Sandy's Kitchen: Seafood

Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
I don't know about you guys, but I love zoodles!  They are such a great alternative to pasta. They are the most brilliant noodle base for healthy gluten free pasta! I will say that if it wasn't for Medifast, I would have never gotten any of these yummy veggies in my diet. In the past, I would have turned up my nose at the word squash! Now I love squash! Almost as much as cauliflower! Almost!


Any time you find a delicious recipe using pasta, switch out the pasta with zoodles for a healthier version! Besides, with zoodles you can have bigger servings without worrying about your waistline. One cup cooked spaghetti has about 220 calories and 43 grams of carbohydrate. One small zucchini made into "zoodles" (zucchini noodles) has 20 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrate. More zoodles for me please!


Zoodles are so easy to make. I have a spiralizer that I picked up from Amazon a few years ago which makes spiralizing squash ready in minutes! You can also purchase them already spiralized, but I have so much fun playing with my spiralizer that I won't be buying them already prepared! I have had this spiralizer since 2013, but there are so many different ones to choose from nowadays.

This dish is so meal to make! You probably don't need a recipe, but I posted it anyways... more for the measurement breakdown for those following the Medifast/ Optavia plan. If you don't prefer shrimp, decrease the oil to 1 tsp if you want to use cooked chicken. Enjoy!


Shrimp Marinara Zoodles

Ingredients:
2 tsp Stacey Hawkins Roasted Garlic Oil or olive oil (2 Healthy Fats)
7 ounces thawed, cooked shrimp (1 Leanest Lean)
1 cup spiralized zucchini and yellow squash (2 Greens)
1/2 cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, blended (1 Green)
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt (1 Condiment)
1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings (1 Condiment)
1 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese (1 Condiment)

Directions:
Heat oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add spiralized squash and cook for a few minutes until slightly tender. Add shrimp, tomato sauce, garlic salt and Italian seasonings. Cook for about 2 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

1 Serving with 1 Leanest Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments and 2 Healthy Fats


Do you want to make sure you are getting your water in? Then have a dish that is spicy! Well, this dish isn't extremely spicy, but it has just enough heat to make me grab my water. You can adjust the crushed red pepper as needed but don't be a wimp!

I really like this recipe. The flavors of the different ingredients taste delicious together and reminds me of a yummy Italian dish! Tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, basil and shrimp make a delicious meal. Add the little bit of crushed red pepper and oh my... it really adds some oomph to your dish.


First you need to gather your ingredients!


Heat olive oil with garlic over medium high heat until garlic is lightly browned.


Add your zucchini. I used a Paderno spiral slicer that I got from Amazon. I absolutely love it! It takes a minimal amount of time to slice the zucchini and they make the dish look so pretty :) Not too mention... clean up s a breeze!


Stir in the tomatoes. As the tomatoes cook with the zucchini, water is released from the zucchini. It will make a wonderful tomato sauce. The best part is that you don't have to add too many condiments since the tomatoes are already seasoned with Italian seasoning.


Then you add your shrimp. I used the frozen shrimp that I thawed out. It was already cooked, peeled, deveined and tails removed. I only used 7 oz because I didn't cook the shrimp long in the sauce so it only shrunk a little. If you want to add more shrimp to make sure you get the full 7 oz, please do so.


Add the fresh basil and crushed red pepper. I love fresh basil with tomatoes! Yum!


Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to make sure all the flavors fuse together.


Dinner is served!

Spicy Tomato Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil (2 Healthy Fats)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 Condiment)
1/2 cup zucchini, chopped or spiral sliced (1 Green)
1 cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes (2 Greens)
7 oz shrimp, cook, peeled and deveined (1 Lean)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (1/2 Condiment)
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (1/16 Condiment)

Directions:

In a medium sized skillet, add 2 tsp olive oil and garlic over medium high heat. Saute garlic until lightly brown.
Add zucchini and cook for 2 to 3 min or until zucchini is slightly soft.
Stir in the diced tomatoes and shrimp.
Sprinkle fresh basil and crushed red pepper over the mixture and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until basil is wilted and heated thoroughly.

1 Serving with 1 Lean, 3 Greens, 1.56 Condiments, and 2 Healthy Fats



I absolutely love this dish as a quick and easy Lean and Green meal! I mean... it doesn't even require cooking so you don't have to get your kitchen hot from turning on the oven! Leave the heat outside!

