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!

Spicy Shrimp & Veggie Stir Fry - Signature Collection

I have found culinary love in Shirataki noodles. LOL This is only my second dish using them and I am incredibly eager to explore them further. They are quite easy to use, but they do require a process to make them shine. Visit my post Shirataki (Konjac) Noodles - Diabetic Gold :-) for background info as well as a detailed cooking process.

Today's stir fry was originally inspired by my friend Angela who introduced me to Shirataki noodles. In the end I played with ingredients, flavors and process to make this dish my own. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz lge shrimp - peeled, deveined & tail off
• 2 scallions - cut at an angle into 1 - 1.5" pieces
• 4 oz asparagus - cut to 1.5" sections
• 4 oz broccoli - cut the florets to bite size
• 4 oz carrots - peeled and julienned in 2" lengths
• 1 med yellow onion - diced or minced - your choice
• 2 lge gloves garlic - smash minced
• olive oil as needed
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
• soy sauce as needed - just a few splashes
• kosher salt to taste
• 8 oz Shirataki noodles

Preparation:

Cook the Shirataki noodles first and keep in pan, covered, to stay warm. When dry frying them (see process) add a touch of salt and a splash of soy sauce for flavor & color.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat 2+ tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat, and saute the shrimp for ~1 minute on each side, or until they just turn pink. Remove them from the pan place them on top of the noodles - covered.

Add the garlic & onion to the skillet with another splash of olive oil and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add ginger, toasted sesame oil and Aleppo pepper and blend.

Add all veggies and another bit of oil if needed. Toss gently so everything is well blended. Cover and steam for 3 min on medium heat, toss and repeat. 

Finally add the shrimp and noodles and fold into the mix. Maybe add a splash of soy sauce or salt if needed.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Garlic Shrimp & Shirataki Noodles - Signature Collection

Shirataki noodles... Quite an intriguing pasta substitute because it has a glycemic index and load of zero and very little else as well, making them a really nice "pasta" option for us diabetics. They require a little prep work before going into the dish, and said prep work may or may not take some practice to get the texture right. The following recipe adapted from Craving Something Healthy will walk you through the process. 

One thing to remember is that these noodles are indeed flavorless but have an amazing ability to take on any flavors they are tossed with. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces shirataki noodles
• 12 oz large shrimp - peeled, deveined & tail off
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil as needed
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 small - medium yellow onion - minced
• 12 oz grape or cherry tomatoes - pierced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley - minced
• 1 tbsp fresh basil - minced

Preparation:

Drain the package of shirataki noodles in a colander and rinse the noodles well for about 2 minutes under cold running water.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the rinsed noodles to the boiling water, and let them boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain the noodles and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Return the noodles to the empty pot and heat them on medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes, tossing them as they heat. Add a pinch of salt. Let them cook until they are completely dry. Set the noodles aside.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat 2+ tbsp of olive oil in a saute pan on medium-high heat, and saute the shrimp for ~1 minute on each side, or until they just turn pink. Remove them from the pan and set them aside - covered.

Add the garlic & onion to the skillet with another splash of olive oil and saute for 5-6 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and let them cook for 6-8 minutes with occasional tossing, or until they start to break down. I usually pierce them with a sharp knife so they give off their juice and don't pop.

When the tomatoes are just about finished, add the basil, parsley and a bit more oil if dry. Saute for 1 more minute.

Add the shrimp and shirataki noodles to the pan with the tomatoes and garlic. Toss everything well to combine.

Green veggie option: A cup of 1" pieces of asparagus added when the onion & garlic hit the pan.

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!

Beef & Shrimp Stir-Fry

I like the Easy Button at times. I think we all need really quick meals at times, so here you go... This one is quite flavorful and can be on the table in about 20 minutes... perfect for a weeknight  delight.

Let's start with the finished product, because there won't be any prep pics, as this one is way too easy to need pictorial direction ;-)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground lean beef
• 1 lb large raw shrimp, cleaned and peeled (no tails)
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup ginger teriyaki marinade (more or less)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hot mustard 
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat up a large non-stick Dutch oven, add the oil and fry the chop meat. When cooked, add shredded 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 if needed.

A more heart healthy version using ground chicken breast can be found by clicking here.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!