shrimp fra diavolo

In any Italian restaurant, if I see shrimp fra diavolo listed on the menu, I am forced to order it...if I don't, I'll regret it hands down every time. Some places can get fancy with their fra diavolo, adding lobster or scallops or other bits of seafood protein, but I'm easy with fra diavolo: all I really need are some flavor-chameleonizing shrimp. A super quick, easy, healthy, spicy recipe, this shrimp frav diavolo recipe can be whipped up in a mere 15 minutes. The spice adds a nice kick to your metabolism while the shrimp will provide the protein to fill you up at the same time.
 

Ingredients (for two servings):

1 lb deveined tail-on shrimp

1 lemon

3 tbs olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup water

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs crushed red pepper

1 dried chipotle pepper, chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 lb whole-wheat spaghetti

*Double sauce ingredients if you would like more of a sauce*

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Toss shrimp in a small bowl to coat with juice of 1 lemon & a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Let sit aside to fully thaw and marinate.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add sliced onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

3. Once onions are translucent (about 6 minutes), add crushed tomatoes, white wine, water, garlic, chipotle pepper, along with herbs & spices. Stir and let simmer to thicken about 10 minutes. (Feel free to add as much kick as you want, but be careful...you can't come back from too many red pepper flakes easily!) 
 

 

 

4. At this point, pop shrimp into preheated oven on a tin-foiled baking sheet for 8 minutes. Also bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup of starchy pasta-water when straining pasta.

5. Once the sauce has thickened, add the cooked shrimp to the skillet and stir to meld flavors for 2 minutes.
 

 

6. Add reserved pasta-water to the skillet, along with the strained pasta. Toss to coat & serve immediately.
 

 

 

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healthier general tso's chicken

Lately I've been on a Chinese food kick (what else is new, let's be real). This weekend I was cold & lazy, so decided to make some homemade general tso's chicken. Making anything homemade can really be healthier in so many ways, since you have the power to incorporate healthier substitutions and better quality ingredients.

Ingredients (serves 2):
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbs hoisin sauce
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp honey
2 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tbs dried chiles, seeds removed, chopped
2 tbs sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Cube chicken, dredge in flour, and arrange in single layer on a foiled-baking sheet. Pop into oven for 14 minutes, or until fully cooked.

2. Meanwhile, in a small pot, begin to saute garlic in the toasted sesame oil.  Sprinkle the ground ginger over the mixture and let saute until garlic becomes fragrant.

3. Add soy sauce, chicken broth, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, tomato paste, half of the prepared scallions, and half of the prepared chiles. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle extra flour slowly to thicken, if desired.

4. Remove chicken from oven, pour sauce over chicken, and mix to coat.

5. Garnish with remaining scallions, chiles, and sesame seeds.

 

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spicy citrus shrimp

For a super healthy & quick dinner that can be tweaked depending on your taste (whether it be super spicy or mild in flavor).

 

Ingredients (for 2):
16 thawed tail-on deveined shrimp
2 pinches of salt
2 tsp chipotle powder 
2 tbs olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley 

Directions:

1. Coat shrimp in salt and chipotle powder and mix to cover. Heat 2 tbs olive oil on med-high heat. Add shrimp and cook on each side until just pink and still raw in the center.

2. Remove shrimp from pan and add chopped garlic cloves. Cook for about 1 minute on med-high heat.

 

3. Add orange juice and lemon juice. Raise heat to high and bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce.

 

4. Return shrimp to the pan. Add chopped parsley & cook for 3 more minutes while stirring.

 

 

5. Serve with veggies, toast, pasta, or rice!

 

 

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