Battle Belly Fat: Pan-Seared Shrimp Tacos, Crunchy Crust "Mac n Cheese,” Oven Fries

*** Eat your favorite comfort foods and still battle the belly fat. Recipes the whole family will enjoy they won't even know they are eating healthy!




Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook by Liz Vaccariello



From Denny: Want guilt free comfort food that actually taste good? Look no further in your quest to battle belly fat and not roll your eyes at typical diet food that has you bored and your family in revolt.

Liz Vaccariello is the author of the newest cookbook in her series about good food to battle belly fat, "Flat Belly Diet! Family Cookbook." She features traditional comfort food favorites like macaroni and cheese (Mac 'n' Cheese for those in the know), oven french fries, shrimp tacos and dark chocolate brownies. That line up sure doesn't sound like we will be deprived of good taste or familiar dishes.

This cookbook and recipes are geared to family healthy eating without sacrificing great taste and favorite foods. While she does limit each meal to about 400 calories the real success is combining a MUFA with each meal.

What's a MUFA? Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acid. They are found in olive oil, olives, nuts and seeds, peanut butter or other nut butters and the biggest favorite: dark chocolate.

Here are the three basic rules from Liz Vaccariello, Editor in chief of Prevention Magazine, to help lose that belly fat:

1. Eat a MUFA with every meal

2. Stick to 400 calories per meal

3. Never go more than 4 hours without eating


Recipes Featured:

Pan-Seared Shrimp Tacos
Crunchy Crust "Mac and Cheese”
Salt and Pepper Oven Fries

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Pan-Seared Shrimp Tacos

From: "Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook"

Makes: 4 servings, 320 calories

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Haas avocado, cubed
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce


DIRECTIONS

Combine the avocado, onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon in a bowl and set aside. Combine the shrimp, chili powder, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a separate bowl.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side or until opaque. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Heat tortillas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until hot and lightly toasted, about 30 seconds per side or according to package directions. Place 2 tortillas on each plate and top each with 2 tablespoons lettuce, 1/8 avocado mixture and 1/8 of the shrimp. Serve immediately.





"Crunchy Crust "Mac and Cheese"

From: "Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook"

Makes: 4 servings, 328 calories

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces multi-grain macaroni
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese


DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish with vegetable spray.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside. Combine the bread crumbs and 2 teaspoons oil in a small bowl. Stir with a fork to evenly coat the crumbs with oil.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon oil to a large saucepan. Set over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour, paprika, salt and pepper until smooth. Add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese until it melts. Stir in the macaroni. Pour into the baking dish. Top evenly with the crumbs.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.





Salt and Pepper Oven Fries

From: "Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook"

Makes: 4 servings, 262 calories

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound russet potatoes, cut into 3 1/2-inch long by 1/2-inch wide sticks
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine the potatoes and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven 15 minutes, turn the potatoes and bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Pour oil and garlic over the potatoes, and add the salt, pepper and parsley; toss well. Serve immediately.



*** For the chocolate recipes go here:

Battle Belly Fat: Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate French Toast




Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook by Liz Vaccariello


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Spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo Sauce Used 3 Ways: Seafood, Chicken, Polenta

Shrimp fra diavlo by arthurohm @ flickr


From Denny: What's great about this pasta sauce is it's basically a marinara sauce and incredibly versatile. Chef Lidia demos how to use it over sauteed fresh shrimp, spooned over sauteed boneless chicken breast and yellow bell peppers or over cooled, cut and grilled polenta rectangles.

You can use this spicy hot sauce over fish and with pasta too. You can freeze the sauce and use canned tomatoes if fresh are too expensive or not available.
I like more spices in mine than her traditional simple version so feel free to add spices you like. I guess you can tell this is one of my favorite dishes and we use ground cayenne pepper at our house for this dish.

By the way, "Fra diavolo" is Italian for "Brother Devil." It's a name they use for any spicy sauce using red pepper for pastas or seafood dishes. Chef Lidia Bastianich's recipe is utterly simple, so fast and easy that you will have dinner on the table in no time at all - and with style! :)

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Shrimp Fra Diavolo

From: Chef Lidia Bastianich

Serves: 6 lucky people! :)

This dish is excellent served as a main course or as a dressing for pasta.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 2 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp (about 30) peeled and deveined
• Salt
• One 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), cored and coarsely crushed
• 8 fresh basil leaves, torn into quarters
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook, shaking the pan, until golden. This takes about one minute. Add as many shrimp as fit in a single layer with some space between each. If you crowd the shrimp, they will steam in their own juices rather than get crunchy with a lightly browned exterior. Cook, tuning once, until lightly golden, about three minutes. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving as much garlic as possible in the pan.

Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the tomatoes into the skillet, season with salt and crushed red pepper, and bring to a vigorous boil. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook until it is lightly thickened. This takes about 10 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp, basil and parsley and cook until the shrimp are heated through. This takes just a few seconds.



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Awesome Cajun Barbecued Shrimp — New Orleans Style

Another version of delicious BBQ shrimp by scaredy_kat @ flickr

From Denny: Here's a seafood recipe that is quick, easy, incredibly delicious, a crowd pleaser and quite popular! What more could you ask for in a recipe? There are as many variations of this dish as there are "Down on the Bayou" cooks from Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Of course, you will want to use Louisiana shrimp. They are far superior to shrimp from the toxic heavy metal waters of China. They are also fresh.

This particular recipe came from a local person whose son has a delightful blog where he recounts his new food experiences. He is a nine year old food critic! Every kid is a food critic as any parent will know. This one writes about it and it's a good blog. I thought it would be fun to help promote his writing and his family's recipe he enjoys.





Barbecued Shrimp — New Orleans Style

From: Sean Prados whose 9 year old son, Michael, writes Junior Food Critic, a blog where he writes about his food discoveries and kid friendly restaurants.

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

2 lbs. (8 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1 large onion, very finely minced
3 ribs celery, finely minced
5 to 10 cloves garlic, finely minced (roasted garlic best)
3 to 4 tbls. chopped parsley
2 tbls. chopped rosemary leaves
4 to 5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 (12-oz.) Abita Amber Beer (full-bodied or dark beer if this is not available in your area)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 lbs. shrimp, heads and shells on
Salt, pepper and Creole seasoning, to taste
1 lemon, cut in wedges
2 green onions, chopped


Directions:

1. Over medium-high heat, melt 2 sticks butter in large skillet or paella pan. Sauté onion and celery 3 to 4 minutes. Then add garlic.

2. Stir in parsley, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Melt remaining butter and add to pan with beer and Worcestershire sauce.

4. Submerge shrimp in sauce and add seasonings to taste. You may need to do this in batches. Over-seasoning works since shells prevent some absorption.

5. Squeeze lemon juice over shrimp after cooking. Garnish with green onions. Serve with French bread for dipping.


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Ming Tsai’s Chinese New Year Feast: Year of the Tiger

From Denny: Chinese New Year celebrations began on February 14th, the same as Valentine's Day, and last for two weeks or more. This year is known as the Year of the Tiger.

Chef Ming Tsai, from his restaurant Blue Ginger and Food Network fame, offers up a few tasty dishes to help us celebrate a feast fit for a tiger. These are some seriously sophisticated recipes. Makes me long for when I spent a few years of high school in Taiwan. The Taiwanese loved to teach others about their food and culture. The Taiwanese are also quite an enthusiastic culture, easy for Americans to relate to their exuberance. The Chinese celebrate New Year like we celebrate Mardi Gras in Louisiana - lots of incredible feasting!

Ming's Recipes Featured:

Tempura Shrimp Cocktail with Lime Leaf-Avocado Puree
Cranberry-Hoisin Sauce Glazed Duck
Lychee Champagne Granita






Ming's books:



Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals




Ming's Master Recipes (based on the Public Television series SIMPLY MING)

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Tempura shrimp cocktail with lime leaf-avocado puree and chipotle puree

From: Chef Ming Tsai, Blue Ginger restaurant

Serves: 4

Shrimp in Chinese also means to laugh or smile, which we all need in the new year and is, of course, essential in a relationship!

