Super-simple, scrumptious Shrimp Tacos (and counting carbs)

Whew, that went fast!  We had a couple of jam-packed days with baseball, basketball, Girl Scouts, piano, Badgers, our favorite near 2 year old, Kennedy, visiting and to top it all off..warming temperatures and sunshine!

Welcome to a new week!

I have never been so elated to see 60's in the forecast, especially with the kids' spring break coming up and a garage in desperate need of purging.

Regardless of the weather, shrimp is always in season.   This time in a taco, quick, easy and so delicious!

Before I get to the meal, I'd like to share some other recent learnings.

Jerry and I met with a dietician to learn more about a diabetic diet, I have to admit, I was pretty clueless, which is embarrassing to admit as a food professional, but I didn't know how many grams of carbs were ok or the best way to spread them throughout the day.

We learned that rather than feast or famine, it is much better to consume the carbs evenly throughout the day (This isn't Weight Watchers, where you have a certain number of points to use however you want throughout the day).

Seems logical. But, how many carbs are optimal?  And, of course, what is a proper serving size?

This one gets me every time! It is generally much smaller than you think.  Like 8 tortilla chips…when is the last time anyone ate just 8 chips?!?!?

Regardless, it was great for Jerry and I to be there together so that we are on the same page and can keep each other in check.

For anyone with an inquiring mind, the goal is 3 servings of carbs per meal and 2 snacks of one serving each.  (One serving of carbs is about 15 grams. )

As I was making dinner, I was taking inventory of the grams of carbs in each component, so that I could prepare Jerry's plate accordingly.  Note to self...while cooking is a little late, but we are both learning as we go.

The taco shells are each about 20 grams of carbs, the rice was a whopping 51 grams of carbs/serving (probably not a great choice on my part, I realize as it is already boiling.)

And, most importantly, to Jerry's satisfaction, the shrimp have 0 grams of carbs...so he can eat those to his hearts content (well, except for the cholesterol content, his heart probably doesn't love that!).

So, Jerry's plate was two taco shells overflowing with shrimp and a slice of avocado, while the kids and I were left to fill up on shells, rice and about 3 shrimp each.  Haha!

These changes to the diet might take a little to get used to, but we all know we feel better when we eat better and that's the goal for my whole family!

Now that I've shared all that I know about a healthy, optimal diabetic diet, I'll get to the goods!

Start by sautéing the shrimp in a pan with olive oil and minced garlic.  Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.

When the shrimp are cooked, finish with the juice from half of a lime and some crushed rosemary.

Stuff the shrimp into a taco shell of choice and serve with a slice of avocado and a side of rice.

It's that easy and doesn't take much more than 10 - 15 minutes.

Jerry is now torn between the fish tacos and these as his favorite, as they are both delicious. I can't argue.

Although, next time, I'd probably whip up a chili-lime sauce to serve them with, as there is something so delightful about the contrast of cool, creaminess with the snap of the shrimp and the crunch of the shell. (Sorry folks, I don't have that for you now, I'll have to dream it up sometime soon.)


RECIPE

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 lb raw shrimp, thawed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lime
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1 avocado
taco shells of choice

Directions

Saute the shrimp and garlic in the olive oil over med heat.
Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.
Finish with the juice of half of a lime and rosemary.

Stuff into shells, top with a slice of avocado and serve with rice.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers

How do you define a burger?

This was called into question tonight when I announced what was on the menu for dinner.

I got at least two questions wondering whether or not there was meat in those burgers. And, the muffled responses were less than thrilled.  Even from my husband, who knows that my meal failures are few and far between.

This debate took me to the Merriam Webster on-line dictionary where their definition of burger is a food that is like a hamburger but is not made from beef.

Ahhh, I felt vindicated.  I wasn't lying or trying to trick my family.  I just wanted to try something different.

There are lots of different kinds of burgers...hamburgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, which is the avenue I took for tonight's dinner.

All of these doubts, before I even started the meal, made the process even more daunting, causing procrastination to set in.  But, finally dinner was started, served and ENJOYED!

