Shrimp and Papaya Salad in Avocado

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 1/2 cups ripe papaya, diced into 1/4 in. cubes
2 small lemons or 1 large lemon
1 cup chopped celery
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 cups mesclun greens (or any spicy greens)
2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 large, ripe avocados
Fresh ground black pepper
About 15 chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp, lower the heat to medium, and simmer until pink (about 5 min.); remove and rinse under cold water. Chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the papaya, juice of 1 lemon, celery, red onion, parsley, and 1/4 tsp. of salt and toss lightly just until combined. Gently fold in just enough mayonnaise so all the ingredients come together. Chill until cold to the touch.

When it's time to serve, lightly toss the mesclun greens in a medium bowl with the EVOO, the remaining salt, and some fresh ground pepper. divide the mixture among four salad plates. Halve the avocados lengthwise, cutting through the skin to the pit. Gently twist the halves until they separate and remove the pit. Using a large spoon, carefully scoop each half out of its skin. Place 1 avocado half on each salad plate and give each a little squeeze of the other lemon juice.

Fill the avocados with some of the shrimp salad, season with some fresh ground pepper, and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.

*Original recipe courtesy of Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist p. 49

FYI: You will have LOTS of shrimp and papaya salad left over - it is great on toasted bread, kind-of like a chicken salad.

Spinach Paella

Paella
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. saffron threads, crushed with the back of a spoon
1 lb. chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-by-3 in. strips
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup EVOO
1 16 oz. link cooked turkey chorizo (or any sausage you like), diced into 1/4 in pieces
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded, cored, and finely diced
1 cup drained and diced caned tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup medium-grain rice, preferably Spanish (or substitute Arborio)

Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, reduce the heat to low, and keep at a simmer. Place the saffron in a small bowl; pour about 1/2 cup of the warm stock over the saffron and let steep.

Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt/pepper. Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers but is not smoking. Add the sausage and the chicken to the pan; cook, stirring until golden brown on all sides (about 4-5 min.), and transfer the chicken and sausage to a plate. Add the bell pepper, jalapenos, tomatoes, and garlic to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook until the peppers begin to caramelize (3-4 min.); stir in the paprika and cumin.

Pour the rice into the pan and stir until coated and toasted (about 1 1/2 min.). Pour in about 2 cups of the warm stock and add the saffron steeped liquid; return the chicken and sausage to the pan along with any juice on the plate. Stir to combine and simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, until most of the stock has been absorbed (about 20 min.).

Spinach Puree
1 lb. baby spinach leaves, well washed
About 1/3 cup water

Meanwhile, in a blender, puree half of the spinach with the water. Add more spinach a little at a time until all the spinach has been pureed. If the mixture can't be pureed, add more water, 2 Tbsp. at a time; the puree should be very thick. Set aside.

Paella Assembly
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Taste the rice and add salt to taste. If the rice is still hard, add another cup of the warm stock and stir. Simmer until the broth is absorbed (10-15 min.); taste the rice again and add more stock if it is still too hard. Let the rice absorb the stock again; the rice is done when it has just a hint of firmness.

Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the heat, and cover the pan with a lid or a large sheet of foil, letting it rest for 5-10 min. Stir most of the spinach puree into the paella, reserving a few Tbsps. to garnish each dish. Taste the paella and add a bit of salt if needed. Dish out a serving of paella, sprinkle some scallions, a Tbsp. of the spinach puree, and some cilantro.

*Original recipe courtesy of Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist p. 134-136

Gilled Chile-Lime Flank Steak Soft Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Steak Marinade
1 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 large lime, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 1/2 lb. flank steak, trimmed of excess fat

In a small bowl, mix the spices, salt/pepper, lime zest/juice, and EVOO to make a paste. Place the steak in a shallow dish and rub the paste evenly over both sides. Cover and let marinate for 1 to 4 hours.

Pineapple Salsa
1 small pineapple (3-3 1/2 lbs.)
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup (or so) chopped, fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 jalapenos, seeded, cored, and finely minced
Salt & Pepper

Light a charcoal grill about 30 min. before you are read to cook, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Slice off the leafy top of the pineapple and just enough of the bottom so the fruit rests flat on a cutting board. Slice off the skin with a sharp knife, cutting from top to bottom and taking off as little of the flesh as possible, rotating the pineapple as you go. Discard the skin. Cut out any "eyes" with a paring knife and discard. Slice the fruit away from the core in 4 or 5 slabs, OR turn the pineapple on a side and slice in 1 in. thick rounds.

