(123) Scallops with Browned Butter Vinaigrette

I don't make scallops very often, but we decided to add a little surf to go with the turf for Christmas Eve dinner! This recipe was VERY easy and so fantastic! This served 4 for us (3 scallops each), but you could make a full meal of it for 2 people! Don't skimp - use the big scallops!!

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Scallops with Browned Butter Vinaigrette

Source: Adapted from an Epicurious recipe
Yield: 2 or 4 servings

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 large sea scallops (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Cook butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until deep golden brown and most of foam subsides, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Transfer butter to bowl, reserving skillet.

Sprinkle scallops with salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme; add to reserved skillet and cook until just opaque in center, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to plate.

Add shallots, a small amount (~ 1 to 2 tsp, as needed) reserved butter, and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme to skillet; saute until shallots are softened. Remove skillet from heat. Add remaining browned butter and vinegar; stir to blend. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

(105) Sesame-Orange Shrimp

I am beyond impressed at how easy and delish this dinner was!! I loved the batter - kind of like the batter on sweet & sour chicken we get from the local Chinese joint! REALLY easy to put together. I served it over rice and with some sugar snap peas. This is a repeater for sure!

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*image is from Eatingwell.com

Sesame-Orange Shrimp

These shrimp are super-easy to make—just coat them in a simple batter, cook them in a little oil and toss with a tangy sesame-orange sauce. The staff at EatingWell simply could not get enough of these delicious shrimp while we were developing this recipe. Serve with: Brown basmati rice and steamed snow peas tossed with a little toasted sesame oil.


Yield: 4 servings
Source: Eating Well Magazine - November/December 2009

3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-25 per pound)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry (see Note)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 scallion, thinly sliced

1. Whisk sesame seeds, egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the shrimp and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the rest of the shrimp.

3. Add orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, with scallion sprinkled on top.

Nutrition
232 Calories; 10 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 168 mg Cholesterol; 12 g Carbohydrates; 21 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 488 mg Sodium; 327 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 1/2 lean meat
Nutrition Note: Vitamin C (43% daily value), Iron (20% dv).

Tips & Notes
* Note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don’t use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that’s sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.

(94) Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Oh yeah baby, this is off the hook good!!! It's easy, quick, and healthy, too! Please make this! I'm going to make it again soon, it was that good!!

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Image is from Eat Better America website!

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Source: Eatbetteramerica.com
Yield: 6 servings

8 oz uncooked multigrain angel hair (capellini) pasta or spaghetti
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 lb fresh medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail shells removed
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine or Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/4 cup Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter

1. In 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain; return to saucepan. Stir in spinach, tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Cover to keep warm.

2. While pasta is cooking, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 1 minute. Add shrimp, garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir 2 minutes.

3. Stir in wine, broth, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and butter until butter is melted. Add shrimp mixture to pasta mixture in saucepan; toss to mix.

Nutritional Information
Calories 300 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 170mg; Sodium 370mg; Total Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 3g); Protein 25g

(71) Grilled Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze

I have to admit that in my almost 32 years, I've NEVER cooked salmon. My husband and I don't like love salmon, but I suspect that's because we've never had it really well prepared. Anyway, I decided to live on the wild side and cook salmon. Guess what? We liked it! I can't tell you if this was just good or if it was awesome because I have no point of reference, but I'd love it if you'd try it and tell me what you think!!

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Grilled Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze

Friends and family will beg for the recipe when you serve this sophisticated take on salmon. Brush the fruit reduction on the fish at the last minute to prevent sugars from burning on the grill.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, June 2007

Salmon:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Glaze:
1/4 cup apricot nectar
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Remaining ingredient:
Cooking spray

Prepare grill.

To prepare fish, sprinkle fillets evenly with garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

To prepare glaze, combine nectar and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon pepper) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; set aside.

