Don't Go Stir Crazy Coconut Shrimp Risotto

I’ve just used a new product that I want to share with others. The product is called Vita Coco coconut water.

Vita Coco pure coconut water

 

This coconut water can be enjoyed “as is,” used in cocktails/mocktails or smoothies, or used in recipes. I have chosen the latter and used it in a delicious shrimp risotto dish. One 8-ounce container of Vita Coco coconut water has only 45 calories, adding flavor without a lot of calories. It also contains electrolytes and nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium.



Don't Go Stir Crazy Coconut Shrimp Risotto

Risotto is a wonderful dish, but it can be very demanding, requiring constant adding of broth and stirring for 25 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid. The May/June issue of Cook’s Illustrated (my favorite cooking magazine) featured a “almost hands-free risotto.” It got my attention. Instead of the constant stirring, the author, Andrea Geary, found that adding several cups of liquid at the start of cooking agitates the rice grains much like stirring. This releases the creamy starch from the rice grains. Then she covers the heavy Dutch oven and turns down the heat so the rice grains cook evenly. Then, you stir for only 3 minutes and let it rest for 5 minutes. Voila! Perfect risotto without all the stirring.

I started with a basic risotto and then added the pure coconut water, shrimp, seasonings, and peas.

Here is the complete recipe.

Don’t Go Stir Crazy Coconut Shrimp Risotto

Ingredients:
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 16.9-oz bottle Vita Coco pure Coconut Water
8 oz. uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, defrosted if frozen
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped fine (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 green onions, trimmed and sliced, using both white and green parts
Ground black pepper to taste
Garnish: 4 teaspoons toasted flaked coconut (optional)

Directions:
Bring broth and coconut water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Drop in shrimp and cook until pink in color, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from broth and set aside. Cover and reduce heat of broth to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 4 cups of hot broth mixture into rice; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. Add 3/4 cup hot broth mixture and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and peas. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir in reserved shrimp, butter, lemon juice, and green onion; season with pepper to taste. If desired, add up to 1/2 cup remaining broth mixture to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately. Garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon of toasted coconut, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Click here to download and print a copy of Don’t Go Stir Crazy Coconut Shrimp Risotto.


Disclosure: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Vita Coco and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

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A Green Twist on Irish Soda Bread

Dilly Whole Grain Irish Soda Bread

The theme for Recipe Redux for March is to think green – green herbs used in unusual ways.

For me, nothing says St. Patrick’s Day better than Irish soda bread.  So to add a twist to the standard recipe, I added 1 cup of finely chopped dill to the batter. I also wanted to make it healthier so instead of white flour, I used white wheat flour, flaxseed meal, and oat bran.

Are you familiar with white wheat flour? It’s in most supermarkets. It has the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour but has the color of bleached white flour.

White Wheat Flour

 

Here’s the full recipe.

Dilly Whole Grain Irish Soda Bread

This recipe is a perfect accompaniment to an Irish meal, whether toast for breakfast, a sandwich of lunch, or bread with dinner. It uses a combination of white wheat flour, oat bran, and ground flaxseed meal. One loaf is about $3.34, or about $0.21 a serving.

Ingredients:

3-1/4 cups (13 ounces) white wheat flour

1/4 cup finely ground oat bran

1/4 cup whole ground flaxseed meal

1 cup finely chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

2 cups buttermilk

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Combine flour, oat bran, flaxseed meal,  dill, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in large bowl. In a small bowl, beat egg. Add buttermilk to egg and stir to combine.  Pour the buttermilk mixture into the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir just until combined and soft dough has formed. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times or until dough is smooth. Form the dough into a large round mound and place on prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a 4-inch long shallow cut in the middle of the mound.  Bake for 45 minutes or until bread is browned on top and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool. Cut into 16 to 18 thin slices.

Makes  1 loaf (16 to 18 slices).

Nutrition Information per Serving (1/16 of a loaf):

122 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber, 5 g protein, and 208 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides a good source of fiber and calcium.
 
Cost per Serving (1/16 of a loaf): $0.21

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices. (Fresh dill was found for $2.59 for one large bunch.)

 

Click here to download and print a copy of Dilly Whole Grain Irish Soda Bread.

Here are some preparation photos.

Chopping Dill; Forming Dough; and Cooling Baked Bread

 

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Mediterranean Diet Wins Again

I have long been an advocate of the Mediterranean Diet.  An article in today's New England Journal of Medicine reports that a randomized clinical trial with over 7,000 volunteer adults showed that the those that ate a Mediterranean diet cut their risk of heart disease by 30%. They further concluded that it is the type of fat that is important, not the amount.

One third of the participants served as the control group and followed an American Heart Association low fat diet. The remaining two-thirds followed a Mediterranean diet, with one third supplementing their diet wih 30 grams of nuts (a mixture of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts) and the second intervention group adding 50 milliliters of virgin olive oil to their diet. Click here to read a more complete summary of the research findings. The study was actually stopped ahead of schedule because there was such a difference between the two intervention groups and the control.

