Crockpot Coconut Curry Shrimp

Here's an easy dish for a week night meal that is super healthy! Without the rice, it would be paleo :)

Ingredients:
2 T curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 can coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 lb shrimp
2 cups brown basmati rice

Mix all ingredients except for rice in the crockpot, and stir. Cook on high for about 3 hours. Serve over rice and enjoy!

paleo fish tacos

What's better than tacos? FISH TACOS! Nothing is more satisfying than eating a full meal and not feeling gross due to malnutrition of the meal... like the grease or the breading or whatever is was that isn't good for your body. Many Americans don't eat enough seafood... one week next year I am planning on going one week eating nothing but seafood for my meat component, and maybe that will turn into the entire year or my entire life. But I digress. This meal is super quick and simple as long as you keep veggies in your house, and you don't even have to know anything about cooking to throw it together. No excuses!

Ingredients:
fish fillets (I used flounder since that's what we caught)
olive oil
pinch of cayenne, salt, pepper, chili, cumin
lettuce
2 cloves garlic, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, all chopped
salsa (optional, but delicious suggestion)

Spoon on a T of olive oil over the fish. Sprinkle the seasoning onto the fish fillets then broil for 4-5 minutes per side, or you can blacken them on the stove top if you prefer. As the fish are being broiled, saute the vegetables for about 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Top the lettuce with fish, then with vegetables, then with salsa if you desire.

Salsa:
2 Tomatoes, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 jalapenos, chopped
1/2 lime, squeezed
handful of cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Stir it all together and you've got fresh salsa! Come on guys, please don't use jarred salsa... once you go fresh, you'll never go back. It's so simple... just do it.

paleo shrimp fajita stir-fry

Recipe adapted from the Paleo Diet Cookbook

I love when I can just throw everything in the fridge in a pan and have dinner ready in 10 minutes. It basically guarantees that you'll be eating healthy that night, rather than reaching for crap that you shouldn't be eating any day of the year. In this case, I simply went to the store and grabbed some fresh shrimp and threw it in the pan with the ingredients I already had at home. Delicious!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. shrimp or any meat you prefer
4 T extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium tomato diced
2 T dark rum (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place shrimp or other meat in bottom of a medium bowl. Combine 2 T olive oil and next 5 ingredients and stir into the shrimp and allow to marinate in the fridge for about 2 hours. Heat 2 T of oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the meat until almost done, then add onion and peppers and cook for 4 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine tomatoes and rum in small bowl, then pour into the skillet with the stir-fry and cook for one minute. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. I served this delicious dish with my edamole dip.

smokin' awesome salmon cakes w/sauteed spinach

These are totally healthy, totally delicious. The best part about this recipe, is that I threw it together in 15 minutes without having to run to the grocery store for anything, and I wasn't really holding my breath for the result to turn out amazing, and the results were certainly pleasantly surprising. Most cakes like this normally call for bread crumbs of some sort, so absorb the moisture of the meat, but I used pecans to keep it more paleo-ish. Pecans add a sweetness you can't get anywhere else, and I absolutely loved the flavor it added. You can also use walnuts, almonds, peanuts or anything else, including pretzels or breadcrumbs if you just can't do the nut thing.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pecans
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
2 small cans (7 oz each) salmon, drained
1/2 finely chopped onion
1/2 finely chopped green bell pepper
1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil

Blend first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs appear. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, salmon, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and 1/2 of crumb mixure. Shape into 6 1/2-inch thick patties and coat with remaining crumb mixture. In large nonstick skillet, add 2 T olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the cakes for 4-5 minutes per side until lightly browned.



For sauteed spinach:

Ingredients:
1 large pepper (I used orange)
1 T olive oil
1/2 of yellow onion- use the leftover from the salmon
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups packed fresh spinach
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T asiago or parmesan cheese grated

In large skillet, saute red pepper, onion, and garlic in the oil until tender. Add spinach and cover with lid for about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper and saute until spinach is tender. Serve on plates then add the grated cheese on top.

tortilla-crusted cod cakes with garlic-ed asparagus

Adapted from myrecipes.com

Crunchy and healthy cod cakes? Yes please! As I said, I'm leaning toward eating more seafood and vegetarian protein as opposed to turning to steak and chicken every night. These cakes are my attempt at following through, and they worked out well. I will say one thing, these cakes are very fragrant when they cook. If you've ever smelled calamari while it was cooking, this smells similar. It's not fishy, just fragrant, so keep a door open!

Ingredients:
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
4 T olive oil
1 large jalapeno, chopped finely
1 1/2 lbs cod fillet
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
3 lemon slices

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat ovenproof skilled with 1 T oil, add onion, cilantro, and jalapeno and cook until softened. Pulse the co, egg, salt, pepper, and onion mixture in food processor until combined, but not pureed. Form 6 large cod cakes. Coat each with tortilla chips. Heat skilled with 1 T oil over medium heat, and add the cakes and cook until golden brown, 3 mintues per side. Transfer to baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon slices, to be squeezed over the cakes just before eating.