Peanut flavored dressings or sauces have always been a favorite of mine, but I haven't found a great low carb one yet so what is there to do but create my own. Plus, you know never know what is really in those dressing you purchase pre-made. When you make it yourself, you can always vary the ingredients in the dressing to your own liking. For instance, if you don't like spicy, leave the crushed red pepper out! It is a great way to get your water in though!

The peanut dressing mixed with already packaged cole slaw mix is phenomenal! The cole slaw mix I used was from Wal-Mart and it is called Market Fresh Tri Color Cole Slaw mix. It has a mixture of cabbage, red cabbage and yes.... carrots. You can pick the carrots out, but there isn't much inside the bag. A cup and a half of this mix is only 5 grams of carbs! That's all your greens with only 5 grams of carbs! One serving of greens needs to be less than 5 grams of carbs. Yeah... so I left those orange tid-bits in! This will definitely be a regular menu item for me! 


Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups tri-color coleslaw mix OR 1 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (3 Greens)
7 oz cooked shrimp - I had the frozen ones in the bag with... tails and shells removed defrosted (1 Leanest)

Dressing:
2 tbsp powdered peanut butter aka PB2 (1 Optional Snack)
1 1/2 tbsp water
2 tsp lite soy sauce (2/3 Condiment)
1/4 tsp ground ginger (1/2 Condiment)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/2 packet stevia or to taste (1/2 Condiment)
2 tsp sesame oil (2 Healthy Fats)

Directions:
 Combine cole slaw mix and shrimp in a medium sized bowl.
Mix all the ingredients for the peanut dressing together in a small bowl.
Pour over shrimp and veggies.
Toss to coat. Enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Leanest, 3 Greens, 2 Condiments, 2 Healthy Fats and 1 Optional Snack

Don't care for shrimp? Use 6 oz of cooked chicken breasts and decrease the sesame oil to 1 tsp in the peanut dressing for 1 Healthy Fat.

I had a wonderful 4th of July weekend with my husband and son! The best part about it? I stayed on plan! OP all the way baby! Holidays always seem the hardest for me, but luckily we decided not to go to one of the infamous buffets here in Vegas that happen to be everywhere! I think that would have been asking for trouble... BIG trouble. Instead, we grilled some shrimp for me and steak for the hubs. I can happily say I had No Regrets this 4th of July weekend! My loss for the week was 1.6 lbs! Great week week for me indeed!

As you can tell by my many posts of shrimp recipes, I love shrimp. I usually have it at least once a week because they cook pretty fast and they absorb a lot of flavor. Plus they belong to the leanest lean category. Not to mention they are just plain old delicious.


I needed to make something that would be quick and easy to put together, hence the name of the recipe, since I am still studying for my real estate license. Study, study , study is all I seem to do these days. I didn't have too much time to spend in the kitchen so this recipe did the trick. With a little preparation, the dish only took a few minutes to make. Well, a few minutes of cooking time. If you like the cauliflower mashed "potatoes" mixed with laughing cow cheese wedges, then you will love this dish. It is definitely keeper! 


I used frozen cauliflower, which didn't take long at all to cook. Add the frozen cauliflower to boiling water and let it cook for about 5 minutes.




Drain the cauliflower. Use a food scale to measure out 270 grams of cauliflower or 186 grams if using fresh cauliflower. You can also measure out 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower if you do not have a food scale.



Place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor and use the shredding disk too shred the cauliflower. You could also use a hand grater if you don't have a processor.
 

Set aside the grated cauliflower.


 Measure out 7 oz of cooked shrimp and set aside. Make sure the shrimp is peeled with tails removed.

 
Saute 1 tbsp of butter with 1 minced garlic clove.


 Add the rest of the ingredients cooking until heated thoroughly. Only a few minutes! Voila! Dinner is served!


 Quick and Easy Mock Shrimp "Risotto"

Ingredients:
1 tsp minced garlic (1 Condiment)
9 oz shrimp peeled, tails removed ~ 7 oz cooked shrimp (1 Leanest)
1 1/2 cups (270 g) cooked cauliflower, grated (3 Greens)
1 tbsp reduced fat grated Kraft Parmesan Cheese (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/8 tsp black pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes (1/6 Condiment)

Directions:
In a medium sized skillet, melt butter and add garlic. Saute garlic in butter until light brown over medium high heat. Lower the temperature to medium heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until slightly melted. It is okay to have some lumps. They will blend nicely with the rest of the ingredients. Add the shrimp to the cream cheese mixture and then add the grated cauliflower, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top. Enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Leanest, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, and 2 Healthy Fats per Serving



Happy 4th of July everyone! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday!