Not sure what a Mediterranean diet is? Click here to get a synopsis from WebMD.  The bottom line is that one should eat incorporate monunsaturated fats, fruits and vegetables, legumes/beans, nuts, and olive oil in one's diet. Fats from unrefined sources, such as nuts and olive oil, are better than saturated fts from animal sources.

Click here to download a colorful illustrationof the Mediterranean Food Pyramid from Oldways.

Julie & Julia Barramundi with Lemon Sauce

Barramundi with Lemon Sauce

 

 

The Oscars are happening this month so Recipe Redux’ theme for February is to pick a food or recipe from a favorite movie. It can be a recent movie or an old classic.

For me, the movie that comes to the top of my list is Julie and Julia that came out in 2009. Meryl Streep was fantastic as Julia Child and Amy Adams played Julie Powell, a young woman who blogged about preparing all 524 of Julia’s recipes in her Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook. I believe that this was the first major movie based on a blog. Julie used blogging to motivate herself to test all 524 recipes and to document her progress. The movie gave me a better sense of the challenges that Julia Child faced while she was in Paris in the late 40’s and early 50’s.

The plot is good but it was the food that was the big draw for me. All of the food depicted in the movie makes your mouth water. Julia prepares a wonderful fillet of sole in a lemony butter sauce. I decided to start with this recipe but make it a bit healthier. I substituted barramundi fish for the sole. If you’re not familiar with barramundi, this is a mild white fish that can be found in many markets today. It is a member of the Asian sea bass family. While it doesn’t have as many omega three fatty acids as salmon or sardines, it has more than many other types of fish, about 480 mg per 3-ounce serving.

Barramundi is one my favorite new seafood items. It can be found frozen or fresh in some markets. I found barramundi frozen at my local BJ’s store. If you can’t find it, click here to go to Australis’ web site to find where to buy it in your area. Here is a picture of the package I bought.

Julia Child’s original recipe called for sole, 2 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup heavy cream. My recipe uses barramundi fish instead of sole. This mild white fish is more affordable, has more protein and more omega three fatty acids than sole. This recipe below also uses a combination of olive oil and butter, fat free half and half instead of heavy cream and uses less salt. And portion sizes are more reasonable. It’s loaded with good nutrition and costs about $2.50 per serving.

Here is a comparison chart of my Barramundi with Lemon Sauce compared with Julia Child's Fillets of Sole Meuniere (found in The Way to Cook, pages 98-99).

Per serving:	Julia Child’s Fillets of Sole Meuniere	Dr. Barb’s Barramundi with Lemon Sauce
Calories	310 kcal	219 kcal
Total Fat	23 g	10 g
Saturated Fat	13 g	3 g
Cholesterol	127 mg	67 mg
Protein	22 g	22 g
Sodium	899 mg	279 mg

Here is the full recipe.

 

Barramundi with Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced fine
4 (4-ounce) barramundi fillets, thawed if frozen
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wheat flour
3/4 cup fat free or regular half and half
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Sprinkle the sole with salt and the pepper. Dust the fish fillets with the flour and shake off any excess. Set aside.

In a large nonstick frying pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook one minute. Put the fish in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook until just done, about 3 minutes longer. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside.

Add the half and half and lemon zest to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until starting to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Serve the sauce over the fish.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Information per Serving (using fat free half and half):
219 calories, 10 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 67 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 23 g protein, and 279 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of protein and vitamin B-12 and a good source of riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B-6.

Cost per Serving: $2.51
Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

Click here to download and print a copy of this recipe.

Here are some preparation photos.

 

 

 

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Many Predict Cauliflower to be BIG in 2013

Roasted Cauliflower Tabouli Stew

The theme for January for Recipe Redux is to select one or more of the hot new 2013 trends predicted for home or restaurants made for 2013 by “the experts,” and use this trend in a soup, one-pot-meal, crockpot, or whatever.

After reviewing several trend sites, I decided that I wanted to do something with cauliflower. It was mentioned by numerous people. One of my favorite ways to eat cauliflower is to coat it lightly with olive oil and roast it in the oven. Roasting brings out the sweetness. So, for this challenge, I started with one of my favorite cauliflower recipes, Roasted Cauliflower Couscous Boats, where roasted cauliflower is combined with couscous, seasonings and served in romaine lettuce boats.  So, I needed to convert this salad recipe to a one-pot meal.

So, after roasting the cauliflower, I combined it with couscous, chicken, chicken broth, and seasonings to make a roasted Cauliflower Tabouli Stew that can be served as a main course or as a side. It’s then garnished with fresh cilantro leaves and sliced green onion.

