1. Cover the quinoa with cold water in a bowl and let sit for five minutes.  Drain through a strainer, and rinse until its clear.  Boil the salted water, add quinoa and bring back to a boil.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent (it will look weird).  Drain the water and return the quinoa to the pan.  Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes (don’t ask why).
2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, toss with salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels.  Do the same with the onion.
3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl.  Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa, shrimp and cilantro.  Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs.

As you can see below, this is a healthy one for once plus it is good for those who are not eating gluten, dairy, eggs or whatever else you might normally try to make.  If you’re not on board with quinoa yet, it seems weird at first but you get used to it.

Nutritional Information per serving:  236 calories; 14 grams fat; 2 grams unsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 25 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 12 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 6 grams protein (not counting the shrimp).

John-2010