Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Salad with grilled shrimp



I had shrimp in my scrambled egg for lunch, and for dinner it is salad with grilled shrimp. I LOVE shrimp! wink I love it any way it comes!

Time: 54 minutes
Servings: 2

1/4 cup lemon juice, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon red-flakes, divided

1 cup large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bag (about 2.5 cups) Field Greens salad or other mixed baby greens

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/2 cup grape tomatoes

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil


1. In medium bowl, whisk 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pinch of pepper flakes. Stir in the shrimp. Let stand to marinate at room temperature, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in serving bowl, combine salad greens, cilantro, olives, and grape tomatoes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. In small bowl, whisk together olive oil and remaining 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes.

4. Lightly oil grill pan and preheat over medium heat. Grill shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side, or until bright pink and just opaque throughout. Toss shrimp with greens and dressing.

Exchanges: 1 veg, 3 meat, 1 1/2 fat

Shrimp and green onion egg scramble


I was browsing some food blogs last night and came across a shrimp and green onion egg scramble. I can't remember the name of the blog otherwise I would link it here.

The ingredients were on hand and it was one of those dishes that is easy to prepare. All I needed were 2 eggs, a stalk of green onion, about 5 shrimps, a pinch of salt, a sprinkle of pepper and a little oil.

And that was what I whipped up for my lunch today. Nice and light.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Herb roasted pork chops and vegetables


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 55 minutes

3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 small new red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered (about 1 lb)

2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots

1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless pork loin chops (4 oz each), trimmed of fat

1. Heat oven to 450 °F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

2. In large bowl, mix potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. Sprinkle with oil and half of herb mixture; toss to coat evenly. Place in center of pan.

3. Bake 20 minutes; stir vegetables. Sprinkle remaining herb mixture over pork chops. Place pork chops around vegetables. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until pork is no longer pink and meat thermometer inserted in center reads 160°F, and vegetables are tender.


Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1/2 fat
Carbohydrates choices: 2

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Turkey bacon wrapped corn

Fire up the grill, and barbecue some corn!

Turkey bacon does not have as much fat as real bacon to keep the corn moist but if you don't barbecue the corn too long, the corn will still remain moist and sweet.

Yummy, and very satisfying!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Salmon with Mediterranean Vegetables


I love salmon and am always looking for new ways to prepare it. I found the recipe for this dish from a little booklet called Recipes Inspired by The Best Life Diet. It's a really great tasting dish and easy to prepare.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 2

2 nice-sized salmon fillet (about 1 lb)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 medium zucchini , sliced

1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers (from a jar), drained, cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons sliced pitted olives

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Heat oven to 375 °F. In shallow baking pan, place salmon, skin side down; brush with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the lemon peel and the pepper. Bake uncovered 15 to 25 minutes or until salmon flakes with fork.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and zucchini; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red peppers, olives, oregano and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon peel; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.

Serve salmon with vegetables.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Bitter Melon with Shrimp and Black Beans Stir Fry


Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), is well known for its sugar lowering properties. Bitter melon is also found in food supplement form and as teas.

Shrimp is low in carbohydrates and therefore suitable for those watching the carbs in their diet.

This dish is usually eaten together with rice. Bitter melon, as the name implies, is slightly bitter and it is an acquired taste. However, there is a variety of bitter melon that is not as bitter as other varieties.

Choose the bitter melon that has the grooves running along the length of the gourd, that are farther apart from each other. Adding salt to the sliced bitter melons takes away a little of the bitterness.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Ingredients:

  • 1 medium-sized bitter melon
  • 20 medium-sized shrimp, shelled and de-veined
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
  • 1 tablespoon salted black beans (fermented soy beans, available in Asian stores)

Preparation:

To prepare the bitter melon, cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut on the diagonal into thin slices.

Heat wok over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic (about 30 seconds).

Add shrimp and stir-fry till almost cooked (about 2 minutes)

Add the bitter melon. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add in salted black beans. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the bitter melon is browning and beginning to soften. Serve hot.