Alayna's response after her first bite was "This is amazing!"

And, Jerry was reluctant to admit that it was really good and he did go back for seconds.

So, let me share how we got this party started.

One cup of dried quinoa was cooked in water, but broth or bouillon is always an option. (I always buy the pre-soaked quinoa to save on my prep time).

While the quinoa was cooking, the mini food processor was put to work.  Not to mention that this mini food processor is 14 years old and, did I mention mini?  A new food processor is definitely on the list as a future investment.

The mini-factor made this process a little more tedious as I had to work in small batches, but the same deliciousness resulted.

Two cans of black beans, rinsed with a half cup set aside, one medium sweet potato (with skin-on cooked in the microwave), 2 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 onion, chopped, one half cup of jarred roasted red peppers, one half tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of salt and a pinch of pepper were all puréed in the processor and poured into a mixing bowl.

Then, then quinoa and reserved black beans were added to the vegetable purée and stirred well before forming into patties, using about a 1/2 cup of the mix yielded 7 patties.

These patties were baked for 20 minutes at 400 F before topping with shredded cheese, Libby's Chunky Guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

In an effort to reward my family for being good sports on this adventurous meal, I also served their favorite fruits and veggies…edamame (cooked, I might add!) and strawberries.

When I revisit this adventure, I might opt for some more sweet potatoes, could hard tell they were in there other than an occasional piece of skin and, I think I'd add some corn, for texture and visual appeal. 

Overall, it was a hit, but more importantly, I just can't say enough about how much it means to have my whole family around the dinner table, talking about our day and sharing a meal.  I'm sure it won't last forever, as the kids schedules get busier, but I will certainly cherish it while it lasts.


 RECIPE

Ingredients
One cup of dried quinoa
Two cans of black beans, rinsed with 1/2 cup set aside, 
One medium sweet potato (with skin on cooked in the microwave)
2 tbsp of minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 half cup of jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of salt
a pinch of pepper 

For topping
Shredded cheddar cheese
Libby's Chunky Guacamole
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions
Cook quinoa according to directions.
Puree together beans, sweet potato, garlic, onion, red peppers, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Add the cooked quinoa and reserved black beans.
Stir until mixed well.
1/2 cup of the veggie mix makes 7 burgers.
Baked at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Top with cheese, guac, salsa and sour cream as you please and enjoy!

Asian Roasted Cauliflower

Vegetables are the topic of the day.

Are they perpetually debated in your house like they are in ours?

My goal is to serve as many veggies as possible with was little noise in reply as possible.  This is a little tricky.  Aside from salads, which all of my kids eat willingly, we debate almost every other form of vegetable that is presented.

For some reason, I feel that veggies served as a side dish, should be cooked, while the kids most certainly prefer the raw version, which is great for a snack and all, but not dinner.

And, then they all have their pecking order as to which vegetable they prefer in each form.  Broccoli this way...carrots that way...

How about my favorite line "Why can't we just have corn?!?"  Who doesn't love those golden nuggets of sweetness...but, they are a starch and don't fit the category in question.

So, when this Asian Roasted Cauliflower dish was not only initially well-received but subsequently requested, for a birthday meal, no less, I was pretty excited about the accomplishment.

I know there are lots of great things to do with cauliflower these days, but this side dish rates pretty high for me.

Start with making the Homemade Asian Marinade by adding 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tablespoon say sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar  and 1 tbsp of hot sauce to 1/3 cup olive oil. The flavor of this marinade is so awesome, I may also try it with salmon sometime soon.  Stay tuned!

This marinade has also been requested with broccoli, so that is another option should your preference lean towards green. 

Then, add 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets to the marinade. Toss to coat before layering on a sheet pan and roasting for 20 minutes at 400 F, stirring halfway through.

 It is that easy!

This was served for dinner last night to compliment an awesome pork roast recipe from Skinnytaste as well as a spinach salad.

