Sriracha

Summer Shrimp Succotash

Leah Short — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 13:06:53 +0000

Get ready to click the print or save to recipe button on this one! It’s been a few months since I’ve made a shrimp dish, which is really a shame because they cook so quickly, are packed with protein, and are low in calorie. Let’s not forget they’re completely delicious and can take on almost any flavor combo. This Summer Shrimp Succotash is going to absolutely knock your socks off! There was really nothing that special about it when I chose this recipe, I just wanted shrimp and veggies. Holy cow did I stumble upon a lip-smackin’ keeper!

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King Kong Couscous

Leah Short — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:30:32 +0000

Psst…I’m giving you a sneak peek today. Coming up early next week on the blog is a shrimp showdown! I don’t want to give away too many details, but you’ll want to stay tuned for that post for sure. I’ve been having fun in the kitchen learning how to devein shrimp and cooking up a storm. Who knew it was so easy…with the right tools {hint, hint}. When it comes to shrimp, there’s one dish that always pops into my head. King Kong Couscous. It’s on the menu at East Nashville’s Silly Goose and it’s life-changing good. It’s made several appearances in my dreams and I practically jumped up and down when I found the recipe for it in a new cookbook! I can’t believe they gave this recipe away…but I’m sure glad they did!

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Alabama-Style Shrimp Bake

Leah Short — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 12:00:00 +0000

I think you’re going to love this recipe for Alabama-Style Shrimp Bake. Not only that, but you’ll love where it comes from. Remember Forrest Gump? You know, “life is like a box of chocolates.” Remember the loooooonnnnggg list of ways to cook shrimp? Well, they made a cookbook! I am not kidding! It’s the The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook and it’s pretty fantastic. It’s got quotes from the movie throughout and pretty much all gazillion ways to cook shrimp. Now don’t go sending me comments about this recipe being very similar to Louisiana Barbecue Shrimp. Ain’t nobody got time for that debate…just eat the shrimp and call it whatever you want.

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Healthy Breakfast Sandwiches

Leah Short — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:06:31 +0000

The other day I was thinking about my Veggie Quiche Cups and had the idea that they’d be fantastic as a sandwich. A Healthy Breakfast Sandwich to be exact. I eat breakfast twice these days (say it in your LOTR accent: Second Breakfast!) since I get up so early for work and I wanted something tasty, filling, and low calorie. I was madly in love with Kellogg’s breakfast sandwich, but it was time to cut out the processed food and save some money making my own. I recently got into kale and had to buy a huge bag, so I improvised on my Veggie Quiche Cups and used a ton of kale and spinach.

So, how’s it taste?

I was expecting them to be just ok and that I would miss my processed sandwich. Nope! These were fantastic! I couldn’t believe how much flavor they packed. Such a simple recipe, piled high with greens and a touch of Sriracha and I was sold. I made the first batch with English muffins, the low-calorie wheat/fiber kind. The English muffins probably hold the contents better, but I can’t resist a good everything bagel. Now that they make Bagel Thins, they are more calorie-friendly as well. I used a low-fat American cheese on some and a low-fat cream cheese on the other. Both are delicious and give the sandwich that extra little something beyond the egg muffins.

I put a lot of kale and spinach in my egg muffins. So much so, that the greens stick up in the pan, but that turned out great because kale gets crunchy when you bake it! The carrots are a bit crunchy too, which I like. There are all kinds of textures going on in this sandwich. I bake my egg muffins on Sunday and prep for an entire week of second breakfast. Simply wrap the sandwiches in foil (after they’ve cooled from toasting) and store in the refrigerator. Wrap in a paper napkin and reheat for about 45 seconds in the microwave. Easy and healthy breakfast!

Healthy Breakfast Sandwiches

So, How's It Taste? original
makes 6 sandwiches
about 150-165 calories each, depending on bread & cheese

Ingredients:

1 cup egg substitute (I use Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup chopped fresh carrots
1 cup chopped fresh kale
1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
1 tsp. Sriracha (or more if you want it spicier)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 English muffins or Bagel Thins
6 slices of low-fat American cheese or 6 tbsp. low-fat cream cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine the egg substitute and all the veggies in a medium mixing bowl. Add the Sriracha, salt, and pepper. Stir until the spices are mixed and the veggies are coated with the egg substitute.

3. Spoon the mixture into 6 wells of the muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one egg muffin comes out clean. (Mine overflowed a bit, so just in case, put a baking sheet underneath.) Let cool 5 minutes on wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges and remove the egg muffins.

4. Toast both halves of each English muffin or Bagel Thin. Place one slice of cheese (or 1 tbsp. each of cream cheese) on one English muffin or Bagel Thin half. Top with one egg muffin each and other half of English muffin or Bagel Thin. Eat immediately or wrap in foil and store in fridge. Wrap in a paper napkin and reheat for 45 seconds in the microwave.

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Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad

Leah Short — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:32:31 +0000

I struggled a bit with this recipe being named Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad. Although it’s very good (after some tweaking from the original), it’s not going to taste like what you’d find in your favorite restaurant. Caesar salad has to be one of the worst salads, calorie-wise, you can order. Which is unfortunate because it’s one of my weaknesses when dining out. I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel, so I stuck with the name (Patti calls it Cajun Chicken Caesar). After dressing it up a bit from her version, I made it much, much tastier and heartier so it’s more of a main dish.

So, how’s it taste?

I hadn’t eaten this salad in quite a few years, but thought it was worth revisiting and I’m glad I did. The flavors are close to an original Caesar, but with a spin. It’s cleaner, lighter, and has a spicy kick! The original recipe needed a lot of help. It was pretty flavorless, but I liked the concept of a light salad. I doubled the dressing, added red onions, hard-boiled eggs, and croutons. It upped the calories, but made it a meal I could eat without being hungry 30 minutes later. Feel free to add your own flavor enhancers as well. Chopped black olives are tasty additions!

Although it’s low in calories, my version has 23 grams of fat. You could reduce the amount of oil in the dressing to your liking and cut down on the fat calories. I like to mix my dressing and leave it in a separate container so I can make one salad at a time. This salad also works well as a wrap or in a pita.

Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad

adapted from Patti LaBelle's Lite Cuisine by Patti LaBelle
makes 6 servings
per serving: 343 calories, 23g fat, 25g protein, 7g carbs, 0g fiber

Ingredients:

Chicken
1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
dash salt and pepper
4 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Salad
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper sauce (I used Sriracha)
1 head romaine lettuce
6 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan
3/4 cup fat-free seasoned croutons
6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Directions:

1. To make the chicken, preheat the oven to 375. Coat a baking sheet with fat-free cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the Cajun seasoning, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle seasonings evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts.

2. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160F and juices run clear, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let chicken cool. Chop into bite-sized chunks.

3. To make the salad, in a large bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, broth, sour cream, mustard, and red pepper sauce. Or you can make the salad dressing in a glass jar and use less or more to your liking.

4. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, toss with the red onions, Parmesan, croutons, chicken, and salad dressing to coat evenly. Add slices of hard-boiled egg. Divide into 6 servings.

*Note: This is also great in a wrap or pita.

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