As promised, I have the results from the two DietBet challenges I did for the month of June! I am super excited to say that I am a winner of both challenges! Mark my words, I definitely did the Happy Dance! Not sure exactly what the Happy Dance entails, but I was doing some type of movement that involved burning calories, most likely without rhythm.

This is how I did on the challenges: 

Jalita's DietBet

Start Weight June 1st: 175.8 lbs
Goal Weight: 168.8 lbs
Final Weight June 29th: 167.8 lbs

Amount won: $32.84
Profit: $7.84

Blogilates DietBet

Start Weight June 3rd: 173.9 lbs
Goal Weight: 166.3 lbs
Final Weight July 2nd: 165.6 lbs

Amount Won: $44.69!
Profit: $19.69

Total loss from June 1st o July 2nd: 10.2 lbs!

  I started my own DietBet challenge for the month of July called Sandy's Kitchen Adventures. I can't believe the amount of people who decided to play this time around which was 767 awesome peeps! The challenge started July 1st and ended July 28th! If you missed joining this time around, I will be starting another one August 1st and the 1st day of every month thereafter so you won't be left in the dust! You can always join another game if you don't want to wait that long! Good luck to everyone who is playing right now! I hope this will help get your butts in gear and gain some motivation! Soooo many people emailed me or messaged me to tell me about their issues with getting motivated and staying on plan and I knew EXACTLY what they were going through. I have been overweight most of my adult life, but it is a lifestyle change and if I can do it... then you can Do It! Between the fabulous support, the weight loss community, and now DietBet... weight loss has certainly been obtainable for me. Does DietBet really help me? Sure does! I mean come on... you lose weight and have a chance to earn some moula. Losing weight has always been a struggle for me so I will take any help I can get! If you have any questions about the plan or just need someone to talk to, message me and I will be happy to help if I can!

 As for the recipe...

I thought fire cracker shrimp sounded appropriate for the 4th of July! Grilling recipes are my favorite kind of recipes because nothing beats that flavor you only get from the grill. The best part about grilling shrimp is that the cooking time is not much at all, just a few minutes on each side. You want to be careful not to over cook the shrimp or they will get tough and chewy.



I used Walden Farms Apricot Preserves but Orange Marmalade works great too!  Both flavors taste great with shrimp.



The shrimp had a slightly sweetened flavor that I loved and the soy sauce helped bring out a tiny bit of saltiness. As for the fire cracker (heat from sriracha), it was spicy but not too spicy. This will surely be a great summer recipe to enjoy!


Fire Cracker Shrimp

Ingredients:
9 to 10 ounces raw, peeled shrimp - should yield 7 oz cooked (1 Leanest)
2 tbsp Walden Farms Apricot Preserves (2 Condiments)
1 1/2 tsp lite soy sauce (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce (1/2 Condiment)
1 tsp sesame oil (1 Healthy Fat)

Directions:
Place apricot preserves in a small bowl and microwave for 20 seconds until partially melted.
Add soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and oil to the melted apricot preserves; stirring until combined.
Thread shrimp on a metal or soaked wooden skewer.
Brush sauce on both sides of shrimp. (I let the shrimp marinate in the sauce for about an hour in the fridge before grilling).
Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

1 Serving with 
1 Leanest (7 oz of cooked shrimp), 3 Condiments, and 1 Healthy Fat (need 1 more Healthy Fat) per serving


I have got a great recipe for you... well you know it is that time of year when we all bring out our grills and enjoy the beautiful sunshine outdoors! Considering Vegas gets well over 100 degrees quite often (hey what can you expect living in the desert), so we typically grill in the morning or in the evening because the afternoon heat can get unbearable. At least for us, considering we came from Colorado.

My husband and I love to grill... well actually, he likes to grill and I like to eat the grilled food! My famous words, "Call me when it is done honey!" Yeah, we make a great team! This recipe contains two of my favorite things! Shrimp and Frank's hot sauce! You just can't go wrong there! It's the perfect dish for Summer! The best thing about this recipe is that it is great dish to bring to a pot luck or enjoy at home with the family. A crowd pleaser for sure! I would limit this dish to have on occasion because Frank's hot sauce does have a lot of sodium so weigh in on Friday and eat this on Saturday!

