Pan Fried Sesame Seed Shrimp

As I was grocery shopping the other day, I noticed that the corner display was nothing other than sesame seeds. I usually try to avoid all advertisements and displays, but I was intrigued. So, needless to say they ended up in my cart. What was I going to do with them you ask? I had no idea, but I thought they would add a little love to a future dish.

After returning from vacation, I thought it was a good idea to organize my freezer. And behold, what did I find? Frozen raw shrimp!!! Hmmmm. Shrimp + sesame seeds has to = something AMAZING. I did a quick recipe search and found a recipe by the queen herself- Martha Stewart!

Of course, I modified the recipe (just a little bit) and had an exquisite meal!

Pan Fried Sesame Seed Shrimp over Fresh Spring Salad
Time: less than 30 minutes
Serves: 3 people


Ingredients:
18 defrosted/raw uncooked medium sized shrimp
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp water
<1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Chinese-five spice
<1/4 cup vegetable oil
salad mixture
vinaigrette

Directions:
1. Prepare your salad as desired. Either wash, chop, dice, and slice fresh vegetables or just use a pre-bagged mixture. Your choice!
2. In a small bowl whisk together egg yolk and water. Set aside.
3. In another small bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
4. Pour oil into frying pan and warm over medium heat.
5. Simultaneously begin dipping each shrimp in the egg mixture first and then the flour mixture. Set on a plate until oil is ready.
6. Cook shrimp on each side for 2-3 minutes until the sesame seeds are light brown and the shrimp is cooked through.
7. Remove from oil/heat immediately and serve.
8. Enjoy!

Of note:
-The original recipe called for 1/2 cup seeds. I ended up having a bit left over, which I had to toss. I think the perfect amount is somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup. Guestimation makes cooking fun!!!

-In all honesty, I had no idea what Chinese five-spice powder was. I did a quick google search and voila. Thank you Wikipedia for your help!! I did not have star anise, fennel seeds or Sichuan pepper. Instead I used 1/4 tsp of the following mixture: ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground ginger!! YUM YUM YUM! :)

-The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup oil. I think that even 1/4 cup oil was too much. I'm not an experienced or trained chef by any means, but I definitely think that you can get by with

-The original recipe also calls for noodles. On a hot summer day, noodles is not my go to choice. Since I fried the shrimp I really wanted a healthy side. That's where the salad comes in. The shrimp also has plenty of flavor so a strong dressing is NOT needed. I stuck to my go-to favorite red wine vinegar.

Additional comments:
All in all, I have to say that I was quite impressed with this dish. I never (and I mean never) fry foods. I was completely satisfied with this meal. Also, of note, this recipe serves 3 people because approximately 6 medium shrimp = 3 oz cooked protein = one serving.

Comfort Food: Blueberry Waffles

Sometimes there is nothing better than a quick, easy, simple old fashioned breakfast. Recently, while on vacation I was pleasantly surprised when my friend offered to make not just ordinary waffles, but blueberry waffles!! I can't recall the last time I had waffles. When it's been that long, a sweeter bliss doesn't exist. The smell is luring. The taste is irresistible.

To have that unforgettable experience, pull out that unforgettable recipe whether it's in an old Jewish cookbook, the oh-so-ever reliable Betty Crocker, or perhaps you have to call pseudo-mommie or grandma. If all else fails, there's always Ms. Internet. Whichever way you turn, I promise you won't be disappointed! In this case, follow the recipe as is. (Feel free to use 1/2 whole wheat flour and Smart Balance instead of butter. Never forget your portion control! ;) Enjoy!)

Light Summer Fruit Salad

I'm a fan of salads (if you haven't noticed.) I like variety. I lunch crunch. I like taste. The best part about salads is that I usually just open my fridge and cupboards and begin mixing and matching. My recent masterpiece is as follows:

Time: minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients:
Lettuce (any variety you desire.)
1/2 can (3 oz) tuna (any variety you desire. I prefer Chunk Light.)
3-4 small fresh strawberries sliced/chopped
1 tbsp slivered almonds
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp dried cranberries
1-2 dressing as you desired (a sweet vinegar goes well with this salad such as red wine vinegar or Trader Joe;s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar!)

Directions:
If your ingredients are not pre-washed or pre-chopped or pre-sliced, then do so! If they are ready to go, then grab a salad bowl and throw in the ingredients. Mix well. Sprinkle on dressing as desired. Voila! Enjoy!

Baked Halibut Crumble with Sauteed Summer Squash

Standing in front of the seafood counter, I was debating on which type of fish to choose to settle the hunger growls of my tummy. Alas, the man over the counter made my decision easy- "The halibut is fresh. It just came in about an hour ago. It's practically still kicking! Would you like that?!" Decision made in seconds, much quicker than I had anticipated!

The next task was to figure out how to prepare this freshly dead fish. I was hoping this task would be completed almost as quickly as the first. And I think within a reasonable amount of time, I found a tasty recipe. Original Recipe Found Here!



Time: 20-30 minutes including preparation. Serves: 2

Main Course:
Ingredients:
0.75 pound fresh halibut steaks
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic chopped (more/less for your taste preferences)
1/4 cup olive oil
extra oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
optional- fresh squeeze lemon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Spread a thin layer of oil over the pan to prevent sticking
3. Place steaks on pan.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
5. In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, garlic, oil, cheese, and thyme into a thick paste.
6. Pat on top of each steak.
7. Bake for 10-14 minutes until fish is cooked. Times vary by ovens.
8. Enjoy! (Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.)

Side Dishes:
While you're preparing the fish, simulatenously begin preparing the side dishes.

Ingredients:
1 small zucchini
1 small summer squash
1 large tomato
olive oil
parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Rinse and wash vegetables.
2. Slice tomatoes and place on dinner plate.
3. Slice zucchini and summer squash.
4. Pan fry zucchini and summer squash on stove-top pan with olive oil until warm and slightly brown.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Place squash on plate. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
7. Enjoy!

Commentary:
In my experience, non-stick pan or not, the fish always sticks. Always add a little extra oil to prevent your food from sticking. Your hands/arms will thank you later from the limited scrubbing you had to do to clean the pan. Trust me! :) Personally, this dish is better sans lemon! I tried both options. Other than that, my comments today are quite minimal. This was a quick, easy, tasty meal and there's not much I would do differently next time around. Enjoy!

A Dietitian's Wedding

You know you're at a dietitian's wedding when:

1. The appetizers include more than cheese and crackers and cookies. At a friend's (aka dietitian's) wedding I attended recently, I was ecstatic when I arrived to the cocktail hour. I cant show my complete enthusiasm through these written words; you should have seen my face. (I should have taken a picture!) For once there were more choices than all those high calorie foods!! Sitting so pretty on the table in front of me was an array of roasted vegetables, raw vegetables, and fresh fruits. YAY! I was so excited. Cheese and crackers gets boring after a while (even for a cheese lover!)

2. There are multiple choices for dessert. Who offers just cake?! There was peach crumble, a mousse of some sort (I think) and the wedding cake. Dietitians know that the best part of dinner is a VARIETY of desserts! YUM! (Yes. FYI. Dietitians DO eat dessert! Gasp! I know! :))

3. When everybody laughs at the nutrition jokes. Sadly, when I'm around non-dietitians, they just don't always seem to get my jokes. Alas, I laugh alone. BUT at a dietitian's wedding, everybody laughs! Yay!