Chicken & Shrimp Stir Fry

The original version of this dish was made with beef or venison and can be found by clicking here. With white meat chicken being a much healthier alternative for me, I decided to give the substitution a try. I had never really worked with ground chicken before so this was to be a good test. Long story short, it really worked out well, and I now have a use for my grinder again as whole chicken breasts are  far cheaper.... AND I always know for sure what is in my grind.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground white meat chicken
• 1 lb large raw shrimp, cleaned and peeled (no tails)
• light olive oil
• 3/4 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup ginger teriyaki marinade (more or less)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp spicy mustard
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large non-stick Dutch oven fry the chop meat in a bit of oil. When cooked, add  cabbage, marinade, soy and mustard. Simmer and toss frequently until cabbage is cooked but still crunchy. Finally add shrimp and cook another few minutes until shrimp are just cooked perfectly. Finish with salt & pepper to taste.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Creamy Shrimp & Spinach with Pasta

Shrimp and spinach are an amazing combination I have used in quite a few different recipes. This one features a light cream sauce with hints of lemon. There is also some pasta, but before anyone shouts OMGs please remember that pasta actually has a low glycemic index. It's usually the portion control where most people fall short of optimal, causing the glycemic load to go high. This recipe mitigates the pasta carbohydrates both in quantity (~2 oz per serving) as well as the pairings of protein and vegetables in the dish. So in a nutshell... ENJOY!

This dish is designed to serve FOUR, NOT TWO! :-) Exercise portion control!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb medium or large shrimp raw - peeled and deveined - tail off
• 16oz fresh baby spinach (a little olive oil & salt for prep)
• 1 medium leek sliced cross ways finely sliced - stem & leaves
• 8 oz spaghetti
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced - leave out 15 min after mince for best flavor
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese - grated
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the linguine until al dente by tasting. Drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking, and set aside. 

Using same pot with fresh water cook down the spinach with an inch of water. Drain and blend in a little olive oil and salt to taste. Set aside.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Give a good stir for about 30 seconds and add the leeks. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for ~5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Increase heat to medium high, add the shrimp to the skillet with the leeks and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes until the shrimp are cooked and turn a pink white color. Do not overcook!

Add the cooked spaghetti and the spinach to the skillet and toss well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to melt.

Pour in the cream and vegetable broth. Add the lemon juice and salt. Stir well to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring/tossing gently to heat everything through. 

Finally add parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and stir until well blended. Serve immediately.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Shrimp & Noodle Casserole

Yes.... Shrimp and NOODLES! Before anyone freaks out, please remember that this dish features a mere 8 ounces of noodles in a recipe with six servings. Also, pasta is in the low glycemic range at 50-54. Be sure to serve with a complimenting green vegetable like asparagus and your pasta load will be minimal.

With that out of the way, make this dish... Seriously, it is absolutely packed with comfort food flavor. Carb counters... take a small serving and have more vegetables. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp - tail off
• 8 oz medium or large no-yolk egg noodles
• 2 cans (10 3/4 oz) unsalted condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped orange pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
• 1/4tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 medium sized tomato – sliced
•  flat leaf parsley sprigs/leaves for garnish

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Drop the shrimp into boiling salt water and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cook noodles al dente and drain well.

Combine noodles with soup, sour cream, scallions, orange pepper, dried dill weed, pepper and salt. Cut 25% of the shrimp into thirds and fold cut shrimp and cheese into noodle mixture.

Spoon into shallow baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove foil and arrange remaining shrimp and tomato slices on top of casserole.

Return to oven uncovered for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with parsley sprigs/leaves and serve.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Lemon Shrimp & Spinach Pasta - Signature Collection

Shrimp and spinach are an amazing combination I have used in quite a few different recipes. This one features a very light white wine cream sauce with hints of lemon. There is also some pasta, but before anyone shouts OMGs please remember that pasta actually has a low glycemic index. It's usually the portion control where most people fall short of optimal, causing the glycemic load to go high. This recipe mitigates the pasta carbohydrates both in quantity (~2 oz per serving) as well as the pairings of protein and vegetables in the dish. 

My original version of this dish, Creamy Shrimp & Spinach with Pasta, turned out to be more of an Alfredo sauce and quite heavy. Really good, mind you, but my goal was something lighter. This revised version turned out exactly as envisioned and now holds a place in my Signature Collection. ENJOY!

This dish is designed to serve FOUR, NOT TWO! :-) Exercise portion control!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb medium or large shrimp raw - peeled and deveined - tail off
• 16oz fresh baby spinach (a little olive oil & salt for prep)
• 1-2 medium leeks sliced cross ways finely sliced - stem & leaves
• 8 oz spaghetti
• olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic crushed - leave out 15 min after mince for best flavor
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup good Pinot Grigio
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - grated
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt to taste

Preparation:

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the linguine until al dente by tasting. Drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking, and set aside. 

Using same pot with fresh water cook down the spinach with an inch of water. Drain and blend in a little olive oil and salt to taste. Set aside.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Give a good stir for about 30 seconds and add the leeks. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for ~5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Increase heat to medium high, add the shrimp to the skillet with the leeks and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes until the shrimp are cooked and turn a pink white color. Do not overcook!

Add the cooked spaghetti and the spinach to the skillet and toss well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to melt.

Pour in the cream, vegetable broth & wine. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Stir well to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring/tossing gently to heat everything through. 

Finally add parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and stir until well blended. Serve immediately in your favorite pasta bowl.

Please remember the dish has FOUR servings. :-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Sweet & Spicy Shrimp

This dish is adapted from a recipe found on Tasty.com. There is quite a bit of prep work involved, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to get food on the table. ;-) The flavor pallet originally was and still can be all about the heat, but in my version the heat is turned down some so that the many ingredients can more easily shine equally. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lge shrimp, defrosted, peeled, deveined, tail off

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tbsp lime juice – one lime

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

• 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper

• 1 pc fresh ginger, peeled & sliced into 12 matchsticks

• 1 cup scallion tops - cut into 1” pieces on the diagonal

• 1.5 cups asparagus - cut into 1” pieces on the diagonal

• 1 cup snow peas

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1 cup fresh Thai or regular basil

• 1 cup pearl barley

• 1/2 cup roasted cashews - chopped

Preparation:

Start the pearl barley first as it takes 40-45 minutes to cook.

In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the cornstarch, Aleppo pepper, salt, and 1 tbsp soy sauce until evenly coated.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, the rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, and orange juice until well combined.

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the bell pepper, ginger and scallions, and cook, stirring frequently, until the scallions are starting to brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the asparagus, snow peas, and water, and cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated and vegetables are bright green and tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook without disturbing for about 1 minute, or until golden brown on the underside, then toss and cook for another 2 minutes until cooked through and opaque.

Add the soy-orange sauce and cook for 1 minute, until the sauce is starting to bubble and thicken. Add the cooked vegetables and basil, and toss in the pan for another 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens slightly and the vegetables are coated.

Serve the shrimp & vegetable mix over barley and top with chopped cashews and a drizzle of sriracha, if desired. For more heat add some thinly sliced or minced peppers of your choosing on top.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!