Place fillets, skin side up, on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes; carefully turn over, and grill 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Brush each fillet with 1 tablespoon glaze; grill 30 seconds.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 342 (34% from fat), Fat: 13.1g(sat 3.1g,mono 5.7g,poly 3.2g), Protein: 36.4g, Carbohydrate: 18.1g, Fiber: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Iron: 0.7mg, Sodium: 482mg, Calcium: 25mg

(32) Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables

For a recipe billed as "a twist on shrimp scampi", I sure did expect a STRONG garlic flavor. This was anything but strong. It had nice mild flavors and was VERY filling. 2 lbs of asparagus is a LOT of asparagus! Holy cow!

I used a red and a yellow pepper because the reds looked pitiful. I think next time I'd add a little fresh cracked pepper right @ the end (or maybe even some red pepper flakes! YUM!). I served it over plain old couscous and it was just right! (oh and you've gotta love the nutritional info on this one! Filling and low cal! SCORE!)

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Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Vegetables

Here’s a healthy twist on shrimp scampi. We left out the butter and loaded the dish up with red peppers and asparagus for a refreshing spring meal. Serve with quinoa, whole-wheat couscous or linguine.

Source: Eating Well Magazine, March/April 2008
Yield: 4 (very generous) servings

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.

2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk broth and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth and add to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:
226 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 174 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 4 g fiber; 514 mg sodium; 670 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (210% daily value), Vitamin A (80% dv), Folate (53% dv), Iron (25% dv).

(12) Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

Recovery from the stinker of last week! Redemption! This recipe is a definite keeper. 5 stars in my book. It was on the table in under and hour, super filling, and DELICIOUS. It was spicy, but not burn-your-mouth spicy.

For whatever reason, our Publix didn't have andouille so I bought sausage they had labeled as 'cajun'. I took it out of the casing and browned it up in the crumbled form and that worked fine! As always, I did not use the bay leaf *spit*. I failed to use the parsley and it was fine without it.

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Jambalaya with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, April 2005
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

CL Comments: Using both andouille sasuage and juicy pink shrimp, jambalaya is like a spicy surf-and-turf. To save time, buy frozen peeled shrimp and thaw in the refrigerator or under cold, running water.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 bay leaf
2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, minced garlic, and sausage; saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add rice to the next 7 ingredients (through bay leaf); cook 2 minutes. Add broth, water, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and diced tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley.

Calories: 426, Fat 12.7g, Iron 5.1mg, Cholesterol 117mg, Calcium 99mg, Carbohydrate 52.7g, Sodium 763mg, Protein 25g, Fiber 4.9g

(2) Shrimp & Grits Casserole

Being the good southern girl that I am, I love shrimp & grits! I have even managed to win over my Pittsburgh native husband! This casserole took a little bit of work to put together. It wasn't hard, but it did use a lot of dishes (which I hate! Oh well!). I was gonna be MAD if it wasn't good, but I'm happy to report it was EXCELLENT!

We made dinner out of this and turned it into 6 servings instead of 12. I also used quick cooking grits (accidentally!) and they didn't take but a few minutes to firm up. I don't know why you're supposed to use the yellow grits... the white quick ones were fine! I was also a little heavy handed with the cheese (maybe 1 cup or a little more?). Anyway, we served it with sauteed spinach (recipe is next!) and it was a hit!

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Shrimp and Grits Casserole

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, December 2007
Yield: 12 servings (3/4 cup each)

CL Comments: This dish is best prepared just before serving. But you can save time by shredding the cheese and slicing the onions, bell pepper, and shrimp the night before.

Ingredients

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked yellow stone-ground grits
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, each cut into 3 pieces
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
3 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Preparation

1) Bring chicken broth and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; add grits, stirring with a whisk. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

2) Preheat oven to 375°.

3) Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Sprinkle shrimp with black pepper, and add to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in rind, juice, Worcestershire, and hot pepper sauce; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Place grits and shrimp mixture in a large bowl; stir gently. Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into shrimp mixture. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 139 (27% from fat), Fat: 4.1g (sat 1.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 12.6g, Carbohydrate: 12.8g, Fiber: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Iron: 1.6mg, Sodium: 372mg, Calcium: 77mg