Coconut Shrimp and Yummy Noodles!

Okay...let me just give a YUMMY shout out for this one!  I love me some coconut fried shrimp, but this one was BAKED and very healthy and low cal/low fat/low everything!  And I did not change a THING from her original recipe!!!   Delicious and I served it with the Fettucine Alfredo from her cookbook that I have made in the past.  Along with some edamame! 

	HG's Sweet Coconut Crunch Shrimp
	Bigtime Shrimp!
	Once you start popping these sweet-n-crispy shrimp, you're not gonna be able to stop. Good thing they're guilt-free... Ingredients: 1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original) 1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut 3 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs 1/4 tsp. chili powder 1/8 tsp. garlic powder 1/8 tsp. black pepper Dash salt 12 oz. (about 20) raw large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed 3 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original) HG Tip! If your coconut shreds are somewhat long, give 'em a rough chop! Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cereal in a sealable plastic bag and, removing as much air as possible, seal. Using a meat mallet or heavy can, carefully crush cereal through the bag. Add sweetened coconut, panko breadcrumbs, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt to the bag; seal and shake to mix. Transfer mixture to a large plate and set aside. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside. Pat shrimp with paper towels to ensure they are completely dry. Combine shrimp with egg substitute in a bowl and toss lightly to coat. One at a time, shake excess egg from shrimp and transfer to the coconut-crumb mixture, gently patting and flipping to coat. Evenly place coated shrimp on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until outsides are crispy and lightly browned and insides are cooked through. Serve and enjoy! MAKES 4 SERVINGS
	Serving Size: 1/4th of recipe, about 5 shrimp Calories: 164 Fat: 4.5g Sodium: 266mg Carbs: 12g Fiber: 2g Sugars: 3.5g Protein: 19.5g PointsPlus® value 4*

Fettuccine Alfredo with a PointsPlus® value of 2*!!! Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo! (81 Calories, 3g Fat, 242mg Sodium, 9g Carbs, 4g Fiber, <1g Sugars, 4g Protein = PointsPlus® value 2*) This recipe will rock your world.  Share it with everyone you know...ASAP!

Ingredients: 1 Package Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Tofu Noodles 1/2 Wedge The Laughing Cow Light Cheese 1 teaspoon Fat Free Sour Cream 2 teaspoons Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese Salt & Pepper (if desired) Rinse fettuccine noodles VERY well.  Microwave them for one minute, then drain them and pat dry. Add cheeses and sour cream.  Mix thoroughly.  Microwave to help melt cheese further, and mix some more.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy.  Serves 1. My pics: I made a dipping sauce with horseradish sauce and orange marmalade - still LOW in calories and everything else! Love me some edamame!!! For whatever reason, my noodles picture won't come through, so just look at hers and admire.  It is SUCH a great way to eat pasta without any guilt!!! Went on an 8 mile walk tonight and made yet ANOTHER HG recipe - some delicous bacon wrapped chicken.  Will post that tomorrow b/c it was deemed another home run!!!

I'm Back! And Happy to Be Here :) And YUMMY Fish Tacos!

It's amazing that I let another 10 days go by...but we FINALLY got the fifth fridge part installed last Thursday so I scoured some recipe books over the weekend, did a huge grocery store run on Saturday and I am back in the saddle again!

When we last left our she-ra (that would be me!), I mentioned wanting to try some recipes from Hungry Girl.  I did take Michele's advice about watching out for processed food - and found enough items that appealed to me so that I can fix Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (trivia night is Wednesday!).

I'll give some scoop on today's breakfast and lunch in another post, but the focus for today is on our DELICIOUS dinner tonight - see recipe below including some tweaks I made.  If you want the original, click on the link below.  I also incorporated some items from my friend Mary's fish taco recipe that she just shared with me!  Lastly, I doubled it b/c I was feeding a family of 3 - and we have leftovers! 

