Recipe Of The Week!

Sauteed Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Veggies

Here’s a spin on this recipe, adapted from Eating Well magazine. You’ll note that this recipe has a hefty portion of veggies to boot. Don’t like red peppers or asparagus? Go with onions, broccoli, tomatoes, whatever suits your fancy!

Serves 4.
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large red bell peppers, diced
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (make sure it’s gluten-free!)
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, asparagus, lemon zest and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; cover to keep warm.

2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add broth and heavy whipping cream to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has cooked through and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the vegetables.

Get Dressed Up!

Salad bars have sprouted up everywhere these days - from urban street corners to posh, "green" restaurants that also serve wine and cheese. Growing demand for healthy, unprocessed food has spurred a huge growth in supermarket sales of salads, as well - especially pre-bagged leafy greens and accompaniments.

The popular ingredients of salads - from tomatoes, red peppers and shredded carrots to arugula and watercress - are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They provide fiber that keeps our systems functioning. And they are rich in antioxidants, particularly carotenoids.

So, what could possibly be wrong with this development? For one thing, many salad savorers think they are doing themselves a favor by opting for dressings with low or not fat, or no dressing at all. The truth is that you need some fat to extract the nutrients from salads, especially those carotenoid antioxidants. At the other extreme are those who take their salads with prepared or commercial dressing. But most of those dressings, even in health food stores, are made with inferior and even unhealthy fats.

The secret to good salad dressing is a good oil. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is, literally, the gold standard. Nut oils - walnut oil, hazelnut oil - are delicious too, with a more delicate flavor. Commercial dressings almost invariably rely on cheap soy oil, which - aside from its tastelessness - oversupplies mega-6 fats to bodies and brains that need omega-3 fats instead. So, turn over a new leaf and start preparing your own salad dressings!

Here is one that takes about two minutes to prepare and you could add tons of extra(curry paste, blue cheese, using sesame oil instead)...

Basic Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 1/2 cup EVOO, 3 Tbsp. quality balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. powdered mustard, 1 tsp. sugar or sugar substitute and salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: Put dry ingredients in small bowl or jar. Add a few drops of oil and mix to a paste, then stir in the rest of the oil. Add vinegar or lemon juice. Stir well to mix and then shake. Refrigerate after using.