Shrimp Tacos

We are big fans of tacos made with seafood (ie. fish, lobster, shrimp), and order them at restaurants all the time, but I've never attempted to make them at home.  We had some shrimp in the freezer, so I made these easy and super healthy shrimp tacos tonight. They were amazing (if I do say so myself :)!  I topped mine with a small amount of sour cream - and my husband also added some hot sauce to his. I am going to be making these again soon for sure.  

Shrimp Tacos

Makes ~4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound pre-cooked large shrimp, tails removed and diced into thirds

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp olive oil

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup organic green onions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh organic cilantro, chopped

1 cup canned organic black beans

Multigrain or whole wheat tortillas (make sure they are whole grain)

Organic sour cream, for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add shrimp, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir and cook until shrimp heated through - about 3 minutes.  

2. Place black beans in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave until hot - about 2 minutes (or heat in a pan on the stove). 

3. Fill tortilla with 1/4 cup black beans and 3 oz shrimp. Top with avocado, tomatoes, green onion, and cilantro.  Also top with a small amount of sour cream, if desired.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 18g of protein in a 3oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Tomatoes are an excellent source if vitamin C and lycopene. Cilantro is packed with vitamins C, A and K, and provides a small amount of B vitamins. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Multigrain tortillas (if they are whole grain) are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, B vitamins and fiber.

Broiled Shrimp & Veggie Brown Rice

Shrimp are a great source of lean protein, and I love including them in a meal, but sometimes I have a hard time coming up with a healthy recipe for them. I didn't have a ton of time, so came up with this simple, healthy and great-tasting last-minute meal, and it tasted even better the next day. I cooked the rice and seasoned the shrimp in the afternoon, and at dinner time, this meal took no time at all to cook! My husband makes a similar seasoning for grilled shrimp skewers that he makes in the summer, but they were great under the broiler as well. This is a great weeknight meal!

Broiled Shrimp & Veggie Brown Rice

Makes ~4 servings

Ingredients

Shrimp:

1 pound thawed large shrimp, raw and deveined - shells removed

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

Rice:

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

2 1/2 cups organic chicken stock

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup organic carrots, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 organic free-range egg

Soy sauce, to taste

sesame oil, to taste

Directions

To make shrimp:

1. Place shrimp and all seasonings and oil in a gallon-sized bag and seal. Shake until shrimp are evenly coated. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to broil setting. Spread shrimp on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes per side.

To make rice:

1. Place brown rice, chicken stock and olive oil in medium-sized sauce pan and cook according to directions on rice package (usually bring to a boil and simmer for 45-60 minutes, unless using faster-cooking rice).

2. Place carrots in small pan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 minutes. Add peas to water and drain.

3. Place 2 Tbsp canola oil in large pan and heat over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, beat egg. Add carrots, peas and egg to pan and scramble egg. Add rice and stir to combine all ingredients. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. Stir until evenly distributed and remove from heat.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 24g of protein in a 4oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Brown rice is unrefined, so contains it's original abundance of iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and fiber. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Peas are a great source of vitamins and K and fiber. Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fat of any oil, and is rich in healthy unsaturated fats. 

Ceviche

We were recently introduced to the ceviche prepared at Sunset Foods and are hooked on it, so I decided to try to recreate it myself. It is very simple to make and is a perfect appetizer for the summer time. And the best part (besides it being delicious) - it is made from only fresh and healthy ingredients so doesn't come along with the guilt of a lot of appetizers. Serve it with some good water crackers (or any cracker of your choice), and enjoy!  The longer this ceviche is allowed to marinate in the refrigerator, the better. I let it sit for about 6 hours the day I made it, but it just kept tasting better and better over the next 2 days. So if you are going to make this for a get-together, I would recommend trying to make about 24 hours ahead of time to have a really great flavor. 

Ceviche

Ingredients

1/4 pound small cooked shrimp, cut into thirds
1 small avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium organic tomato, seeded an cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 organic white or yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh organic cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 large fresh lemon
Juice of 1 large fresh lime
Salt, to taste

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl or container and stir until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate, allowing to marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Serve cold with crackers.

What are the nutritional benefits of this ceviche? Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 24g of protein in a 4oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Tomatoes are an excellent source if vitamin C and lycopene. Both jalapeño peppers and cilantro are packed with vitamins C, A and K, and provide small amounts of B vitamins. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Lemon and lime juice are both high in vitamin C.

Feta Shrimp Skillet

This is an awesome healthy dinner recipe that was in my Taste of Home magazine that arrived last week. And it only took about 30 minutes to make, from start to finish. The brown rice that I made to go with it did take an hour, though. This was filling without being too heavy and was really good with brown rice. This would also be really good with along side a salad. I think I will make this again in the summer time with a fresh greek salad to enjoy outside on the deck with a cold glass of organic chardonnay!

Feta Shrimp Skillet

Makes ~4 servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
29 oz canned organic diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup white wine
1 lb cooked shrimp
2 Tbsp fresh organic parsley, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In large pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute. Stir in tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

2. Add shrimp and parsley and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until shrimp are heated through. Remove from heat and sprinkle with feta cheese.

(Recipe adapted from April/May 2014 issues of Taste of Home)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control.  Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C.  Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 24g of protein in a 4oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Feta cheese is a great source of protein and calcium.