The kids were asking for more.  Guess I'm going to have to start doubling these recipes.  Seems to be happening a lot lately with a house full of growing near-tweeners.




 RECIPE

Homemade Asian Marinade 
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon say sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp of hot sauce
1/3 cup olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

Whisk together the Homemade Asian Marinade, toss in the cauliflower to coat.
Roast at 400 F for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Pizza Pinwheels

Happy April Fool's Day…hopefully you have something great planned to get a good laugh at someone else's expense. I'm going to let my family cook me dinner.  April Fools!

Last week, Kraft's Food and Family magazine arrived and I was inspired to try their pizza roll up recipe.  Seemed to be the perfect balance between something different and something familiar.  I got to have fun experimenting in the kitchen and the family got to enjoy something familiar.

There is just something so perfectly wonderful about cheese melted on top of sauce, meats, veggies and bread that whether it is Buffalo Chicken  or Spaghetti Squash Boats, you just can't go wrong with pizza!

In fact, there aren't many things that would make my weekly menu on a regular basis, but pizza is one of those few exceptions.  In general, I prefer to make something totally different and new rather than go with something familiar, but I try to balance the old with the new to keep my family on board with all of the crazy recipes.

Starting with a tube of refrigerated pizza dough, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to keep it from sticking, a large cutting board would be best. I do believe that the recommendation was to roll it out to a symmetrical shape, which I ignored and experienced some lopsided ends of the roll as a result.  Still was delicious, just the same.

Top the dough with thin layers of pizza sauce and other favorite toppings.  We kept it simple sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, despite my favorite pizza toppings being onion and green peppers.

Now, the pizza is ready to roll, from the long side of the dough, roll it up until all of the toppings are enclosed in the dough.  Then slice the roll into pinwheels of desired thickness, this is where the cutting board would come I handy.  I think 16 was the recommendation, but I only got 14, which worked out just fine.

Place the pinwheels on a shallow pan for baking, but could see how the recommended 9x9 pan could work as well. Don't forget to spray first.

Sprinkle with some grated Parmesan and bake at 375 F for 25 minutes or so, to desired doneness.

Served these pinwheels up with a nice side salad, that is generally my go to veggie to compliment pizza.

RECIPE

One tube of refrigerated pizza dough
Classico pizza sauce
Sausage - cooked
Pepperoni
Mozzarella Cheese - shredded
Grated Parmesan

Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface.
Top with a thin layer of sauce, pizza toppings of choice and cheese.
Roll into a long roll.
Slice into 14-16 pinwheels and place on baking pan.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes at 375F.

Libby's Chunky Guacamole

You know it has been a long winter when the first 45 degree day brings people out of the woodwork.  Kids were in shorts and t-shirts, motorcycle and bicycles were out, neighborhood campfires in the air....everyone taking advantage of the first sign of spring!

My kids are looking forward to our first campfire of the year, we will do that tonight.  Last night we had to skip the fire in favor of the Badger game and what a game it was!   I was a senior at UW the last time the Badgers advanced to the Final Four.  Probably won't be reenacting the game, as my bestie that I watched it with is now 6 months pregnant with twins.  

In preparation for the upcoming picnic and party season, I wanted to share with you my time-honored  recipe for guacamole.  I've been making this guacamole for probably a dozen years.  It dates back to my early years at Kerry.  Once a month we would have a birthday celebration potluck.  The guacamole would be set out at 8 am and gone by 10.  It never lasts very long.  

The key to amazing guacamole is perfect avocados.  I was lucky enough to have 4 nearly perfect avocados for my most recent execution of this recipe.  

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit by jarring the knife into the pit and twisting. This is the best way to get the pit from the silky flesh without compromising the delicate texture of the avocado.

The avocado is scored right in the shell in order to provide some nice chunky texture, and then scooped out, one half at a time and added to the mixing bowl.

Next comes to the lime juice, this ingredient is critical to keep the fresh, bright green color of the avocados from turning brown.  One tablespoon of juice per avocado is my general rule of thumb, so in went 4 tbsp lime juice on top of the avocados.

