Taking time each week to prep some homemade staples to keep in the fridge, is key for me! I get asked all the time what some of my staples are, so I am finally sharing them with you. These are in addition to stocking the pantry and fridge with healthy food each week, which I will be sharing in a separate blog post. I choose a day each week (usually Sunday or Monday) to prepare these go-to items so I can just grab them as needed.

Glass Jar Staples

1. Almond Milk. Ever since I posted about making this homemade almond milk recipe, I have been making a weekly batch ever since. I love to use it in my morning tea or coffee, baked goods, chia seed pudding, oatmeal, desserts, etc. It is also amazing to have a glass on its own!

2. Chia Seed Pudding. I recently started making this for a quick breakfast and absolutely love it because it contains 2 ingredients and is delicious! Combine 1 cup of almond milk (above) and 3 Tbs. chia seeds. Mix it together and leave it in the fridge overnight and you have breakfast in the morning. I like to top mine with fruit and nuts!

3. Homemade Salad Dressing. I grew up on my mom's homemade salad dressing recipe and absolutely love it. In a jar combine 2 Tbs. olive oil, 1 Tbs. vinegar (of your choice), 1 Tbs. dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Shake it to combine and leave it in the fridge to enjoy on your salads throughout the week. I usually double the recipe for a whole weeks worth. You can also add other flavor enhancers: herbs, garlic or shallots, seasoning salts, etc.

Tupperware Staples

1. Cooked Quinoa. I love having quinoa on hand to add to salads, breakfasts, or as a side dish. I usually make 1-2 cups cooked quinoa which is plenty for my husband and I to get through the week.

2. Hardboiled Eggs. In addition to fresh eggs, I like to have half a dozen hardboiled eggs on hand for my husband to take to work as an easy breakfast. They also make for a great salad topper or snack!

3. Cooked Poultry. I love to have grilled or baked poultry of some kind on hand. I usually have chicken, steak or shrimp that I can easily take from the fridge to make a salad or add to a main dish. It takes the guesswork out of lunch for me!

As expressed above, these staple items are in addition to the fruits, vegetables, dairy, poultry and pantry items that I keep on hand. I would love to know what some of your staple items are, so be sure to comment below!

One of the things I love so much about the weather transitioning to Summer is that is has be craving more salads. I have been trying to mix up my traditional salads and that's where the craving for this spicy shrimp and quinoa salad came into play. Wow, it is good!

Let me start out by saying that I am not a fan of really spicy food and I loved this. It is a mild heat with the mix of the chili powder and paprika in the shrimp marinade. You could certainly add more of less heat depending on your liking.

This salad is healthy and the ingredients are clean and easy to prepare. You will find that it is filling yet it won't weigh you down. It makes for a perfect lunch, dinner or side salad to bring to a Summer BBQ. See below the recipe for my "make ahead" tips! I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do this Summer!

Spicy Shrimp & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

Half a pound or about 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
1/3 cup chickpeas
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Half an avocado, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil for cooking

Shrimp Marinade:

3 Tsp. lime juice
2 Tsp. olive oil
1/2 Tsp. chili powder
1/4 Tsp. paprika
1/4 Tsp. Lawry's season salt
Ground pepper

Salad Dressing:

1 small shallot, diced
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
Drizzle of honey, about 1/4 Tsp.
Pinch of ground cumin
Salt and ground pepper

Serving size: 2

Combine all the ingredients for the shrimp marinade: lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, paprika, Lawry's season salt and ground pepper in a bowl. Add in the shrimp and toss well. Marinate for a half hour in the refrigerator.
Rinse and drain quinoa and cook according to box directions. Set aside.
Combine all the ingredients for the salad marinade: diced shallot, lime juice, olive oil, honey, ground cumin and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Sit with whisk. To the bowl, add the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, chickpeas, feta cheese and avocado and toss gently.
Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator. In a cast iron skillet, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pan set to medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes on eat side until cooked and pink in color.
Divide the quinoa mixture evenly among 2 plates. Top each serving with shrimp and serve.

Make Ahead Tip! If you would like to make this ahead of time, or are cooking for a large crowd, you can marinade the shrimp and make the quinoa salad mixture (without the avocado) and keep in the refrigerator. Right before you're ready to eat, cook the shrimp and dice the avocado and serve.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Weekly Food Prep Staples

Spicy Shrimp and Quinoa Salad