmed black beans or sauteed firm tofu. Just make sure you have this "garlicky component" in some form or fashion.
1 cup dry (186 gr.) quinoa, cooked
Creamy Ranch Dressing (recipe below)
3 knobs of ghee or coconut oil
3 husked cobs of corn
1 large ripe but firm peach, quartered
300 gr. medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp. garlic power
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 avocado, diced
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lime, quartered
Handful cilantro, roughly chopped
Cook quinoa and make ranch dressing one day ahead.
Add a knob of ghee to a large cast-iron (or other heavy-bottomed) skillet over medium-high heat. Place the three ears of corn in pan. Cook, rotating every 3-5 minutes, until all sides are charred. Halfway through, turn heat down to medium if corn is browning too quickly.
Remove corn. Once cool enough to handle, slice off cob into a bowl.
Add another knob of ghee to pan and cook quartered peaches until caramelized and slightly softened (~2-3 minutes, per side). Remove to cutting board and slice.
Add final knob of ghee to pan and cook shrimp. Season with 1/4 tsp. each garlic and onion powder and salt, pepper to taste. Flip after 2 minutes to cook on the other side. Remove from heat.
Assemble bowls: layer quinoa, corn, peaches, shrimp, tomatoes, and avocado. Add a squeeze of lime all around and sprinkle over cilantro. Finish with a generous drizzle of ranch dressing. Enjoy!
Creamy Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (regular or vegan version)
1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried dill
Heaped 1/4tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
The day before serving, mix all ingredients in a small glass bowl. Cover and store in the fridge.
Since sharing the Behind the Scenes post two weeks ago, I've received so many kind comments and e-mails from you. Thank you for all the warm feedback! It takes time to learn how to go deeper and share more on the blog in a way that benefits us all. And I am so grateful for the support and enthusiasm you offered in that post and in all the posts! ~ Katie