While the measuring spoon is out, and I do actually measure the lime juice because too much ISN'T a good thing!) the lime juice is followed with olive oil, same ratio as before, so in goes 4 tbsp of olive oil.  I give a lot if credit to the olive oil in this recipe for the smooth, creaminess of the finished dip.  

Next up, one half of an onion is finely chopped along with one tomato, chopped and added to the avocado.  

Now for the seasoning, start with 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.  Also add 1/2 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder and 1 tsp of salt.  The salt can always be increased upon tasting before serving, but can't take it out if too much is added.  

Final addition is 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped up.  I've had lots of comments from cilantro-adverse friends who are surprised by how it doesn't bother them in this dip.  It really adds to the freshness of the flavor profile.  

Now, in order to maintain the chunky texture, just stir with a fork a bit initially, refrigerate and stir again before serving.  Don't rush it, the perfect creamy texture come with a little bit of time.  

Ideally, this would be made a the night before serving or at least a few hours in advance.  This gives the avocados time to soften just the right amount and allows all of the flavors to meld for the perfect guacamole.  

This dip is so versatile, it's enjoyment goes well beyond tortilla chips.  Just this week we ate it with burritos and as a burger topping.  I love it on soups, sandwiches and grilled cheese, also adds a nice touch when served with eggs.  Options are endless!

RECIPE

4 avocados - chunked
4 tbsp lime juice - to prevent browning
4 tbsp of olive oil - for creaminess
1/2 of a medium onion - finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of salt
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients together, gently stir with a fork and refrigerate before serving.

Homemade Chicken Tenders and Succotash

Yep, you read that right...succotash.  One of Jerry's favorite side dishes and repeat requests, so I decided to finally bite the bullet and give it a whirl.

The one minor issue was that not only have I never eaten succotash before but I've never made it either and I didn't even have a recipe to go off of, all Jerry gave me was corn, Lima beans and bacon in a roux.  It was quite an adventure!  (At least as far as the kitchen is concerned!)

But, before I get into the succotash, I'll start with the tenders as they took a little longer to cook, so I made those first.

These homemade chicken tenders are an all-time favorite of our family, kids and adults, alike, requested often and received with cheers of joy (bet you can picture Jerry doing his happy dance right now)!

Luckily for you and I, both, they are pretty low maintenance, the tenders that is.

I started with fresh tenders today, but often thaw out frozen tenders as they are a staple in our freezer. Only other required ingredients are fried onion crisps and some flour.

For eight tenders, I used 2 cups of the fried onion crisps and 2 tablespoons of flour.  Pour them into a re-sealable bag and crush, I use my trusty, under-utilized rolling pin for a uniform crush.

This ratio of onions to flour is actually quite important, as the flour is there just to fill in the small spaces between the crushed onion pieces.  If there is too much flour, it will soak up the moisture from the surface area of the chicken before the delicious, crispy onions can adhere which will result in bland, floured tenders and not delicious crispy, oniony tenders as intended.

Place half of the moist tenders, either from their own juices, water or a milk/egg wash, if you prefer, into the bag with the crushed fried onion crisps and flour, toss to coat and then take them out and place them on a foil-lined pan

Bake the tenders at 400 F for about 20 minutes! It's that easy!

Enter, succotash experiment.

Bacon was up first on the list, can't really go wrong with 5 slices of bacon as your starting point.  After pouring out some of the bacon fat, one chopped onion was added to the pan, over medium heat, to soften before creating the roux.

To create the roux, 2 tablespoons of flour were added to the onion and bacon fat to cook.  Then, vegetable broth was added, a couple tablespoons at a time, while whisking constantly, until nearly two cups of broth were added to achieve the desired consistency.

This is where I fell short, according to Jerry's memory, there should have been at least double the roux.  It was ok by me, but I'll revise accordingly next time around.