Don't want shrimp? Use chicken! Chicken requires only 1 healthy fat so if using butter in the buffalo sauce, you will have to serve it with another side that doesn't use a healthy fat. If you really want to have the ranch slaw, just omit the butter in the buffalo sauce. Use about 8 to 9 oz raw to get 6 oz cooked. If using cheese in the ranch broccoli slaw, then you will only need 4.5 oz cooked chicken.


Grilled Buffalo Shrimp

Ingredients:
  • 9 to 10 ounce raw, peeled, deveined shrimp - should yield 7 ounces cooked (1 Leanest)
  • 1/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce (2 Condiments)
  • 1 tbsp. light butter - I like to use Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil (1 Healthy Fat)
Directions:
  1. Melt butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. 
  2. Add butter and hot sauce in a small bowl, stirring until combined.
  3. Place shrimp on skewers. 
  4. Baste very lightly with the sauce, saving majority of the sauce for when they are done cooking.
  5. Grill until shrimp are cooked, about 2 minutes on each side. 
  6. Baste with remaining buffalo sauce.
Don't forget to weigh your shrimp after they are cooked. You should have 7 ounces of cooked shrimp. If you are serving the ranch broccoli slaw with this meal, you will only need 3/4 Leanest which will be 5.25 ounces cooked.

Make 1 Serving
Each serving provides:
1 Leanest, 2 Condiments, and 1 Healthy Fat 
(You still need 1 more Healthy Fat)


Here is a recipe for ranch broccoli slaw. As you can tell, both recipes are really, really easy to make. This one requires no cooking at all so no burning down the house! Just mix the ingredients together and you have a quick tasty side dish. The coolness of the ranch dressing pairs so well with the bit of heat from the shrimp and it adds a nice crunch! A match made in heaven!

I bought the broccoli slaw at Wal-Mart. It does have bits of carrots mixed in, but I picked them all out. Well, most of them anyways. It wasn't easy, but I did it! If you don't mind the carrots, leave them in! The added cheddar cheese and bacon bits really complete the dish so don't leave them out! Have a wonderful weekend you guys! Stay on plan and you won't regret it when Monday comes right around the corner!


Ranch Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients:
  • 1- 1/2 cups broccoli slaw or fresh broccoli florets (3 Greens)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Great Value light ranch dressing (3/4 Healthy Fat)
  • 1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded (1/4 Lean)
  • 1 tbsp Oscar Meyer turkey bacon pieces (1 Condiment)
Directions:
  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. 
  2. Stir until combined. 
  3. Serve chilled.

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides:
1/4 Lean, 3 Greens, 3/4 Healthy Fat, and 1 Condiment

If you omit the cheese, you can use 2 tbsp of ranch dressing.


I love Asian foods and I really love this dish. The spaghetti squash is an excellent substitute for pasta. The slight sweetness and crunchiness of the spaghetti squash makes this dish absolutely delicious. I have to say that this will definitely be a regular on my low carb menu. If you aren't sure how to cook spaghetti squash, click here for a tutorial. I cook mine in the microwave for about 8 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until it gets soft. I had a small one though. Cooking times will depend on how big your squash is and your microwave. Yum, yum, yum! I think I will have this meal for the next two days!


Shrimp Lo Mein 

Ingredients:
1 cup or 156 grams or 5.5 oz spaghetti squash cooked (2 Greens)
1/2 cup broccoli or Chinese cabbage (1 Green)
1 tbsp lite soy sauce (1 Condiment)
1 tsp teriyaki sauce (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (.50 Condiment)
1/4 tsp ground ginger (.50 Condiment)
9 oz raw shrimp, deveined, tails off (1 Leanest Lean)
1 tsp olive oil (1 Healthy Fat)
1 tsp sesame oil (1 Healthy Fat)

Directions:
Heat oils over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp is cooked. Add spaghetti squash, broccoli, sauces and spices. Toss until coated and warm.

Makes 1 Serving

Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments, 2 Healthy Fats

*If you would like to add 6 oz of chicken instead of shrimp, decrease the oil to 1 tsp instead of 2 tsp. I would use the sesame oil and leave out the olive oil for more flavor.

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I have been pretty slow on getting these recipes up on my blog. I decided to post them on my blog first and then put them on my facebook page. I just get so excited when I make something that I really enjoy and I want to hurry and share it with you guys! Then I kind of forget about them until I realize hey whatever happened to that one recipe I liked so much. Hmmm... it's not on my blog. It must be on my facebook page! Then I have to search for the recipe... oh well... you know how that goes :) So now comes this catfish recipe I plan on adding to my rotation of yummy meals!

