Shrimp Saganaki + Weekly Menu

December 9, 2012 by · 4 Comments

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When we were home for Thanksgiving, my father-in-law made it clear that he was anxious for Christmas…and buckeyes.

While I can’t say I loved our years spent as Ohio residents, I grew very fond of the beloved peanut butter balls. The buckeye state has one thing going on, that’s for sure. Problem is, buckeyes are very time-consuming to make. Between Mr. Prevention and my father-in-law a double or triple batch is required. I started putting the bug in Mr. P’s ear that I wanted some help this year and yesterday, I got that help.

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It took an entire afternoon, after a trip to GFS for supplies. This extreme of buckeye making requires masses of peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, and chocolate. We made nearly 200 buckeyes and by the end…neither of us were interested in sampling the treats. I snapped a photo and sent it to my father-in-law. :)

To get his help yesterday we bargained….compromised, if you will. He helped with buckeye making and I agreed to fondue for dinner.

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I was a bit surprised that he was so adamant on fondue since this recipe, which we enjoyed last week, was filled with cheesy goodness. Despite there being no photo in Bon Appetit for the recipe, the title caught my eye immediately. I wasn’t scared off by the ingredient list and the preparation was easy breezy.

I made a few substitutions and served this up. We both loved it and it is lighter than fondue…and traditional saganaki. The tomatoes and wine add so much flavor. This one-pot meal is a bit of a splurge that you will definitely want to make again…and again…and again.

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Shrimp Saganaki adapted from Bon Appetit

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh fennel bulb, chopped (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2-3 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced
1/2 tsp dried dill (optional)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
7 oz block feta

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium heavy skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add scallions and fennel; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat; add wine, broth, parsley, dill, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until tomato mixture is reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Add shrimp to skillet, arranging around edges. Place block of feta in center of skillet. Cover and simmer until shrimp are cooked through and feta is warm, 4-6 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat. Transfer shrimp and feta to a large shallow bowl, if desired, or serve from the skillet at the table with crusty bread.

Yield: 3 servings (as an entree)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 401 calories; 18.3 g. fat; 150 mg. cholesterol; 859 mg. sodium; 14.3 g. carbohydrate; 3.3 g. fiber; 36.0 g. protein

Result: What a fun meal…and a bit of a splurge. There’s nothing topping any nutritional charts here, but this meal is a simple recipe that is perfect to share for a small group or between a couple. I grew up with saganaki and feta is a great substitute for halloumi, which is grilling cheese that is much more difficult to find in stores. Serve this with a few slices of toasted baguette and this “splurge” meal will still come in under 500 calories per serving. You’ll love it…promise!

Weekly Menu: December 9th – 13th

 Studying & hockey today. The weekends go so fast!! :(

Be well,

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Filed Under: 400 calories or less, carb-controlled, gluten-free, guilt-free, low-carb, one-pot meal, quick meals, recipe, Uncategorized, weekly menu ·

Spicy Pineapple Chicken

November 13, 2012 by · 14 Comments

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When life gets crazy, sometimes you just have to step back and breathe. And a great, simple dinner always cancels out a hectic, Manic Monday.

From the time I walked in the door yesterday at work, it was NON-STOP gogogogogo. I unlocked my office door to be greeted by 4 voicemails. I didn’t know anyone knew my extension other than my boss…who knew? Two voicemails were from the same person (who was long-winded to say the least), one was a consult for a patient in the hospital, and the other was someone in finance with a question about some bills I had submitted. The to-do list began.

I was hungry and running low on coffee. The phone wouldn’t stop ringing and my 9am patient was there before I knew it. My 9am appointment lasted an hour and before I returned to the kitchen, I responded to the consult in the hospital. An elemental tube feeding…kind of unique.

When I got back to the kitchen, I was informed that the cheesy cauliflower soup “didn’t taste right”. After a very small, but terrible taste, it could be determined that the soup had been scorched and tasted like a mouthful of campfire…in all of the wrong ways.

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I quickly calculated the nutrition information for the cafeteria’s lunch menu before making a grocery list and heading out to the local grocery store and unfortunately, Walmart, too. I was purchasing ingredients for Biscoff Cookie Truffles (they are more evil than they sound!) that the doctors enjoyed at their bi-monthly meeting last night, as well as the ingredients to make Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Tomato Quiches, along with baked cranberry oatmeal recipe (that will be in my cookbook!) for the diabetic cooking class I’ll be teaching on Wednesday morning in recognition of World Diabetes Day!

Why did I wear heels? Why did I not wear a jacket? Fail. x2.

I spent my lunch sitting in my office chair…in the middle of the kitchen, rolling said Biscoff Cookie Truffles. After baking all day Sunday, my plantar faciitis is rearing its ugly head and my pups were barking…LOUDLY. We finished up the truffles (can we say “spoiled medical staff”?) and my 3pm appointment had arrived. A follow-up gestational diabetic due in 3 weeks! She brought her 2 year old son who was super cute and really ticklish.

I got back to the kitchen in time enough to balance the drawer, answer emails, and read through the recipes for last night’s second parent-child cooking class. The cooking class was another success (3 weeks to go of the 5 week program!) and the calls continue to flow in with more and more people in the community learning about this great program. Awe-some.

I headed off to hockey for my 8:15pm game and made it home around 10:30pm. Dinner was a sandwich…nothing awesome like this meal.

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Days like yesterday make me appreciate days like today all the more. And though I wanted to spontaneously comburst into tears over being stressed and overwhelmed, I am thankful every day for a job I love, that keeps me busy, and that I feel was made for me. Where else would I be able to make sinfully delicious truffles AND meet with diabetics out-patient while still seeing in-patient consults for nutrition support? Probably next to no where…

But sometimes, life doesn’t have to be complicated and crazy…it can be simple and so good. While we dream up the options of what to feed the providers, what they asked for was sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and pork tenderloin. So simple and sometimes over-looked.