Place the pineapple slabs on the hot rill and grill until the fruit is just beginning to show some browning (1-2 min. per side or 4-5 min. per side if you want it really charred).

Let the pineapple cool for a few minutes, then dice into 1/2 in. cubes (FYI: if you did 1 in. thick pineapple rounds you need to cut out the core in each slice - cut the rounds into 4 pieces and then just slice out the middle). In a medium bowl, mix the diced pineapple, onion, cilantro, lime juice and zest, vinegar, EVOO, and jalapeno; salt/pepper to taste.

Assembly of Tacos
10 10 in. flour tortillas

Meanwhile, grill the steak for 3-4 min. on each side, or longer for well-done meat. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 min. before thinly slicing.

Meanwhile, place the tortillas on the hot grill and grill for a bit (less than a minute) until charred on both sides; wrap in a cloth napkin to keep warm.

Assemble the tacos with a few pieces of steak on the bottom, top with some pineapple salsa, and enjoy!

*Original recipe courtesy of Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist p. 141 & 142

Grilled Avocado Cobb Salad with Apricot Dressing

Grilled Avocados
3 large, firm avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
1 Tbsp. EVOO
Salt & Pepper
1 lime, juiced

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat or light a charcoal grill.

Carefully brush the avocados evenly with EVOO and season them with salt/pepper. Grill the avocado halves just until grill marks form (2-3 min.). With a spatula, carefully turn the halves and cook for a few more minutes, until marks appear on the other side. Remove to a side dish and sprinkle lime juice over each half. Cool the avocados to room temperature or refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the salad.

(If you don't want to grill the avocados, just use 3 ripe avocados instead)

Apricot Dressing
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup EVOO
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, apricot preserves, EVOO, thyme, and salt/pepper to taste.

Salad Assembly
3 romaine hearts, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced into small pieces
1 cup drained, diced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
4 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, whites and yolks coarsely chopped separately
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with enough dressing to coat all the lettuce; reserve the rest of the dressing for topping. Carefully, slice the grilled avocados on the bias into thin slices. In a small bowl, mix the fresh and sun-dried tomatoes together.

Divide the lettuce into 4 salad bowls; arrange the avocado, tomato mixture, white and yellow hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and blue cheese into sections on top of the lettuce. If necessary, top with the left-over apricot dressing.

*Original recipe courtesy of Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist p. 67

Fish Tacos with Avocado Salsa

Salsa:
1 red onion, finely diced
3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
2 avocados, seeded, skin removed, and finely diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 tsp. salt

Fish:
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp. EVOO
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
14 oz. sole or tilapia fillets

Serving:
10-12 corn tortillas
2 cups finely shredded red cabbage

Put the salsa ingredients into a bowl and carefully stir to combine (FYI: the salsa can be made a few hours ahead, just remember to thoroughly cover the avocado pieces with the lime juice so they don't brown - ALSO, if you are making it ahead, don't add the salt until you are ready to serve).

Heat the broiler to high. Place the fish fillet on a baking sheet; add half of the seasonings to one side of the fillets, then flip and add the rest of the seasoning to the other side. Broil the fish for about 2-4 minutes on each side or until broiler has cooked the fish through (fish will be opaque and flaky). Let cook until easily handled, then break the fish up with your hands and place in a bowl.

Warm the tortillas under the broiler (place on a baking sheet and broil until starting to bubble and brown, then flip and repeat for the other side.)

To serve, put some red cabbage on the bottom of the tortilla, followed by the fish, and top with the avocado salsa (add a bit more cilantro for a fresh bite).

*Original recipe courtesy of 300 Calories or Less! p.. 86

Sausage, Peppers, and Mushroom Pizza

1 Tbsp. EVOO
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. sausage
8 oz. mushrooms, finely sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 cup minced parsley
Flour
1 pizza crust
1 cup tomato sauce or jarred marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat EVOO. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute; add the sausage and cook, breaking up sausage into small pieces, until browned. With a slotted spoon, remove sausage and set aside. In the sausage drippings, add the mushrooms and green peppers; cook until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes). Take skillet off the heat and add the sausage and 1/3 cup parsley back in; toss to combine.