This got a two thumbs up from the hubby and a "this is really good Mom" from my 15 year old daughter!  Paired it with brown rice and ruby red grapefruit segments.  I only had one taco and it was very filling!  Perhaps because I was still relatively full from our awesome lunch (see next post)...though we also went for a fabulous 90 minute walk.  The air is cooling off with the arrival of fall, and even though the temps are still warm, the slight breeze helps to keep us cooler.

Grilled Go Fish! Soft Tacos
PER SERVING (2 tacos, 1/2 of recipe): 273 calories, 5.75g fat, 330mg sodium, 30g carbs, 5g fiber, 5g sugars, 27g protein -- PointsPlus® value 7*







Ingredients:
For Tacos
4 tbsp. lime juice
2  tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Four 4-oz. raw tilapia fillets (or other flaky white fish)
Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
For Avocado Coleslaw 
4 tbsp. mashed avocado
4 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp. low fat mayonnaise
Chopped cilantro
1 tsp. lime juice
Chopped red onion
Dash garlic powder, or more to taste
Dash salt, or more to taste
2 cups shredded cabbage or dry coleslaw mix
Optional
1/2 cup chopped tomato
Directions:

Combine lime juice and spices for the tacos in a large bowl, and mix well. Add fillets and evenly cover both sides of each with seasoned lime juice. If it's a little "limey", add some more of the garlic powder.  Let marinate in the fridge for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for avocado coleslaw in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  I didn't feel like grilling, so I baked the fish instead,  It probably took a good 15-20 minutes total at 350 degrees.  Once it was fully cooked, I broke it into pieces and put in a warming oven.

Spray sautee pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat tortillas until warm and just slightly toasted, about 1 minute per side.  Be careful that they don't get crispy or they won't fold!

Plate and spread the tortilla evenly with avocado coleslaw. Divide fish evenly divide among tortillas. Top with chopped tomatoes;  fold and enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

I cheated and used some "boil in a bag" brown rice (love that extra fiber!) and a jar of "fresh" ruby red grapefruit segments as side items.

Tasty Tilapia with Lentil Quinoa Salad!

Again, Melissa D'Arabian has provided a delicious recipe for an awesome grainy side dish!  I was a bit apprehensive as I have not had lentils in a LONG time, but it was delicious!  The tilapia was not *as* healthy as I usually cook, but still a lot better than fried food for sure!

Melissa's Lentil Quinoa Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 1/4 cups water, plus 2 cups
• 1/2 cup lentils
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lime, zested (I only used half of this)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse in cold water. In a large microwave-proof bowl with a cover, add the rinsed quinoa and 1 1/4 cups water. Cover and microwave on high for 9 minutes. Let it sit for 2 minutes then stir. Quinoa should be tender enough to eat, but with a little "pop" upon biting.

Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse in cold water. In a saucepan, simmer the lentils in 2 cups water until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Drain and cool.
In a small bowl, whisk the mustard and vinegar together, and drizzle in the oil to make an emulsion. Add the garlic powder, lime zest, and salt, and pepper, to taste.  I also added in a tsp of sugar b/c the dressing tasted a bit better for me.

To assemble the salad: In a medium salad bowl, mix the quinoa, lentils, green onions, and chopped cilantro. Top the salad with the dressing, toss to coat and serve.

Tilapia was super easy.  I simply used some pre-made scampi sauce and sauteed the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Again, I know there are healthier ways to make it, but I was just craving that buttery, garlicy richness and it definitely delivered!

Rounded out the meal with SteamFresh broccoli - as close to fresh as you can get :)  I have learned to only microwave it for 4 and 1/2 minutes so that it keeps its crunchiness; cooking it more seems to make it mushy.

Even though we were both a little under the weather today, hubby and I still ventured out on a walk - one that took about 90 minutes and was extremely hot and humid.  We were both feeling quite ready for the walk to end by the time we got home!  This was AFTER picking up my race packet, which included an AWESOME shirt and a number I know I will not be wearing.  Though part of me was sad, I also know for sure it is the right decision.  I already found a 5K in early October that is also super nearby so I would have a month to train and train well.  And then look for a 10K and move towards that!