I love, love, love fried catfish! Did I say that I love it? Yeah, I really love FRIED catfish. What can you expect from a girl who lived in Louisiana and Texas most of her growing up years! I used to go with my grandparents to a place called Catfish King as a special treat when I came over to visit during the summers. Gosh, I loved that place. Then we started going to Dorothy's Porch until they closed down and finally to the large chain Black eyed Peas! It wasn't the same but it still helped my fried catfish fix! Yeah, I know fried catfish isn't very medifast friendly, but grilled is! Honestly, I really enjoyed this fish just as much as I would have fried. It has TONS of flavor. Almost too much! Can anything ever have too much flavor?! Well, I cut the salt in half and cut the cayenne red pepper in half. It was much more to my liking. Some of you guys like it really spicy and if so add more cayenne pepper. Knock yourself out! It may get you to drink that extra water we have to drink on medifast! Also, if you really want to use Cajun seasoning, go right ahead. It's just more fun to make your own! Anyways, hubby and I really liked this one and he isn't much of a fish eater so that is a plus. He didn't eat the cole slaw because he doesn't like mayo so I made him some corn instead. I like how this fish doesn't use any healthy fats so you can get your healthy fats into your sides such as this cole slaw recipe or good old fashioned mashed cauliflower! I never had cole slaw before and this one is a little sweet. Is it suppose to be sweet? Maybe I may decreaswe the splenda next time. Enjoy!


Grilled Cajun Catfish

Ingredients:
18 oz raw wild catfish (2 Leanest Lean)
1/2 tsp thyme leaves (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tsp black pepper (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp cayenne red pepper (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp onion powder (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp lemon pepper (1/4 Condiment)

Directions:
Combine seasonings in a small bowl. Sprinkle on both sides of the catfish. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily. You can also bake it at 375 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

2 Servings with
1 Leanest Lean, 2.12 Condiments per Serving
( You need 2 Healthy Fats to complete this Lean)


I am down 12 pounds so far since re-starting my weight loss plan after having my baby Harrison. I still have a long way to go, but at least I am 12 pounds lighter than what I was before! I know I am on my way to a healthier me and my motivation for losing all this weight is my son! So let's do this together because it sure is one difficult journey all alone!


Now for this yummy recipe I threw together at the last minute since I had some left over shrimp and zucchini to get rid of. It turned out really yummy if I do say so myself. The best part about this recipe is that it is so  versatile. You can use a variety of different meats, seasonings, cheeses and laughing cow cheese wedges. Delish!


Shrimp Veggie Quiche

Ingredients:
3 1/2 oz shrimp, cooked with tails removed (1/2 Leanest Lean)
1/2 cup egg beaters (1/4 Leanest Lean)
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (1/4 Lean)
2 light laughing cow cheese wedges (1 Healthy Fat)
1 cup zucchini, chopped (2 Greens)|
1/2 cup canned Italian diced tomatoes, drained (1 Green)
1/2 tsp Mrs Dash garlic and herb or salt free seasoning of choice (1 Condiment)
1/8 tsp black pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese (1/2 Condiment)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Easy peasy :)

1 Serving with
1 Leanest Lean, 3 Greens, 1.75 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat

I have a few favorite tilapia recipes and this will be added to that list! I love the combination of Italian diced tomatoes and parmesan cheese on this light and flaky fish. I decided to add 2 tbsp of Ken's Steakhouse Northern Italian dressing to give it more of a richer Italian flavor. It turned out really good! I will definitely be making this again! Enjoy!


Italian Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:
9 oz raw tilapia - should yield 7 oz cooked (1 Leanest Lean)
2 tbsp Ken's Steakhouse Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano (1 Healthy Fat)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/8 tsp pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 Condiment)
1 tbsp grated reduced fat parmesan cheese (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 cup Great Value Italian diced tomatoes, canned (1 Green)
1/4 cup green pepper chopped (1/2 Green)

Directions:
Place tilapia in a baking dish lined with non-stick foil or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; drizzle dressing over fish and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spoon tomatoes over tilapia and top with green peppers.

Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with parmesan cheese. bake 10 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

1 serving with 
1 Leanest Lean, 1.5 Greens (still need 1.5 more), 2.25 Condiments, 1 Healthy Fat (still need 1 more)

*Serve it with 1 cup of lettuce (1 Green), 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (1/2 Green) and 2 tbsp of an approved dressing (1 Healthy Fat) to complete your Lean and Green


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