Masala Shrimp Kebabs with Yogurt Sauce

Serves 4

1 & 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (plus a little extra for garnish)
2 tablespoons minced scallions
grated zest of 1 lemon
4 pieces whole wheat flatbread
4 nectarines, pitted and halved
4 teaspoons honey (optional)

1. Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Stir together chili powder, garam masala, oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in large bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers. Place skewers on grill and cook, turning once, until just opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.

3. At the same time, place nectarines, cut side down, on grill and cook until slightly softened, also about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, to make sauce, stir together yogurt, mint, scallions, lemon zest, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Serve shrimp with flatbread and sauce. Drizzle nectarines with 1 teaspoon honey and extra mint for garnish.

Results: Stop reading this and go buy the ingredients to make this for dinner tonight! Oh my yum, it is so good. I was sad when I finished this because there was no more to eat. We buy 2 lb bags of frozen shrimp and Chris suggested that next time I make this dish, I just use up the whole bag. DELICIOUS. AMAZING. I think I'm drooling a little just thinking about it.

Oh, and this is such a pretty meal too, that it would be great to serve to dinner guests. I already said the next dinner guests we have are getting this meal.

The recipe is from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers.

Shrimp in Lime-Butter Sauce

Serves 4

1 pound large shrimp, peeled & deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp light butter
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground

1. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Spray a nonstick skillet with olive-oil nonstick spray and heat over medium heat, then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are just opaque in the center, 3–4 minutes on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

2. Add the garlic and broth to the skillet and cook until the broth is reduced by
one-half, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and butter, stirring to blend. Add the cilantro and scallions and cook about 30 seconds longer to heat the shrimp through. Season with the salt and pepper.

Served with Udon noodles and sugar snap peas

Results: Simple to make and very delicious! I chopped the cilantro and scallions and minced the garlic early in the day to make preparation super easy for dinner. I wouldn't change a thing about this one. Perfect!

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Coconut Shrimp with Tangy Apricot Dipping Sauce

Serves 4

1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I'll used less flour next time)
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large egg
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled (tails left on), deveined, and patted dry (important!)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 Tbsp store-bought horseradish (whoa! Way too much!)
1 tsp soy sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Combine the coconut, flour, salt, and crushed red pepper on a plate. Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp (that has been patted dry...the egg won't stick to the shrimp if it is wet!) and toss to coat. Lift each shrimp from the egg, letting the excess egg drip off the shrimp, then coat in the coconut mixture, pressing to adhere. (Toward the last of the shrimp, there was much more flour than coconut, and only the flour was sticking to the shrimp. I found if I double-dipped the shrimp back into the egg mixture, then back in the coconut, it worked better.)

3. Place shrimp on the baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly spray with nonstick spray. Bake until the shrimp are golden on the outside and opaque in the center, about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile to make apricot dipping sauce, combine the apricot spread, horseradish, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Serve the shrimp with the apricot sauce.

Served with rice and edamame beans.

Results: if you try one recipe from my website, let it be this one. Oh.My.Yum. These were soooo good, and just as good as the fattening, deep fried version. They were also surprisingly easy to make. Seriously...add this to your menu for this week, you won't regret it.

My *only* complaint was that the dipping sauce was WAY too spicy! The horseradish completely overpowered the apricot. Next time I'll only use 1 teaspoon horseradish.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Shrimp with Cilantro Mojo on Tortilla Crisps

Serves 6 (These would have been VERY small servings! I would say this would serve four, as long as you serve something hearty on the side.)

4 medium corn tortillas, each cut into 6 triangles
cooking spray
1 tsp salt, divided
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pound large shrimp, peeled & deveined (about 24)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange tortilla triangles on a jelly-roll pan in a single layer. Lightly coat the tortillas with nonstick spray and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the salt. Bake until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned around the edges, about 6–7 minutes; set aside.

2. Combine the orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, garlic, 3 tsp of the oil, the sugar, 1/2 tsp of the remaining salt, and the oregano in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and cool 5 minutes.

3. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mojo and set aside. Pour the remaining mojo into a medium bowl and add the shrimp, tossing well to coat. Let the shrimp marinate 15 minutes.
Drain the shrimp, season with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and discard the marinade. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the remaining 1 tsp oil then add the shrimp. Cook until opaque in the center, about 2–3 minutes per side; remove from the heat. Arrange each shrimp on a tortilla crisp and drizzle with the reserved mojo sauce.

