Recipe of the Week – Creole Shrimp with Andouille Sausage

Creole Shrimp with Andouille Sausage

• 5 stalks celery choppped
• 1 ½ onions chopped
• ½ green pepper chopped
• ½ large red pepper chopped
• 1 Tb chopped garlic
• 1 package aidells Cajun style andouille sausage sliced to bite sized pieces
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 8oz can plain tomato sauce
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 2 tsp chopped parsley
• ¼-1/2 c. chicken stock
• 3 Tb olive oil
• 2# shrimp ( I used 16-20 size)

1. Over high heat sear shrimp in the olive oil, a little at a time without crowding the pan, and remove them to a plate.  (They won’t be completely cooked yet.)
2. Once the shrimp is all removed add the sausage and brown it.  (This you can leave in the pan.)
3. Add the peppers, onion,  and celery and sauté until starting to get soft, about 5-6 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and sauté one minute, then add the Cajun seasoning and the thyme and stir.
5. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and scrape up any yummy bits left on the pan.
6. Add the tomato sauce and taste for seasoning.
7. Simmer about 5 minutes then add the shrimp back to pan, along with any juices they have released, while also adding the lemon juice and the fresh parsley.
8. Cook 2-3 minutes until shrimp are hot.

 

Makes 8 servings my fitness pal

281 calories

34g protein

2g fiber

6g net carbs

Snack Recipe – Cashew Veggie Dip

Cashew Veggie Dip

• 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight in room temp water
• 1 tb nutritional yeast
• 2 tb fresh lemon juice
• Zest of ½ a lemon
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 tb coconut oil
• 1 cup cooked assorted chopped veggies.  I used carrot, onion, red pepper, celery, garlic, broccoli, kale and parsley
• 2 tb sliced green olives

1. Soak raw cashews overnight.
2. The next day, drain and let dry or dry with a paper towel.
3. Place cashews in high power blender, like a vitamix, or a food processor with the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, coconut oil, salt and pepper.  The mixture gets smoother and creamier in the blender than the food processor, but still comes out delicious.
4. Blend until smooth.  You may have to scrape down and stir repeatedly to get this as smooth as possible.  Pro-Tip: If you need to add a little extra lemon juice or a little water to keep this moving add very little at a time.  You don’t want to make this too runny so that it stays the consistency of cream cheese.
5. Once the cashew mixture is to your satisfaction (take your time with it!) add the cooked and cooled chopped veggies and green olives.
6. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.

Eat with Breton white bean or black bean crackers or fresh veggie strips for extra fiber.

 

8 – 3 Tb servings

Nutritional information (per serving) according to my fitness pal:

113 cal

3.5g protien

1.3g fiber

6g net carbs

Breakfast Recipe – Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats

Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats

• 4 Tb chia seeds
• 1 c. oats
• 1 c. fair life skim milk
• ½ c. coconut milk
• ½ c. greek yogurt (I used Fage Total)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Mix all ingredients together and split between 4 jars or containers.  Top with the following split between the four servings:

• 1 banana
• ½ c. coconut chips
• ¼ c. semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
• ½ c. roasted cashews

Let sit overnight in refrigerator and is ready to grab and go in the morning.

 

According to my fitness pal (per serving):

415 calories

20g protein

14g fiber

36g net carbs

Recipe of the Week – Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Bowl

Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Bowl

• 2 each boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 whole zucchini
• ¼ of a fresh pineapple peeled
• ½ of a red pepper seeded
• Stubbs bbq moppin’ sauce
• 2 scallions

Based on information taken from my fitness pal (per serving, recipe makes 2 servings):

344 cal 32g protein

17 net carbs 3g fiber

14g fat

1. Prepare grill by making a hot fire on half the grill and leaving the other side empty. (Alternately this could be roasted in the oven, in which case I would go ahead and chop up the fruits and veggies in bite sized pieces and roast at about 450 degrees)
2. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.
3. Season zucchini, pineapple, red pepper (keeping fruits and veggies in whole pieces makes them easier to grill!) and chicken with salt and pepper and spray with your favorite cooking spray (you need a little oil to conduct the heat and prevent sticking).
4. I started by grilling the pineapple and veggies first over the hot coals and once marked flip and baste with the moppin’ sauce.
5. Once second side is marked, flip again and baste with sauce.
6. Cook a couple minutes and flip to cooler side of grill basting again. You can add as much sauce as you like, but just remember that is adding calories.
7. Repeat the same process with the chicken.
8. Once the veggies and the chicken are both off to the cool side put the lid on and cook until the chicken comes to 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer.
9. The whole process should only take 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. Don’t overcook the veggies you don’t want them to be mushy just heated through because when they are reheated they will cook more.
10. Bring all components in and cut up into bite sized pieces and half in of two of your favorite containers for packing your lunch.
11. Top with sliced scallion and enjoy!

Any questions or comments please post below!

Recipe of the week – Curried Lentil with Quinoa and Brown Rice soup

Curried Lentil with Quinoa and Brown Rice soup

• ½ cup brown rice
• 1/3 cup pre-rinsed quinoa
• 2 cup green or brown lentils
• ½ of a red pepper
• 3 stalks of celery
• 2 each carrots
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 2 each scallions
• 1 tb coconut oil
• 1tb curry powder
• 1 tb garam masala
• 1 each 5.4 ounce coconut cream
• 2 cups water
• 1 qt chicken stock (pick the one that contains the most protein, I used kitchen basics brand which is the highest one in my store)
• 1tb olive oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tb chopped garlic

1. Heat oil in at least a gallon sized pot.
2. Sautee veggies, except scallions and cilantro, until they start to brown.
3. Add spices and garlic and sautee until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add lentils, rice and quinoa. Simmer until with rice and lentils are soft, around 45 minutes.
5. If it gets too thick add a little more water, but in the end you want it to be a nice thick soup. Once everything is soft and the soup is reduced add the coconut cream, scallions and cilantro.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, I only added about a half teaspoon of salt for entire recipe it depends on your stock.

For ½ cup of soup (recipe makes 8 cups or 16 servings):

124 calories

6g fat

5g protein

4g fiber

9 net carbs

Calculation made by entering recipe into My Fitness Pal

Any questions or suggestions post below!