Grilled Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs

Another great kabob recipe.  If you haven’t noticed, I love to grill! From eatbetteramerica.com.

Prep Time:25 min 
Start to Finish:25 min 
makes:4 servings 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound sea scallops
12 uncooked large shrimp in shells
8 medium whole fresh mushrooms, (about 6 ounces)
8 cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, (about 1 inch in diameter), cut into 1-inch slices

Instructions:
1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.
2. Mix lemon juice, oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Cut scallops in half if over 1 inch in diameter.
3. Thread scallops, shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini alternately on each of four 10-inch metal skewers. Brush with lemon juice mixture.
4. Grill uncovered 4 inches from medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, brushing frequently with lemon juice mixture and turning once, until scallops are white and shrimp are pink and firm.
Nutritional Information:
1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 310mg; Total Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 3g); Protein 16g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 8%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 2 tsp Fats & Oils, 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1 1/4 c

Healthy Fried Chicken 

A great recipe to get your fried chicken fix without the guilt!  Courtesy of Delish.com

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 (3-pound) cut-up chicken, skin removed from all pieces except wings
1 1/2 cup(s) panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs
1 teaspoon(s) grated fresh lemon peel
Directions:
1.  In large self-sealing plastic bag, place buttermilk, ground red pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; add chicken pieces, turning to coat. Seal bag, pressing out excess air. Refrigerate chicken at least 1 hour or preferably overnight, turning bag over once.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 15 1/2″ by 10 1/2″ jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray. In large bowl, combine panko and lemon peel.

3.  Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Discard marinade. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, to panko mixture, turning to coat. Place chicken in prepared pan.
 
4.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until coating is crisp and juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with tip of knife. For browner coating, after chicken is cooked, turn oven to broil. Broil chicken 5 to 6 inches from source of heat 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 305
Total Fat 9g
Saturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 101mg
Sodium 370mg
Total Carbohydrate 16g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Protein 36g

There are so many super foods on my list that I’ve decided to make this the first installment in a series.  My plan is to do one of these weekly and I promise that I will do my best to follow through! 

First, let me tell you what I consider a ’super food’.  Quite simply, to make it on my list, the food must provide an overall positive health benefit…whether that benefit is disease fighting, muscle building, or metabolism boosting.  The traditional definition of a ’super food’ is one that contains phytochemical nutrients.  It’s a big word that really just means a nutrient that may positively effect health.  It is a bit more complicated than that so if you really want to know more you can just click that link.

Without further ado, here is part 1 of my Super Food list.

1.)  Salmon

I will start by saying that I absolutely love salmon.  It would actually be one of my favorite foods even without any of the associated health benefits.  Salmon is a great source of quality lean protein and Omega-3 fats (good fats).  Additionally, a 4 oz piece of wild salmon contains a full day’s requirement of Vitamin D as well a half day’s requirement of a number of other important nutrients.  Many people immediately dismiss salmon because they don’t like the taste of fish.  Salmon is not a ‘fishy’ fish and many people that normally don’t eat fish will eat salmon.  All I can say is give it a try!  You may just like it.

2.)  Avocados

Avocados are actually considered a fruit.  It’s native to South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.  What makes them so healthy?  I’m glad you asked.  Avocados contain oleic acid which is a monounsaturated fat.  Recent studies have suggested that oleic acid helps lower your overall cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol), raise your HDL (good cholesterol), and lower your triglyceride level.  All that and it tastes good!

3.)  Almonds

So much goodness packed in such a little nut.  The questions isn’t what are the benefits of almonds but, rather, what aren’t the benefit of almonds?  Well, I don’t think it can make your coffee in the morning but the research is still out on that.  Almonds have a high protein content and are low in carbohydrates.  It also has a very high monounsaturated fat content which studies have shown to lower your risk of heart disease and cancer.  For you vegetarians that don’t consume dairy products, almonds also contain a large amount of calcium.  In fact, more than any other nut! 

4.)  Jalapeno Peppers

I chose Jalapeno peppers, and not another type of hot pepper, because, well, I like them best and I’m writing this article.  Hot peppers, such as the Jalapeno, have been shown to aid in weight loss when consumed at breakfast and after a high-fat meal.  Hot peppers contain capsaicinwhich researchers think is what causes the appetite suppression associated with hot pepper consumption although this hasn’t been proven.  The theory is that it increases activity in the sympathetic nervous system which boosts your metabolism.  This combo suppresses your appetite.  On top of all that, they are cheap and easy to prepare!

5.)  Quinoa

Quinoa is actually pronounced ‘Keen-Wah’.  Yeah, that one threw me for a loop at first, too.  The most amazing thing to me about quinoa is that it is a complete protein source.  This means it contains all 9 essential amino acids your body requires to build muscle.  Not only that but it is also a significant source of fiber, manganese, magnesium and copper (among other health beneficial nutrients).  I will admit that I was skeptical when I first tried quinoa.  It really kind of looks like bird feed in its raw form.  However, once I a couple of quinoa recipes on the web, it became a staple.  Unfortunately for me, I’m currently on a low-carb diet and am having to lay off of it for a while.  

Ok, that’s it for the first installment of Dave’s Super Foods.  As I said in the beginning, I’m going to add more to this list weekly so stay tuned!  I would love to hear some of your power foods.  Feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Fresh Salmon-Cilantro Burgers

I love salmon and I love burgers so this is a n0-brainer for me.  Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns with sesame seeds, toasted
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices English cucumber
4 leaf lettuce leaves

Instructions:
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill.Nutritional Information:
Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

CALORIES 341 ; FAT 11.5g (sat 2g,mono 2.9g,poly 4.9g); CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 67mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.9g; SODIUM 816mg; PROTEIN 31.6g; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 2.2mg

2. Place salmon in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add breadcrumbs and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon black pepper); pulse 4 times or until well blended. Divide salmon mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 2 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; cook 2 minutes or until done.

4. Spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture over bottom half of each hamburger bun. Top each serving with 1 salmon patty, 3 cucumber slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun.

Spinach salad: Combine 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons canola oil, 2 teaspoons water, and 1/4 teaspoon chile paste in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add half of 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach, 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper strips, and 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion to bowl; toss to coat.