Monday, March 26, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: Citrus Grilled Shrimp Over Mixed Greens



1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave tail on for presentation)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest from 1 lime, reserve lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Metal or wooden skewers
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
6 cups mixed lettuces (any combination Romaine, Bibb, endive, or baby greens)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Coat an outdoor grill or stove-top grill pan with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high. Skewer shrimp on metal or wooden skewers or place in a grilling basket. Set aside.

Zest lime, then slice in half and place on grill.

In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, lime juice, oil, mustard, lime zest, salt, and black pepper. Remove 3 tablespoons of citrus mixture and brush all over shrimp (reserve remaining mixture to use as a vinaigrette for the greens). Grill shrimp 3 minutes on 1 side. Flip and cook 1 to 3 more minutes, until shrimp are bright pink and cooked through.
Add thyme and chives to reserved citrus mixture. Arrange lettuce on individual plates. Top lettuce with tomatoes and grilled shrimp. Spoon reserved citrus vinaigrette over top, squeeze juice from grilled lime and serve.


Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
Calories 180
Total fat 5g
Saturated fat 1g
Cholesterol 172mg
Sodium 530mg
Carbohydrates 9g
Protein 25g
Fiber 2g

Monday, March 19, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: Avocado Lettuce Salad w/ low fat Ranch Dressing


AVOCADO SALAD

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
1 scallion, white part only, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper sauce
1 tomato, diced
1 lb. garden salad


Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, except lettuce and croutons, in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Chill avocado mixture until ready to serve. Toss with lettuce and croutons.

Quantity:
Makes 4 servings

LOW FAT RANCH DRESSING

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Artificial sweetener equivalent to 2 teaspoons sugar (Splenda)
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:
In a bowl, combine oil, vinegar, sweetener and marjoram. Whisk in buttermilk, yogurt and mayonnaise. Stir in onion, parsley and garlic.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to thicken. Whisk before serving. Serve over salad greens and vegetables of your choice.

Refrigerate leftover dressing.

Nutrition Facts:
Servings: 1-1/4 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories 30
Fat 2g, Cholesterol 1 mg
Carbohydrates 2 g, Sodium 44 mg,

YUMMY MONDAYS: Avocado Lettuce Salad w/ low fat Ranch Dressing


AVOCADO SALAD

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
1 scallion, white part only, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper sauce
1 tomato, diced
1 lb. garden salad


Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, except lettuce and croutons, in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Chill avocado mixture until ready to serve. Toss with lettuce and croutons.

Quantity:
Makes 4 servings

LOW FAT RANCH DRESSING

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Artificial sweetener equivalent to 2 teaspoons sugar (Splenda)
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:
In a bowl, combine oil, vinegar, sweetener and marjoram. Whisk in buttermilk, yogurt and mayonnaise. Stir in onion, parsley and garlic.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to thicken. Whisk before serving. Serve over salad greens and vegetables of your choice.

Refrigerate leftover dressing.

Nutrition Facts:
Servings: 1-1/4 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories 30
Fat 2g, Cholesterol 1 mg
Carbohydrates 2 g, Sodium 44 mg,

Monday, March 12, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: CRUNCHY VEGGIE WRAPS


Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 c. fat-free cream cheese
4 8-inch flour tortillas (Mission Tortillas Carb Control)
2/3 c. romaine lettuce, shredded
2/3 c. red cabbage, shredded

1 red tomato, diced
1/4 c. red onions, sliced
1/3 c. carrots, grated
1/4 c. blue cheese
1 c. alfalfa sprouts


Directions:

Spread 2 tbsp. cream cheese over one side of each tortilla.
Divide remaining ingredients evenly among tortillas.
Roll up each tortilla.
Cut each rolled wrap in half diagonally.
Serves: 4

Serving size: 1 wrap

Nutritional analysis (per serving):

182 calories
10 g protein
5 g fat
2 g sat. fat
24 g carbohydrate
2 g fiber
9 mg cholesterol
443 mg sodium
157 mg calcium
1.6 mg iron

I like to switch it up and use a variety of vegetables. Oh and sometimes I try flavored cream cheese. But note that many of the flavored cream cheeses are not fat free, so use sparingly. It's quick, healthy and oh so yummy!

Friday, March 09, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: SEARED AHI


Ahi tuna is also known as yellowfin tuna. To make seared ahi, you need to start with very fresh, sushi-grade ahi, as you will only be lightly searing the outside, leaving the inside raw. Not even rare, but raw. The freshness and the quality of the fish make a huge difference with this dish, so don't even attempt it with a lower grade of fish.

Ingredients
2 (6-8 ounce) ahi tuna steaks (3/4 of an inch thick)

Marinade ingredients
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 teaspoons of wheat-free tamari for gluten-free option)
1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger


1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion (scallion) thinly sliced (a few slices reserved for garnish)
1 teaspoon lime juice

Method
1 Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2 Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high to high heat. When the pan is hot, remove the tuna steaks from the marinade and sear them for a minute to a minute and a half on each side ( even a little longer if you want the tuna less rare than pictured.)

3 Remove from pan and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with a few green onion slices.

Can serve plain, with white rice (jasmine rice), or over lettuce or thinly sliced cabbage or fennel. Shown served over sliced fennel salad because that is my personal favorite.

Also the seared ahi makes for great tacos as well!!!

Friday, March 02, 2007

How's your Attitude?