Served with pineapple & cilantro rice. (Chop up some pineapple, brown it in a tiny bit of butter. Add pineapple and cilantro to cooked rice.)

Results: This was very good, but it was a lot of work! The serving sizes were weird. Four pieces of shrimp? Hardly! The mojo sauce was very good, but really, I think grilled shrimp would have been just as good, and definitely easier to make.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Coconut Curry Shrimp

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cooking Time: 17 minutes

1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, large, peeled and deveined
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1 & 1⁄2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium red pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon red curry paste (or more to taste)
1 cup light coconut milk
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar

1. Heat 1 & 1⁄2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque in the center, 2–3 minutes on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the remaining 1 & 1⁄2 teaspoons oil to the same skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook 1 minute until heated through.

Served over orzo (but rice would have been much better. I was just trying to get ride of the little bit of orzo we had left.)

Results: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! This was so good! So good that I'm tempted to make it again for dinner tonight! Chris really liked it too, but he thought it could use a little more "coconut-y" flavor. I thought it was perfect. The only thing I will change next time is adding a bit more curry paste, just to make it spicier.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Shrimp and Mushroom Quesadillas

Serves 4

3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp table salt
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
4 medium tortilla
1 cups shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt and add to the skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. (I then chopped the shrimp into bite-sized pieces, but you could leave whole if you wanted.)

2. Spray the same skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin, and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3–5 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the shrimp and cilantro.

3. Place a tortilla on a work surface. Top half the tortilla with 2 tablespoons of the cheese, one-fourth of the shrimp mixture, then 2 tablespoons more cheese. Fold the top half of the tortilla over the filling to form a semicircle, lightly pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, making 4 quesadillas.

4. Wipe the skillet clean, spray with nonstick spray, and set over medium heat. Add 2 quesadillas and cook until the cheese melts and the outsides of the tortillas are lightly browned, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the quesadillas to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 quesadillas. Yields 1 quesadilla per serving.

Served with fresh watermelon.

Results: A little labor intensive, but seriously fantastic. These were some really STUFFED quesadillas! I was a bit skeptical about the flavor combination of shrimp and mushrooms, but this was SOOOOO good!

Baked Shrimp in Lemony Garlic Sauce

Serves 4

1 1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooking spray
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp light butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Arrange shrimp in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine lemon juice and next 5 ingredients; pour over shrimp.

3. Bake at 425°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle parsley over shrimp; serve immediately.

Served with roasted potatoes and sauteed asparagus.

Results: I *LOVE* shrimp. I mean, really, LOVE shrimp. I haven't met a shrimp recipe that I didn't like. Until now. This was so bland and boring.

Crunchy Peanut Noodles

I found this recipe on Two Pink Hippos

Serves 4 (officially, it serves 4, but they were pretty skimpy servings, so I'm gonna say serves 3)

3 tbsp reduced-fat peanut butter, smooth
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp water
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 oz uncooked linguini (I used 4 oz Pad Thai noodles)
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/2 lb snow peas, fresh, trimmed and cut on diagonal in half
1/4 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp unsalted dry roasted peanuts, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, sugar, and crushed red pepper until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

2. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

3. In a skillet, cook the garlic and shrimp, over medium-high heat, until shrimp is pink and opaque.

4. Combine the shrimp, linguine, peanut sauce, bell pepper, snow peas, cucumber, scallions, and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix. Sprinkle with the peanuts before serving.

Results: I had high hopes for this one, because I love anything involving peanut butter, but this was a little disappointing. It didn't taste bad, it just didn't "WOW!" me.

Coconut Thai Shrimp and Rice

Serves 6

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans of chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 3/4 tsp cayenne
Grated zest and juice of 2 limes (1/3 cup lime juice)
7 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups converted white rice
1 lb peeled and de-veined cooked jumbo shrimp, thawed if frozen
2 ounces fresh snow peas, cut into thin strips
Toasted coconut, for garnish

1. In a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker, mix the broth, water, coriander, cumin, salt, cayenne, lime zest, lime juice, garic and ginger. Stir in the onion, carrot, coconut, raisins, and rice. Cover and cook on low setting for 3 1/2 hours or until rice is tender. Stir in the shrimp and snow peas. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Serve garnished with toasted coconut.

Results: All the chopping was a bit of a pain, but this was delicious! I loved the toasted coconut on top. Steven wouldn't eat it, but the rest of us devoured it. This is another recipe from 365 Days of Slow Cooking.