Crunchy Peanut & Panko Shrimp

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a few months now. When I originally saw it pop up on Google Reader, it was the first time I’d heard about PB2 and I was intrigued. A low calorie peanut butter? Yes please! I immediately ordered some, however when I checked my order status a few weeks later, it was BACKORDERED! I finally received it 3 months after ordering it and immediately put this recipe on the menu.

In the end, I have to say I was slightly disappointed (with the shrimp, not the PB2!). I don’t feel like it had the peanut taste I was looking for. Perhaps some additional PB2 should be mixed in the panko mixture? The shrimp were good, just lacked the peanut flavor. I served this with a dipping sauce hoisin mixed with some chili garlic paste.

Adapted from Cara’s Cravings

Ingredients
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
1/4 cup egg substitute
4 tbsp (24gm) PB2
1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
dash of chili powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Add the shrimp to a large zipper bag along with the PB2. Close the bag and shake to coat the shrimp thoroughly.

2. Place the egg substitute in a bowl. In a mini food processor or blender, pulse together the panko and chili powder to combine evenly and create a finer crumb; pour the mixture onto a plate.

3. Place a cooling rack atop a baking sheet, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Dip each shrimp into the egg substitute, and then the panko mixture. Set on top of the rack.

4. Bake for about 12 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through and coating is lightly browned.

The Facts
4 Servings

Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad

Two coleslaws in two weeks? Looks like we’ve been on a cabbage kick lately! These sides make a great alternative for the typical salad I usually serve with dinner. A perfect way to switch it up a bit. This dish was very light and refreshing with a hint of Asian flare. My cabbage was larger than what the original recipe called for so I increased the other ingredients slightly as well.

Adapted from Apple A Day

Ingredients
1 head cabbage, sliced thinly (~300 grams)
1 carrot, grated (~100 grams)
6 green onions, sliced and dark green ends discarded
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1.25 tsp sesame oil
1.5 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and toss well to combine. Place in fridge and let stand at least one hour. Before serving, toss once more.

The Facts
4 Servings

Menu Plans 05-31-10

Monday - Smoked Chicken, Smoked Corn on the Cob, Potato Salad
Tuesday - Crunchy Peanut Panko Shrimp, Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad
Wednesday - Gyros, Tzaztiki and Cucumbers
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones
Friday - TBD or Dinner Out

**Check out orgjunkie.com for some other great menus!

Creamy Taco Mac

Wow! This was amazing! So good, that when my husband snuck a bite, he tried to convince me it was bad I wouldn’t like it so HE could have the entire meal to himself. Ha! I lightened this meal up by using fat free cream cheese and sour cream. I promise you will never know the difference! The original recipe called for 1.25 pounds of turkey however my package had 1.5 pounds so I went with it. The recipe made 4 VERY large (and delicious!) servings. I’m fairly certain Bryan will be requesting this again in the near future.

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients
1.5 lbs ground turkey
8 oz dry whole wheat pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
4 tbsp taco seasoning
3 oz fat free soft cream cheese
4 oz fat free sour cream
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink.

3. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and serve.

The Facts
4 (Large) Servings

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

Taco nights are always fun. This time, I decided to try some shrimp tacos instead of the typical chicken. The shrimp definitely had some kick to them! I chose to use Don’t be a Chicken Shit hot sauce from Tijuana Flats which was the main reason for the extra spiciness. I made the tomatillo salsa the night before (as well as the coleslaw) so dinner came together in about 10 minutes; Perfect for a quick dinner after work.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
Salsa:
3/4 lb tomatillos
Cooking spray
2/3 cup chopped green onions (about 4 green onions)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 tsp salt
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 garlic clove

Tacos:
1 lb medium peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
1 tbsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
1. Preheat broiler.

2. To prepare salsa, remove husks and stems from tomatillos. Place tomatillos on a foil lined pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 10-15 minutes or until slightly blackened on each side, turning occasionally. Cool completely; coarsely chop. Place tomatillos, onions, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 7 times or until coarsely chopped.

3. To prepare tacos, heat skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp to hot pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté shrimp 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove from heat and add to medium bowl.

4. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over shrimp and toss to coat.

5. Serve shrimp in tortilla of your choice, topped with coleslaw and tomatillo salsa.


The Facts
4 Servings – Shrimp & Salsa

Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

This was absolutely delicious and SO FRESH! Bryan’s dad and step-mom have a garden in their back yard over flowing with heads of cabbage, carrots, corn, etc. Sunday night we picked a head of cabbage and homemade coleslaw seemed like the perfect use for it.

I wanted something light and not laden with creamy mayonnaise so I turned to CookLight.com. This was a simple recipe where I already had all the ingredients in the fridge. I was excited because I got to use the shredding disk on my sweet food processor for the first time. It turned a few whole carrots in to tiny bits in a matter of seconds! I omitted the onion (I’m SO not a fan of raw onions!) and subbed Greek Yogurt for the small amount of mayo the original recipe called for. This is a great light side dish for a summer BBQ or pot luck.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded (~400 grams)
1 cup grated carrot (~225 grams)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp Splenda
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
2 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Directions
1. Combine cabbage and carrot in a large bowl.

2. Combine vinegar, Splenda, mustard, yogurt, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small bowl; stir well.

3. Add the mustard mixture to cabbage mixture, and toss well to coat. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes, over night is even better. Stir before serving.

The Facts
4 Servings

Zucchini Oven Chips

These were delicious! I try to vary the vegetables we eat weekly and my husband suggested some zucchini for this week’s menu. I searched for some recipes, and this one was a definite winner. I subbed panko for breadcrumbs which I think helped give the chips a little extra crunch. I’m sure this would taste great with yellow squash as well. I look forward to making this recipe again.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/4 cup whole wheat panko
1 oz. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp egg substitute
3 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch-thick

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Place egg substitute in a shallow bowl. Add zucchini slices and stir to ensure each is thoroughly coated.

4. Once slice at a time, shake off excess egg and dredge in panko mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. (For a short cup, add panko mixture to 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Add zucchini slices. Shake! Place on wire rack and sprinkle excess mixture on top.)

5. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

The Facts
4 Servings