Really glad tomorrow is another day to sleep in!  Just kinda feeling icky, so it will be an early night!  Glad my daughter comes back tomorrow!  Missing her bigtime but know she is having fun...

Melissa D'Arabians Shrimp Recipe and Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo!

Wow.  Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like you completely hit the nail on the head with a meal, and it is also healthy?  That was tonight - DELICIOUS!  Thank you Melissa D'Arabian for an AMAZING shrimp recipe tonight!  I paired it with a brand new endeavour using Tofu Shirataki Fettucine noodles...and when you can eat Fettucine Alfredo with no guilt, it makes it just better and better!  A simple side salad, and here was my delicious and healthy plate for the evening!

I am still learning how to take these pictures so that they look more inviting, but let's just say that Melissa's shrimp over this HEALTHY fettucine alfredo with a side salad was just DELISH.

Let me post her shrimp recipe first.  The ONLY thing I would have changed would have been to use 2 tbsp instead of one of the pesto mixture when stirring in the shrimp b/c it would give it more of a crispy sear with the delicious elements it included.  But it was super delicious as is!  Here are the ingredients, minus the pecans because I accidentally left them off my grocery list so sweet hubby was at the store buying them.

I did want to share a "trick" when you are peeling and deveining the shrimp to save on extra plates etc.  I kept the peeled shrimp in the middle of the white paper it came on.  I then did the peeling and put those parts to the right of the shrimp, and put the peeled shrimp to the left.  Once complete, I could take the peeled shrimp off and do any deveining needed.  And just simply roll up the white paper with the shells and put in the plastic bag it came in so that it won't stink up your garbage can!  Just a tip :)

Ingredients

Pesto:

• 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (I used about a cup to make sure it wasn't too overpowering)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp:

• 3/4 pound raw medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt

Directions

Pesto: Grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lime and juice the entire lime for about 2 tablespoons of juice. (P.S.  go ahead and zest the whole lime so that you will have 1-2 tsp of zest for future!  Just set it aside in a separate container.)  Combine the zest and juice with the cilantro, green onions, chopped pecans, chopped garlic, sugar, vegetable oil, and extra-virgin olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until well-combined, but still slightly chunky. Season the pesto with salt, and pepper, to taste.

Shrimp: In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the pesto. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the shrimp until just opaque and pink, about 3 minutes. Put a generous spoonful of pesto into a serving bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Serve the remaining pesto on the side or freeze for another use.

I have decided that Melissa must be my long lost sister.  Her choice of ingredients is SO similar to mine and I feel lucky to use her as a base and make teeny tiny adjustments.

Fettucine Alfredo Using Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Noodles

My sister and niece had told me about these during their recent visit.  Okay - who doesn't LOVE pasta?  But who hates the carbs and calories that come with them?  For an 8 oz package of these beauties, there are 40 calories total with .5 grams of fat and 3 carbs, although there are 2 grams of fiber, so basically that's 1 net carb.  NO sugar and 1 gram of protein with a few trace vitamins.  I was doubtful until I made the recipe on the bag which is from Hungry Girl - I have to go check out her site b/c this was seriously rock star!

HG's Tofu Shirataki Fettucine Alfredo

1 package of the noodles
2 tbsp fat free cream cheese (okay - ours was low fat)
2 tsp reduced fat Parmesan grated topping
1 tsp fat free sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the Tofu noodles thoroughly.  Parboil for 2-3 minutes, then dry very well.  Add cream cheese, parmesan and sour cream.   Mix well.  Microwave for 1 additional minute and then mix again.  Add salt and pepper. 

This recipe is approximately 95 calories with 2 grams of fat for the whole thing!  Hubby and I split it so b/c my Parmesan was not reduced fat and cream cheese was low fat (not fat free) I would guesstimate that total was maybe 180 calories - so that is 90 calories a piece!!! 

I definitely had my doubts - but no longer!  It is much more expensive than regular pasta, but if you like your carbs like we do, it is SO worth it so enjoy it without the guilt!

Paired it all with a side salad

and the meal was filling, healthy and if I had to guesstimate calorie wise, less than 500 calories!