Finally, 1 lb of frozen corn, thawed, and 1 lb of frozen Lima beans, thawed, and one tablespoon hot sauce were added to the roux and folded together together before being topped with the beloved bacon, which was  snipped with a kitchen shears.

A word about Lima beans...I've only ever been exposed to canned Lima beans, which are generally pretty mushy, so thankfully Jerry requested frozen Lima beans, they were much better than their canned counterparts.

The tenders were devoured, per usual.  The succotash was sweet (from the corn), smoky (thanks to the bacon) and creamy (compliments of the roux). I am intrigued enough by this side dish, that I'll probably give it another try, might be the best way to serve lima beans.

RECIPE

Homemade Chicken Tenders
8 chicken tenders
2 cups of the fried onion crisps
2 tablespoons of flour

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Crush the fried onion crisps in a resealable bag.
Add half of the tenders, toss to coat, place onto foil lined pan.
Coat the other half of the tenders, add to pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Succotash
5 slices of bacon
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of vegetable broth (added a few tablespoons at a time)
1 lb of frozen corn, thawed
1 lb of frozen Lima beans, thawed
1 tablespoon hot sauce 

Fry bacon and set aside.
Use some of the bacon fat to sautee the onions.
Add the flour and whisk in the vegetable broth a few tablespoons at a time, while stirring constantly, until desired texture and volume are achieved.
Fold in the corn, lima beans and hot sauce before topping with the bacon.

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Boats

We've made it to the last week in March and can only hope that warmer temperatures make their arrival along with the new month.  The snow on the ground this morning isn't exactly what I was hoping for.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Basketball wrapped up recently with a wonderful weekend in the Dells at The Great Wolf Lodge with our basketball families. Now, we are looking forward to soccer and baseball, whenever warmer temperatures arrive.

Despite the cool afternoons, the kids have been outside with friends after school, at least enjoying the longer days of sunlight.  Last night when they came in with their cheeks rosy from the cool temperatures, there was some nice, warm, filling and healthy pizza boats ready for them.

I love this combination of something familiar and something healthy.  The kids weren't sure what they thought of the spaghetti squash itself, but when it was loaded with their beloved pizza toppings, they dove right in!

To serve my family of five, I bought 2 spaghetti squash, which are about 3 lbs each.  Each serving was a quarter of a squash and there was enough for seconds and leftovers.

These yellow squash are solid!  They must be pre-heated for a minute in the microwave, after piercing, in order to cut them in half for baking.  Then, scoop out the seeds and fibers and they are almost ready to go into the oven.

The preparation for baking was pretty simple, just brush with olive oil,  sprinkle with seasoning salt and fresh ground black pepper.  I was pretty liberal with all three of these, because once they are cooked and the spaghetti is shredded, there is plenty go to around.

Contrary to many preparation methods, these were baked cut-side up at 400 F for 40 minutes, then checked for tenderness and ease of shredding.  Since there were a few tough spots, I popped them back in for another 10 minutes to ensure doneness.

The next step was to top with your favorite pizza toppings.  Starting with an 8 oz jar of Classico Pizza sauce, 1/3 cup was spread on top of each half, then a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese (probably another 1/3 cup) and finally, 2 of them were topped with pepperoni, to satisfy the meat lovers in the family.

The kids did really well with this variation of a time-honored favorite.  They were intrigued by the fact that the shredded squash really did look like spaghetti and I'm always pleased when a filling, healthy meal can be served up as a one-dish wonder.

 Recipe

Ingredients
2 Spaghetti Squash
Olive Oil 
Seasoning Salt
Black Pepper
8 oz jar of Classico Pizza Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni
(any additional pizza toppings of your choice)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F, pierce squash and microwave for 1 minute to soften. Cut in half, brush on olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Bake, cut side up for 40 minutes, or longer if necessary, until squash shreds easily.

Remove from oven, top shredded squash with favorite pizza toppings.  I used 1/3 cup Classico pasta sauce, a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese and some pepperoni.  Return to oven until cheese is melted.

Cut in half and serve!