 

Here is the complete recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower Tabouli Stew

Ingredients:

½ large head cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets (about 3 cups)

Non-stick cooking spray
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1-1/4 cups uncooked couscous
6 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp curry powder
¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves

¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cauliflower florets in single layer in baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender and lightly browned. Stir halfway through cooking. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add couscous and cooked chicken; stir, and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in baked cauliflower, lemon juice, pepper, curry powder, and salt. Divide into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with cilantro and green onions. 

Makes 6 servings (about 6 cups total)

Note: if you don’t care for cilantro, simply substitute fresh parsley instead.

Preparation Tip: While roasting the cauliflower for this recipe, go ahead and roast the whole head, even though you only need half for this recipe. Once roasted, you can eat on the other half as a low-calorie snack or serve it as dinner vegetable.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

250 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 28 mg cholesterol, 4 g dietary fiber, 17 g protein, and 239 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of protein, niacin, and vitamins C and K1, and a good source of fiber and folate.

Cost per Serving: $1.41

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except cauliflower which was on sale for $3.00 a head and the chicken breasts on sale for $1.99 a pound (raw).

 Click here to download and print this recipe.

 

 

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Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate Uses Froth-Making Gadget

Close up of plain skim milk that has been frothed

Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate

Caffé Frother by Bonjour

The theme for this month’s Recipe Redux is to talk about a favorite kitchen tool. Perhaps this will aid any last minute shoppers who still need to get a gift or two for someone.



My latest favorite gadget is a Caffé Frother by Bonjour. There may be other manufacturers. This tool is so cool. It makes fabulous froth in about a minute. It's almost like magic how it instantly turns skim milk into a thick froth. You can use it to make your favorite coffee/expresso-based drinks, including cappucino, café au lait, Irish coffee, and more. You can also use the frother to make a nonfat topping for desserts. You probably want to add some sweetness to the milk, such as a sugar substitute or a little honey or agave syrup if used as a dessert topping. This frother retails for about $25.

 

Plain skim milk in frother

You fill the special container with about a third of skim milk. Then push up and down on the plunger which adds air to the mixture, trippling the original volume. The frother works with fat free milk which makes it a fun way to enjoy this healthy beverage choice. The milk can be cold out of the refrigerator or heated on a stove top or in the microwave. You can add flavorings to the milk, if desired, such as vanilla extract, brandy, rum, or other liqueurs. The frother would also be great for eggnog this time of year.

My favorite way to use the frother, though, is to make Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate. Here is the complete recipe.

Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate
This recipe can be prepared in less than 5 minutes. It’s perfect on a cold morning or evening. One serving is only 142 calories, yet provides an excellent source of calcium and costs only $0.35.

Ingredients:
0.7 to 1.0 ounce Mexican chocolate (tablet, wedge, or powder)
2/3 cup of fat free milk
¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions:
If Mexican chocolate is a tablet or wedge, crush it to make a powder. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high power for 1-1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. (Do not let milk come to a boil.) Transfer mixture to frother and follow frother instructions. Pour into mug. Makes 1 serving. Note: To make more servings, simply multiply ingredients by the number of desired servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
142 calories, 3 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 6 g protein, and 69 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of calcium and a good source of protein and riboflavin.

Cost per Serving: $0.35 Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

Here is the type of Mexican chocolate I used:


Click here to download and print a copy of Frothy Mexican Chocolate recipe.

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Mashed Rutabagas A Family Favorite

It's not a holiday meal without mashed rutabagas.

The theme for Recipe Redux this month is "vintage side dishes" that have been a part of your family's holiday meals. For m family, mashed rutabagas have been a staple at our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables for as long as I can remember. My mother’s mother started the tradition. I’m not sure how the tradition started in my mother’s family, but I suspect they grew rutabagas in their backyard in the Bronx, New York. For me and my brothers, it isn’t a “traditional” thanksgiving dinner unless mashed rutabagas are part of the meal. As kids, my brothers and I would fight about who had to peel the potatoes and who had to peel the rutabagas. They rutabagas were always harder – they were awkward to handle and it took a lot of effort to cut them into cubes.

Mashed rutabagas in my family are nothing fancy. You simply boil the peeled and cubed whole rutabagas, mashed them once tender, and add some milk, margarine, salt and pepper. Then, most of us pour turkey gravy over them just before eating them. We’ve had various friends and neighbors over to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family over the years and there is always a question about the rutabagas. The rest of the meal is fairly “traditional” with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, a green vegetable (broccoli or green beans), mashed potatoes and gravy. But, the rutabagas just don't seem to be that common in many families.

Rutabagas are nutritious, no surprise here. One cup of cooked rutabagas, before adding margarine or butter or salt, provides only 72 calories, no fat, 4.3 grams of dietary fiber, 518 mg of potassium, and 45 mg of vitamin C.

Click here to download the complete Mashed Rutabagas recipe.

Here are some prep photos:

Mashed rutabaga preparation is easy.

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