This meal reminds me of that — nothing too extraoridinary, but definitely a combination that was just right. I think it’s the pineapple. Nothing over the top about this ingredient list, but I promise, you’ll enjoy every…last…bite.

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Spicy Pineapple Chicken adapted from Elly Says Opa, Jenn’s Cuisine, originally from Epicurious

Sauce:
juice from 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks in 100% juice (reserve pineapple chunks)
1 Tbsp chili garlic paste such as Sambal Oelek
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp low -sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch

Chicken & Rice:
1 cup dry minute brown rice
1/4 cup cornstarch
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced width-wise
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 small sweet bell peppers, cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
pineapple chunks from reserved juice (above)
3-4 green onions, sliced, for garnish

Directions:

Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and stir in rice. Bring to a simmer; stir, cover with a lit, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or according to package directions.

Toss the chicken with the cornstarch until well-dusted. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook on both sides, until completely cooked through. Remove from the skillet.

Add the onions to the skillet and saute for about 2 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and garlic and cook about 1 minute. Stir in the sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until thick, adding the chopped pineapple during the last minute.

Remove from the heat and add the chicken back in, tossing to coat. Top with green onions and serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings (~1/2 cup rice and ~1 cup chicken and vegetable)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 370 calories; 4.0 g. fat; 55 mg. cholesterol; 237 mg. sodium; 56.5 g. carbohydrate; 4.0 g. fiber; 28.8 g. protein

Result: This was a delicious, sweet & spicy meal that was ready in less than 30 minutes…including prep time. It also reheated really well. The pineapple with the soy sauce and chile garlic paste is a treat. This meal is very low in fat and calories while being plenty filling thanks to the protein and fiber. Enjoy!

Work, workout, cook!

Be well,

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Filed Under: 400 calories or less, fiber, fruits and vegetables, guilt-free, kid-friendly, quick meals, recipe, spicy, Uncategorized ·

Chicken Caesar with a Twist & Happy Birthday, Mr. Prevention!

September 25, 2012 by · 22 Comments

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Thirty-two years ago today, the world was graced with the birth of my dear husband. Lord love’em.

I love that he complains to the ends of the earth about my lack of desire and efforts to clean. Yet he doesn’t care enough to really help out, only enough to participate in “damage control” (i.e. not making epic disasters for no reason). So we finally hired a cleaning lady and it may be what saves our marriage (I’m only half kidding).

And let’s not talk about the most absurd reasons for never unloading the dishwasher. My personal favorite is, “I don’t use that many dishes.” I cook (and clean-up) and you eat. Who gets the short end of this stick again?

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Lord love’em he’s the HARDEST person to buy for. I had actually tried to plan a surprise trip to Mexico going through the trouble of even emailing his assistant to find out his meeting and travel schedule, only to have him tell me “he’s really sick of traveling.” There went that idea.

I have probably a dozen email exchanges between my family and his, “Got any birthday gift ideas for Mark?”

Not a clue. He’s a simple, simple man I tell ya.

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I harassed him all weekend, “What do you want me to make for your birthday? Faux fried chicken? Buffalo Chicken Lasagna? Fried pickles? Cupcakes? Cookies? Cake?

He waits until yesterday to email me at work, “Let’s either go out or have x, y, or z (listed above).”

My DEAR, I asked you this over the weekend for a reason. You gave me about 15 hours of notice, 6 of which were at work, 2 of which were spent driving to/from work and hockey, 1 was playing hockey, and 7 were sleeping. Oh wait, that’s 16 hours. You get my drift.

At least the birthday boy got to eat what *I* wanted last night — these salads. Of all the favorite cafe selections at the hospital, everyone looks forward to Caesar Salad with a Twist most. It is quite the hot commodity and there’s no surprise as to why. So, I just had to share it sooner rather than later. Enjoy!

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Chicken Caesar with a Twist!

Dressing:
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar, optional
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Salad:
12 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 oz dry whole wheat rotini
2 tsp olive oil
pinch of salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 heads Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
2 oz Parmesan, shredded

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, start a small pot of boiling water. Add pasta and cook 9-12 minutes, until al dente.

Add chicken to preheated grill and grill 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and cut the breasts width-wise into thin pieces.

While chicken cooks, combine all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.

When the pasta is cooked; drain and return to the pot. Toss with olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, and grated Parmesan.

Toss the lettuce with the dressing and shredded Parmesan. Divide salad among 4 plates and top with 1/4 of the pasta and 1/4 of the chicken. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 salads with ~1/2 cup pasta and 3 ounces chicken.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 395 calories; 16.8 g. fat; 68 mg. cholesterol; 612 mg. sodium; 28.8 g. carbohydrate; 7.0 g. fiber; 35.3 g. protein

Result: Mmmm! There’s a reason this is a favorite among so many — it’s comfort and healthy in one! Plus, it’s ready in no time and is a perfect way to use up leftover pasta or chicken. You could easily make this with shrimp, too! Loved everything about this meal and with all the fiber and protein, it’s a very filling meal for under 400 calories!

 After work I’ll either be grocery shopping for the birthday boy’s dinner, or heading out to his destination of choice. Happy Birthday, Mr. P. Love ya…even if you drive me mad :)

See you Thursday for a Q&A!

Be well,

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Filed Under: 400 calories or less, carb-controlled, fiber, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, guilt-free, quick meals, recipe, reduced-calorie, Uncategorized ·