Healthy Living Recipe of the Week

This week's healthy recipe is Shrimp Pad Thai from "Now Eat This." 
Shrimp Pad Thai

If you've never had real pad Thai, it will change your life when you do.  It's a perfect example of Asian kitchen alchemy.  The texture of the rice noodles against the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter taste of the almost seventeen ingredients (in the original) is the thesis for every Asian fusion dish to come our of an American chef's kitchen since the 1980s.  "Complex," "layered," and "dynamic" are words that come to mind--and every bite is different.  All that comes with a price, though!  The original can tip the scales at 2,000 calories per servicing.  This made of version comes in at a fraction of the calories and a fraction of the work, and it tastes great.  Fish sauce is derived from fermented fish and can be found in many Southeast Asian dishes.  It is available in the ethnic or Asian aisle of most major supermarkets.  SERVES 4

Ingredients:
4 ounces brown rice noodles
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups bean sprouts
8 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed
3/8 cup Rockin' Asian Stir-Fry Sauce OR store-bought sugar-free teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons reduced-fat peanut butter
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 scallions (white and green parts), sliced thin on the diagonal
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:
1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the noodles according to the package directions.  During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the shrimp, 2 cups of the bean sprouts and the sugar snap peas.  Stir to distribute the ingredients evenly, and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender and the shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Drain in a colander and set aside.
2.  While the shrimp are cooking, heat the teriyaki sauce in a medium saucepan over high heat.  When the sauce comes to a boil, which in the peanut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, and scallions until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the sauce into a large bowl.
3.  Add the cooked noodle mixture and the cilantro to the sauce, and toss until everything is completely coated.  Top with the remaining 1 cup bean sprouts, and serve.

NOW YOU CAN EAT THIS!
Fat Before: 45g
Fat After: 5.5g

Calories Before: 2,090
Calories After 291

Healthy Living Recipe of the Week

A big part of staying healthy is eating meals that are good for you.  Since I am a food snob sometimes I have a hard time eating what may be "good for me" instead of "what tastes good."  Well, luckily now I do not have to compromise.  One of my dear friends gave me this fabulous cookbook, "Now Eat This" by Rocco Dispirito.  It has 150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods that are all under 350 calories.  YUMMY!  Here is what I will be cooking up tonight:

Roast Chicken Burritos with Corn and Black Beans

Although white rice is always included in the fast-food version of this dish, I left it out here.  It would have added about 100 calories per servicein, and these burrtios are really good without it--even better, I think.  If you can't find corn salsa, but fresh refrigerated salsa and stil in some low-sodium canned corn.  SERVES 4

Ingredients:
4- 9-inch low-carb tortillas
2 cups shredded skinless breast meat from a rotisserie or roast chicken
2/3 cup canned balck beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn salsa
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
3 ounces (3/4 cup) 75% reduced-fat cheddar cheese shredded
1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt

Preparation:
1.  Using flameproof tongs, char the tortillas briefly on each side over an open flame, or toast them under a preheated broiler.  Kepp the tortillas warm by covering them with a kitchen towel.
2.  In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the shredded chicken, balck beans, and salsa.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high until the mixture is hot throughout, about 3 minutes.  Stil in the cilantro.
3.  Lay the torillas on a work surface.  Spoon one fourth of the chicken misture over the bottom third of each tortilla.  Top the chicken with lettuce, cheese, and yogurt.  Fold the sides of the tortillas in over the filling, and roll the tortillas up tightly to encase the filling.  Serve immediantly.

NOW YOU CAN EAT THIS!
Fat Before: 38 g
Fat After: 6.8g

Calories Before: 790
Calories After: 280

Healthy Tips
Add all-natural plan Greek yogurt to any sauce (at the end of the cooking time, off the heat, to prevent curdling) to make the sauce richer without adding much fat.  Greek yogurt is also an excellent source of protein and calcium.

PGI Tampa Helps Children Go Back to School

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