INGREDIENTS

Tomato puree

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, rough chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 medium tomatoes, rough chopped, or 1 cup drained canned plum tomatoes
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, depending on heat preference
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Avocado puree

• 2 ripe avocados, rough chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded
• Juice of 1 lime
• 6 lime leaves, chiffonade
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots

Tempura shrimp cocktail

• 2 flour tortillas or best quality tortilla chips
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups rice flour
• 2-3 cups club soda
• 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail-on (Contessa brand preferred)
• Canola oil, for deep frying
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, cut into 1/8-inch ribbons

DIRECTIONS

For the tomato puree

Heat a small skillet over medium heat; add oil and swirl to coat. When the oil shimmers, add onion and garlic and saute until brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and chipotles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft and their liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

For the avocado puree

In a food processor, combine avocados with jalapeno, lime juice and lime leaves and puree. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold in the cilantro and shallots. Set aside.

For the tortilla chips

Fill a fryer or medium stockpot one-third full with oil and heat to 375 degrees. Cut tortillas in 1-inch-wide long-sided triangles that run the length of each tortilla. Fry tortilla triangles until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain well on paper towel-lined plate, season with chile powder and salt and set aside.

For the tempura shrimp

Place flour in medium bowl and stir in sufficient club soda to produce a pancake batter-like mixture. Dip the shrimp in the batter, drain any excess, and fry in 2 batches until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Remove with a large mesh spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt to taste.

To serve, have 4 martini glasses filled with romaine. Dollop purees side by side into martini glasses. Insert 3 chips upright in each glass. Hang 3 shrimp off edge of martini glass, pushing them gently into edge. You may need to make a 1/4-inch incision on top of shrimp so they will stay firmly attached.







Cranberry-hoisin glazed duck with bok choy fondue and a red roast sweet potato puree

From: Ming Tsai

Serves: 4

In Chinese culture, duck symbolizes fidelity and the color red symbolizes happiness.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 2 cups Shaoxing wine, or 1 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 3 cups Wanjashan organic soy sauce
• 2 cups Ocean Spray cranberry juice
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 boxes (about 3 pounds) rock sugar, or 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 cup Craisins, rough chopped, plus whole for garnish
• 1 5-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 whole head garlic, unpeeled and halved horizontally
• 2 bunches scallions, white parts sliced into 2-inch lengths, green parts sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 2 star anise
• 4 Thai bird chiles
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 large duck, about 6 pounds
• 2 cups water, plus more if necessary
• 8 baby bok choy, halved and cored
• 4 sweet potatoes, forked, wrapped in foil and baked through

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, deep pot combine the wines, soy sauces, cranberry juice, hoisin sauce, rock sugar, Craisins, ginger, garlic, scallion whites, star anise, chiles and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir to dissolve rock sugar, about 5-10 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and add the duck and water. If the liquid doesn't cover the duck, add more water.

2. Place a second pot or stainless-steel bowl half-filled with water into the first to keep the duck submerged (see Tips) and simmer until the duck is very tender and almost falling from the bones, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Do not overcook or the meat will come apart. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the bok choy.

3. Meanwhile, prepare sweet potato mash: Unwrap hot sweet potatoes and scoop flesh into a large heat-proof bowl. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the hot braising liquid to potatoes. Stir together until well combined. Check for flavor and season with salt and pepper (and extra braising liquid, if you like). Place potatoes in center of a large platter. Using a large, mesh spoon, carefully remove the duck and bok choy from the pot and arrange on platter, using potatoes to anchor duck.

4. Glaze the duck with the sauce, garnish it with the scallion greens and reserved Craisins, and serve.

TIPS

Ming's Tips: The duck must be kept submerged in its braising liquid while it cooks. To accomplish this, find a pot or stainless-steel bowl that will fit into the braising pot. Fill it halfway with water and place it on the duck to weigh it down as it cooks.

Don't be put off by the amount of sugar I call for here; it's needed to give the dish its mellow flavor.





Lychee champagne granita

From: Ming Tsai, "Simply Ming"

Serves: 4

In Chinese culture, the lychee is considered a symbol of romance and love. It is also thought to be beneficial to place dried lychees under the marriage bed as a wish for many children.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup drained lychees
• 1/2 cup syrup from can of lychees
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups Champagne, plus more for garnish
• Whole fresh lychees, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, combine lychees, syrup and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Strain mixture into a bowl. Add Champagne and stir to combine. Pour mixture into baking dish, stir once and freeze overnight. To serve, scrape using the back of a fork, pile into chilled martini glasses and top with more Champagne and a whole lychee, for garnish, if desired.






Ming's books:



Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals




Ming's Master Recipes (based on the Public Television series SIMPLY MING)


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!