Garlicky Shrimp

If you're trying to cook more meals at home, here's a simple and quick one to try: Garlicky Shrimp & Rice. I ran across it in Parents Magazine and tried it that same night.

Some of you may already make something similar, but for those that need an actual recipe (like me) here it is!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup basmati rice (I had none in the house, so I used brown rice)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic, divided
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable stock (I used water and a little salt - and the amount needed to cook the rice per directions)
• 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Make it:
1. In a medium saucepan melt 1/2 Tbs. butter. Add rice and 1 tsp. garlic; cook and stir one minute. Add stock, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 tsp. salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in peas and lemon zest.

2. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add shrimp and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until opaque, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbs. lemon juice and 1/2 Tbs. butter. Cook 1 minute more and serve with rice.

Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

I made this a day ahead, refrigerated it and reheated with a little water on our camping trip!


Action Item: Add this to your week-night meal planning. It's quick, easy and nutritious.

For Further Reading: Try other recipes from Parents Magazine. We find some of the recipes a little bland, but sometimes we find a keeper!

Kale and Quinoa with Creole Seasoning

I tried a new recipe from allrecipes.com last week, and it was delicious. Don't you just love when a recipe works out the first time?

I added shrimp, a little garlic, used vegetable broth, used an onion because that's what I had in the house, and I omitted the salt. The only problem was that four servings were not enough for the three of us. Oops :)

Ingredients               

• 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)                                                                      
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 quarts water                                                    
• 1 bunch lacinato (dinosaur) kale, sliced (or any type you have on hand)                                                         
• 1 teaspoon olive oil                                                                     
• 1 large shallot, minced                                                                     
• 1 teaspoon salt                                                                     
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's®)                                                                     

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan; stir in quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
2. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan; cook kale in boiling water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Heat olive oil in the same saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir shallot until softened, about 5 minutes. Add kale, cooking and stirring, until desired doneness. Mix quinoa into vegetable mixture and season with salt and Creole seasoning.

The directions say: 30 minutes total prep and cook time!


Action item: Make sure to try at least one new recipe this week!

For further reading: Cooking With Quinoa: 23 recipes

Shrimp Curry

I'm going to share my first recipe. I picked this one not because it's the healthiest, the easiest or our favorite, but because it's a good example of how recipes can be adjusted and still work!

4 Tbsp butter (yes, butter, but we all use it sometime... maybe coconut oil next time?? I use unsalted butter too)
4 Tbsp flour (I use whole wheat flour)
4 tsp curry powder (heaping teaspoons and our favorite is Madras)
2 cups milk (I use SKIM milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I often use Lite Salt*)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ginger, ground
1lb shrimp, cooked
5 cups cooked rice (I use brown rice)

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and flour and curry powder. Cook and stir one minute. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened (yes it will thicken even with skim milk). Add salt, pepper and ginger. Fold in shrimp and heat thoroughly. Serve on rice.

There you go. Easy and with some substitutions that make it a little better for you! I good addition or substitution is peas; they taste great with curry in my opinion. A cup of peas has less than 100 calories but lots of protein, fiber and micronutrients.

*Lite Salt... something I haven't done much research on. I guess I could just use less regular salt. It's on my list to investigate. I bought Lite Salt for popcorn since someone in our family struggles a little with keeping blood pressure low.

Action item: Go through a favorite recipe and see where you can make a change for a healthier meal.

Further reading: Wild vs Farmed Fish