Fitness Food and You

Here is a wonderful, easy, and light SPRING recipe! 

ingredients

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro

Juice of 3 limes, divided

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ head red cabbage, shredded

¼ c. mayonnaise *(see note below)

1 tbsp. sriracha

4 medium tortillas

directions

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, cilantro, and 1/3 of the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Add shrimp to a baking dish and pour over mixture. Toss until completely coated and let marinate 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make slaw: In a large bowl, toss cabbage with mayo, remaining lime juice and Sriracha. Season with salt.

Heat grill to high. Skewer shrimp and grill until charred, 3 minutes per side. Grill tortillas until charred, 1 minute per side.

Serve shrimp in tortillas with slaw

*NOTE: Since I’m not a huge mayo fan, I substituted a few tablespoons of olive oil.

(recipe found on http://www.delish.com)

I am a huge fan of both farro and Giada De Laurentiis! This dish is healthy, light, colorful, crunchy and energizing! A perfect side dish to just about anything.

ingredients

10 ounces farro (about 1 ½ cups)

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus ½ teaspoon

8-ounces green beans, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

½ cup pitted black olives

1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips (about 4 ounces or 1 cup)

3 ounces Parmesan, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)

1 small bunch chives, snipped (about ¼ cup)

¼ cup sherry vinegar

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

directions

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the farro. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the farro is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt and simmer until the farro is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.

Once the farro has cooled add the green beans, olives, red pepper, Parmesan, and chives. Stir to combine. In a small bowl mix together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, pepper, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the farro salad. Toss to combine and serve.

(Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, found on foodnetwork.com)

I found this recipe in my favorite magazine, Experience Life. The recipe was entitled “Vegetarian Borscht Salad”, which  I felt sounded a bit off putting. So I changed the name because this dish is utterly delicious and definitely worth making. You can’t go wrong with roasted root vegetables. 

ingredients

½ pound carrots (8 to 10 medium), scrubbed and cut into 2-inch chunks 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium onions, each cut into 10 wedges

1 ½ pounds beets (about 4 large), peeled and each cut into 8 wedges

4 teaspoons red wine or sherry vinegar

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

Sour cream, for serving (optional)

directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.

In a large bowl, toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the carrots in one section of one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the onions, followed by the beet wedges, arranging each of the vegetables in its own section of the baking sheets. Cover the baking sheets with foil.

Roast for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are nearly tender. Remove the foil and rotate the baking sheets. Roast for 10 to 20 minutes longer, until the vegetables are nicely tender and browned in spots. Let cool until warm.

Return the vegetables to the bowl and toss with the vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the ¼ cup dill and toss again. Spread the salad out on a platter. Dollop sour cream on top, garnish with more dill, and serve.

(Adapted from a recipe found in Experience Life, January/February, 2017)