All Hail the Return of the Shrimp

Hubmeister is finally eating shrimp again after an unfortunate pad thai experience at a local restaurant in March.  He and Son of Hubmeister both ordered the same shrimp dish and only the older Meister got sick, so I can't totally blame the restaurant (but he does!). 

This pukefest happened the night before coaching a morning game in Orlando, then driving back to Tampa, flying to Atlanta and shuttling to Athens to see Daughtress in a play - all in the same day.  It was the worst timing imaginable, not that food poisoning ever comes at a good time, but traveling with the remnants of bad Thai food in your gut literally blows.  I guess I'd hold a grudge against shrimp, too.  I've held a grudge against bourbon since my college days.

For the shrimp homecoming celebration last night I made a shrimp and asparagus dish out of my trusty low-fat Good Morning America Cut the Calories Cookbook.  Hubmeister bought me this book years ago - the copyright is 2000 - because my food hero Sara Moulton graces the cover.  I didn't start using it until we moved back to Florida and I weighed myself.  It turns out I was having too much fun living in Georgia, making and scarfing down biscuits and fig cake, to be concerned with the tightening of my clothes and the widening of my butt.

I attribute this cookbook with much of my dieting success.  When you love to cook, it's hard to sacrifice all the wonderful fat that makes everything taste so good, but this book showed me that you can still be creative and make tasty meals with lower calorie ingredients.  Sara, who co-edited the book, chose the best low-calorie, low-fat recipes submitted by more than a thousand "Good Morning America" viewers. 

Among the 120 recipes selected is the one below for Shrimp and Asparagus Casserole.  It's a really fast one to whip up - the speediness of preparing shrimp always a big plus - and I especially like the sherry, which brings out the sweetness of the shrimp.  I didn't have mushrooms and the gang here hates them anyway, but what I lacked in mushrooms I made up for with shrimp.  A half-pound?  Come on. 

I served this light and easy meal over fragrant basmati rice.

Pretty impressive for 184 calories a serving

Shrimp and Asparagus Casserole
(Good Morning America Cut the Calories Cookbook)

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 pound medium-size mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 C coarsely chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium-large onion)
1 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (I used freshly grated)
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper (or black, who cares?)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C skim milk
1/4 C dry sherry (buy real sherry, NOT cooking sherry)
1/2 pound shelled and deveined large raw shrimp, halved lengthwise (or don't bother halving them)
3 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Bring a large pan of water to boil over high heat.  Add asparagus and cook uncovered four minutes.  Drain asparagus, plunge into ice water, and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat.  Add mushrooms and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until limp but not brown - about five minutes. 
3. Blend in cornstarch, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, then mix in milk and sherry and, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a boil.  Adjust heat so mixture bubbles, and cook, stirring all the while, until thickened - about three minutes. 
4. Add shrimp and cook uncovered just until shrimp turn pink - about two minutes.  Meanwhile, drain asparagus well, then add to shrimp mixture.
5. Turn shrimp mixture into ungreased one-quart casserole and scatter Parmesan evenly on top.
6. Bake uncovered until bubbly and lightly golden - about 10 minutes.  Serve at once.

Notes:  Serves three or four.  Buy whole nutmeg and grate on a microplane.  It's the only way I use nutmeg anymore.  Pick up a bottle of sherry in the wine section of your grocery store for under $10.  Put a splash in creamy soups, seafood and chicken dishes.

Try an Asian Noodle Bowl

 

Lucky enough to have a chill in the air?  This will warm you.



The featured recipe in this post reminds me of a Vietnamese noodle bowl, but cookbook author Sheila Lukins says it is inspired by the noodle soups of Indonesia.  This dish is basically an aromatic fish and noodle soup.  It uses cod and tons of chicken stock, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro and shallots. 

I had a package of frozen cod and was looking for a creative use for it.  My recent library visit resulted in the book Ten, which is a compilation by Lukins of 32 different foods we are presumed to love.  She provides 10 recipes for each, and each recipe she considers a "10."    Are you following this?  What a convoluted idea for a cookbook! 

Anyway, emerging from the chapter on fish is a recipe for Ginger-Lime Cod in a Bowl.  The heavenly aroma will have everyone in the house asking, "What's for dinner?"  Be forewarned, this dish dirties lots of pots and pans and involves loads of chopping - a great meal if you have a sous chef handy (or child labor).  It's also ideal for dieters.  If you aren't concerned about calories, serve with a loaf of crusty bread.