For those who are following my fitness journey, I had an AWESOME walk on the treadmill at 4 mph with incline between 4 and 6.  At times, my calves and shin splints were a little mega sore, so I went back and forth.  Burned 540 calories and felt GREAT! 

Tomorrow we get to SLEEP in as late as we want!!!  We plan on taking a nice long walk in our hilly neighborhood and get some much needed Vitamin D.

Thanks again Sue and Sarah for the turn on to the noodles!  Will definitely be playing around with those quite a bit in the near future!!!  Not gonna even tell Julia of the substitution!!!

So...Is It for Me Or Am I Trying to Prove Something?

I have to giggle to a certain extent because this blog was supposed to be all about food - no getting personal or anything.  But I found that my life is NOT all about food - so neither should this blog be.  Yes, I TOTALLY enjoy cooking, especially learning new things, but I am so much more complex than that.  I love to read, play tennis, listen to music, watch reality TV (both "good and bad), spend time with my family, be with girlfriends, and walk.  And I'm *trying* to learn to love running...but so far, it's just not really happening.

I do love the challenge - the fact that I am dripping sweat after my workout.  The fact that my legs burn and I feel some new toning in my muscles.  I think I like to SAY I love to run...but I don't.  So I'm starting to get more and more nervous about this 10K on Monday.  I am not a complete novice.  I have done 3 half marathons before, although they were a few years ago.  I have run about half a dozen 5K and about as many 10K.  But none of these were within the last year or two, and I really only started training about two weeks ago.

Can I run 6.2 miles?  Yes.  Well...let me rephrase that.  I think so.  To this point, my longest run has been 5 and if you read that post, I was completely nauseous after the run because of not enough to eat during the day.  What if I get to the halfway marker and can't make it?  On the treadmill I can easily track my pace and slow down/speed up as needed.  It doesn't simulate the hills, even though this course seems relatively flat.  I have a set timeframe and/or mileage and if I want to alter it, I can.  In a 10K, I don't have that option.  Well - I can alter the time, but my pride wants a decent time.

I guess what I'm trying to say, and it helps to think out loud here, is that I sometimes wonder if I am running for myself or if I want to prove something to others.  And then I ask myself, what do I want to prove?  I am proud of myself for really getting back on the fitness track, and a lot has to do with the visit with my sister and my niece.  I enjoyed the walks we took so much...and then Sarah introduced me to My Fitness Pal.  And before you know it, I was wanting to do more than walk...I wanted to run.  And then I wanted a goal.  And now it is only 4 days away.

I know I am undertrained, but not to the extent to where I would hurt myself - more that I would embarrass myself with a terrible time and/or finish.  So I ask myself again...is this for me?  I'm still on the fence, and honestly, tomorrow will be the deciding factor.  I will be running 6 miles, and then taking Saturday and Sunday off as rest days so that I have fresh legs for Monday.  If I have a good run, I'm ready for Monday.  If it is one where I struggle, I am just going to have to re-think it and shoot for the next one. 

The reason this was so relative to post was because when I first started this blog, I kept on wondering who was reading it and why was no one commenting.  And all of a sudden, it dawned on me.  None of that mattered - I was doing this because I WANTED to.

So there.  I want to do the run if I WANT to...not because I feel I have to.  So let's see what the final decision is.  I will say that I will continue my running b/c I know I am building strength and muscle and perhaps some lbs will go bye bye.  And to a certain extent I really do enjoy it.  I would be hellacious in a contest where we all walked on treadmills at a 4 mph pace and an incline of 6.  I could walk ALL day and then some.  Just not sure if I can run 6.2 miles.  I think I can...and will keep you posted of my decision.

Food stuff lacking b/c last night was trivia (man did we suck!) and tonight was leftovers as the parts for the fridge just came in today, so it won't be fixed until tomorrow or Monday.  Sigh.  Can't wait to do my first shopping trip once the fridge is operating again!  Looking forward to some fruits and veggies and all kinds of yummies!