Asparagus:
Saute one bunch of asparagus in 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 T olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper.

Mrs. Ringlestein's amazing salmon

Jake has some really amazing friends. Not to take away from my friends, because they're awesome as well, but I've been wowed by my new friends/family. While Jake was is on deployment or underway, his best friends call and make sure I'm getting along okay and handling my new situation well. One of them happen to live in the same city and invited me over for dinner with he and his room mates one night while Jake was gone. Kevin made his mother's salmon recipe, which I was pretty iffy about as I watched him prepare it. Salmon has always tasted fishy to me, but I've always wanted to like it. To my surprise, the dish was fantastic and is so simple and delicious. For the rest of you salmon haters, you should definitely give this dish a try.

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, about 1.5 lbs
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup GF breadcrumbs, plus 1 T Italian seasoning if using plain breadcrumbs
3 T freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 juice of freshly squeezed lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line small pan with aluminum foil and place salmon fillets on foil. Spread oil onto fillets, then honey. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly across fish, as well as the seasoning. Sprinkle the parmesan on top. Squeeze the lemon over the fish. Place the salmon into the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. The rule of thumb for salmon is to bake it for 10 minutes per each 1 inch of thickness. My salmon was 2 inches thick so 20 minutes was perfect and it wasn't overcooked at all. I apologize if this isn't as amazing as Kevin's mom's original recipe, but I wrote it from memory and cooked it this way last night and it turned out wonderfully :)

shrimp paella

Recipe adapted from Rocco Dispirito's Chorizo and Shrimp Paella recipe featured in Runner's World magazine, April 2011 issue.

I honestly did not know this recipe was Rocco Dispirito's. I saw an article for the ultimate runner's meal in the Runner's World magazine this month, and it looked yummy enough to try. Once I finished copying it down, I saw Rocco's picture at the bottom. I don't know what it is, but there's something about Rocco's cooking that just draws me in. Maybe it's simply because he's a triathlete, therefore we eat very similar foods to fuel our very similar activities. Whatever it is, every time I am in New York I will be hoping to run into him and tell him how much I love his food so that he will let me open a restaurant with him and give all of his recipes a test-run. Maybe.... just maybe.

You can make this dish with any kind of protein you want. Your protein can be chicken, crabmeat, chorizo, beef....whatever. You can even use tofu if you really hate meat that much.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1 tsp saffron threads
1 cup brown rice
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 lbs shrimp
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3/4 cup frozen peas

Heat dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil  and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add saffron, rice, and broth then cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and juice then cover pot and cook for 20 minutes. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, cayenne, and red pepper. Stir shrimp and peas into mixture, adding more broth if mixture is dry. Cover and cook until shrimp is cooked and rice is tender, about 10 minutes.

clam and herb linguine ...claaaamazing! :D

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011 issue.

Growing up, oyster roasts happened all the time, and I have grown to absolutely love oysters. However, I always see clam recipes and have never made one that turned out great. I found this incredibly simple recipe that looked delicious, so I made another attempt. Success!!! This dish only takes about 30 minutes, if not less, and is so awesome!

12 oz linguine (brown rice or amaranth, or any other gluten free variety)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 T chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 T olive oil
1 vertically sliced medium yellow onion
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine (I used riesling, and the sweetness was perfect for the dish)
1 1/2 dozen clams
2 T butter
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Mix parsley, oregano, and lemon rind in small bowl and set aside. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add onion, red pepper and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add wine and clams; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until shells open. If any shells remain unopened, discard. Combine clams mixture, pasta, butter, salt, and black pepper in large bowl, toss until butter melts. Sprinkle with parsley mixture and toss.

If you're not a carb person, you can definitely just forget the pasta all together and use all the same ingredients otherwise, and eat a bowl full of clams... you will be pleased, I almost guarantee :)

shrimp and stir-fry sauce

Adapted from Rocco Dispirito's Now Eat This: Rockin' Asian Stir-Fry Sauce

Last time I made this dish, I added lots of veggies such as onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and spinach. However, Jake decided to come home early and I had nothing prepared. I ran to the grocery store and grabbed some shrimp from the seafood department and threw together the sauce and wah-lah! Dinner was served. I make it sound so simple (which it is) but this sauce is so delicious, I could eat it over anything... pasta, chicken, veggies... whatever.