Ginger-Lime Cod in a Bowl
(Ten by Sheila Lukins)

For the fish:
2 C chicken broth, preferably homemade
4 sprigs cilantro, lightly crushed
4 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, sliced and crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 pounds cod fillet, cut crosswise into six 4-ounce pieces (try to keep the pieces similarly sized by trimming off the thin area on the bottom of each piece)

For the serving broth:
2 T. olive oil
2 medium-size shallots, minced
2 T. minced garlic
2 T. minced fresh ginger
6 C chicken broth, preferably homemade
2 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For finishing the dish:
12 ounces angel-hair pasta
1 head broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into small florets
2 ripe tomatoes, each seeded and cut into 8 pieces
4 scallions (white bulbs and 3 inches green), thinly sliced on the diagonal, for garnish
6 lime slices, for garnish
4 T. thinly sliced fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1.  Prepare the fish:  Combine 2 cups of chicken broth, cilantro, parsley, garlic, ginger, salt, and 2 cups water in a large skillet.  Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer, add the fish, and simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 7 minutes.  Using a slotted spatula, gently transfer the fish to a plate; set it aside.  Discard the cooking broth and seasonings.

2.  Prepare the serving broth:  Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the broth and the cinnamon sticks, partially cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Season the broth with salt and pepper.  Let it steep, covered, for 15 minutes.  Then strain the broth into another saucepan and set it aside until serving time.

3.  About 15 minutes before serving time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook according to the package directions  Drain, and set it aside.

4.  While the pasta is cooking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the broccoli florets, and blanch them lightly, 2 to 3 minutes.  Drain the broccoli and set it aside.

5.  To serve, reheat the serving broth.  Arrange the cod, pasta, tomatoes, and broccoli in a pinwheel fashion in each of six shallow soup or pasta bowls.  Top each serving with a cup of the hot broth, and sprinkle the scallions on top.  Place a lime slice in the center of each bowl, garnish each with the basil, and serve immediately.

Notes:  I didn't have any scallions, but I think they would add a nice crunch.  Be sure to season well with salt and pepper or this dish will be bland.

Fabulous Fish Tacos



Both tacos are only 405 calories. 

Say goodbye to summer with this low-calorie favorite from Ellie Krieger's cookbook, The Food You Crave.  In case you are unfamiliar with Ellie, she hosts "Healthy Appetite," a show which previously ran on Food Network and now can be seen on Cooking Channel.  A registered dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition, she has a knack for making boring "diet" food taste pretty great. 

I recently made her recipe for fish tacos.  I love fish tacos but they usually are not low in calories, thanks to many restaurants and taco stands frying the fish.   Ellie marinates the fish in fresh lime juice and a touch of olive oil, then quickly grills it.  You never miss the fry.  She then adds a chipotle cream to spice it up and tops it off with corn kernels, shredded cabbage and cilantro.  Corn tortillas are the vessel of choice, since they are extremely low in calories, sodium and fat.

While the last few recipes I've posted are loaded with fat and calories, this is one you won't feel guilty about eating, and it's ready in a snap.  I picked up some tilapia, an ear of fresh corn, and a bag of angel-hair shredded cabbage, and it was off to the kitchen.  Ole!

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream
(The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger)

For the fish
2 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound white, flaky fish fillets (tilapia, mahi-mahi or halibut)

For the chipotle cream
1/2 C plain nonfat yogurt or 1/3 C Greek-style nonfat yogurt
2 T. mayonnaise
2 tsp. finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

For the tacos
Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
1 1/2 C shredded green cabbage or lettuce
1/2 C cooked corn kernels
1/4 C fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

To make the fish, in a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Pour over the fish and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.  To make the chipotle cream, if using regular yogurt, put it into a strainer lined with a paper towel set over a bowl to drain and thicken for 30 minutes.  Preheat a grill or nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill until cooked through, about three minutes per side.  Set the fish aside on a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the drained or Greek-style yogurt, the mayonnaise and chipotle.

To prepare the tacos, heat the tortillas on the grill or grill pan for 30 seconds on each side.

Flake the fish with a fork.  Spread each tortilla with one tablespoon of the chipotle cream.  Top with fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

Notes:  I have been using the leftover chipotle cream on sandwiches and it adds lots of flavor and heat to otherwise uninspired turkey sandwiches.  If you don't like spicy foods, use less chipotle in the cream.  Greek yogurt is superior to regular yogurt.  Buy it and you won't need to mess with the strainer.  You can use frozen corn but fresh tastes best, and I simply saute it in butter-flavored cooking spray.