On a well floured surface, roll out pizza dough until 1/8 in. thick. With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 square/rectangles. Roll out each square/rectangle until desired thickness or thinness is achieved adding more flour as needed. Place pizza crusts on 2 baking sheets and bake in the oven until a bit of color is on the bottom; flip and repeat for other side. Let cool for about 2 minutes or until easily handled.

Evenly spread the 1 cup tomato sauce/marinara sauce over the pizza crusts. Divide the sausage and veggie mixture evenly over each pizza crust. Top with the mozzarella cheese and return pizzas to the oven until cheese is melted and starting to brown (about 5-7 minutes).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

*Original recipe courtesy of The $5 Takeout Cookbook p. 145

Melon Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

OMG - so simple & absolutely delicious ... seriously absolutely delicious. 

2 medium cantaloupes (about 5 lb. total), peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (about 8 C)
1/2 C. dry sherry
The juice & zest of 2 limes
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
6 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint

Puree the cantaloupe chunks in a food processor until very smooth.  If the melon chunks don't all fit in food processor, proceed with several batches.  Add the sherry, lime zest, and lime juice & pulse until thoroughly mixed, 10 seconds or so.  Pour into a serving bowl  or pitcher and refrigerate, covered, until well chilled, at least 1 hour or overnight. 

If working in 2 batches, add 1/4 C. sherry, zest and juice of 1 lime per batch.

About 15 minutes before serving, cook the prosciutto in a small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until crispy, about 7 minutes.  Let cool and tear into pieces.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and divide the prosciutto among the servings, mounding it in the middle.  Sprinkle soup with the fresh mint.  Serve and enjoy.

*Recipe courtesy of Cat Cora's Classics With a Twist p. 30

Chicken & Spicy Peanut Salad

Another great recipe around 300 calories each serving!  Simply wonderful.  Great flavors!

3/4 C. reduced-fat peanut butter (calls for chunky but we used creamy)
Zest & Juice of 1 lemon
2 grated garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1.5 Tbsp. sesame oil, plus more for cooking chicken
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. gluten-free soy sauce (we used reduced sodium soy sauce)
1/4 C. water
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 romaine hearts, chopped
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 medium red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeded & diced
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
Salt/Pepper

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, water, and cayenne.  Stir well until smooth.  Stir in the cilantro and scallions.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium heat and coat the bottom of the skillet with sesame oil.  Season the bite-size chicken pieces with salt and pepper and cook until done.  Set aside to cool until serving salad.

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, cucumber, and bell pepper.  Add a few spoonfuls of the peanut dressing and toss to coat.  Divide the salad among 4 serving plates or bowls.  Top with the chicken, then drizzle with more of the dressing.  Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

*Original Recipe from 300 Calories or less! p. 62.

Chipotle-Lime Shrimp Burgers

We just had this for dinner - around 300 (or so) calories per burger!  So easy to make & ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 C. finely chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt/Pepper
1 Tbsp. ground chipotle (we used smoked Serrano chili powder)
Zest & juice of 2 limes
EVOO (we mixed with chipotle olive oil)
Reduced-fat Mayonnaise
5 small whole wheat buns, toasted
5 lettuce leaves

Process 1.5 lb. of the shrimp in a food processor.  Dice the remaining 1/2 pound of shrimp.  In a medium bowl, combine the pureed and diced shrimp.  Add the celery, scallions, cilantro, garlic, ground chipotle, lime zest, lime juice, and season with salt & pepper.  Mix well.  Form into 5 patties.

Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp patties and cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned on the bottom.  Flip the patties over & cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, turn the oven to broil. Open each bun and place the middle facing up on a baking sheet; drizzle each with a bit of EVOO and toast under the broiler until desired color is achieved.

Spread the mayonnaise onto the bottom halves of the buns.  Place one shrimp burger on the bottom half of each bun, then top with a lettuce leaf & the top half of the bun.  Serve immediately.

*Original recipe courtesy of 300 calories or less! p. 98