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled
1 T sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped fine
1 T cornstarch
6 T GF low sodium soy sauce
3/4 low-fat, low-sodium all natural chicken broth
3 T vinegar
1/2 cup simply Heinz ketchup
salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper

Heat large skilled over high heat. Add sesame oil to hot pan. Add ginger, garlic, and scallions and saute for a couple of minutes. Place cornstarch in a medium bowl, add the soy sauce, broth, vinegar, and ketchup and whisk together. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan and bring to simmer, whisking constantly until thickened. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper. Add the peeled shrimp and saute until shrimp are done. Serve over pad thai noodles, rice or over steamed veggies. Quick and tasty!!!

herbed shrimp and simple pasta

Jake and I LOVE shrimp. I mean, we love love shrimp. It's our favorite :) Anyway, this dish was absolutely delicious and I would eat it everyday if I could. Well, I guess I can, but I prefer variety. Shrimp is a great source of protein, and I decided I want to eat a good bit more seafood. Every time I go to a restaurant, I order seafood, but I would like to start cooking it more. It's just so darned good for you. Seafood absorbs all those minerals the salt water contains that you can't just get via pills. If you want to be super healthy, eat this without the pasta, and have brown rice or salad. Really though, it's all about the incredible shrimp. Even if you don't like cilantro, please eat this because the blend makes it so delicious. Trust me.

Shrimp Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
3/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh basil
3 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T fresh squeezed orange juice
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves
1.5 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooking spray


Combine first 10 ingredients in food processor until smooth. Place in bowl and toss with shrimp. Marinating this mixture will make it even more tasty, but no worries if you don't. Spray pan with cooking spray (I honestly used olive oil since I think it tastes better and I'm trying to eat more good fats). Toss the shrimp into the pan until done, which will be just a few minutes. Serve over the pasta.

Simple pasta ingredients:
1 pkg brown rice fettuccine
1/4 cup fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese block, grated
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (I used Riesling even though I normally don't cook with Riesling, but it added a really nice sweetness that made the pasta even more great)
4 garlic cloves
salt
pepper

Don't be fooled. This pasta may be simple, but it's glorious. I love making this when I make meat or shrimp or something else that deserves the spotlight, yet also deserves something up to par with it's great taste. Boil the pasta until done, and drain. In large saucepan, toss garlic, olive oil and lemon juice until garlic is sizzling. Add white wine, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the pasta and toss in the grated cheese. Place on plate and serve with shrimp. Serious yumminess!!

oven-fried fish, buffalo-style! ...or not

Fried fish is definitely one of my favorite foods. My mom likes to fry it in grease, and I'm not going to lie, she makes the best fish in the world. However, this recipe is my rendition of a healthy "fried" fish meal. If you don't like buffalo flavor, just don't put Frank's Red Hot Sauce into the egg mixture and you've still got delicious fried fish.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 T Frank's hot sauce
2 T milk
1/2 cup GF corn meal
1/2 cup GF all purpose flour
pinch oregano
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch garlic powder
2 lbs. fish fillets, thawed if previously frozen

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 baking dish. Blend eggs, milk and hot sauce in small bowl. Blend cornmeal, flour, and spices in small bowl. Dip fish fillet into egg mixture, then corn meal mixture then into egg mixture again (if desired). Place onto baking dish and bake for 20 minutes until fish are crispy. Serve this over a bed of brown rice (as shown) or with steamed veggies.

mom's fried fish and potatoes

My mom has this crazy cooking style, just like her strange accent, that shows how she's Korean but has lived in the South for several years. She makes some awesome, and I mean awesome fish. Since the grease is out, she fries some Korean sweet potatoes while she's at it, but before the fish is fried so the flavor isn't contaminated with fish.

Ingredients:
3 Fish fillets, we used flounder
1.5 cups Gluten Free all purpose flour
about 1.5 cups of water (enough water to make the flour runny enough to drip from the whisk)
1 egg
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper
garlic salt
sweet potatoes (sliced into thin rounds)
2 cups soybean oil (or any oil you can fry very hot)

Get oil hot, on high, then turn down to medium high. Mix flour, egg, and water until batter is just runny enough to drip. Dip potatoes into batter one at a time then place gently into oil. Flip after a few seconds and fry til golden. Place fried potatoes onto paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic salt on fish fillets (remember to not use as much salt because of the garlic salt). Place fillets into batter then into frying pan. Allow to cook on each side until it's nice and golden. Place the fillets on paper towel lined plate. I like to eat this with brown rice and dip the sweet potatoes into a mixture of GF soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper, and sesame oil.

Eating fried food is not ALWAYS bad. As long as you fry the food at a very high temperature so it's not sitting there soaking it up, it isn't too bad for you. Yes, it would definitely be better to bake these, but come on, if you don't eat burgers and pizza once a week, then it's fine to fry your food once a week. If you would like to make this meal healthier, bake the fish first for a few minutes, then dip into batter and fry for a few minutes, that way it's almost cooked before it even enters the grease and will be sitting in the grease for less time. But really, one meal or less per week of something flash fried won't hurt too much :)