...Baked Coconut Shrimp

Happy February! 

I am sure everyone has big plans to watch the Super Bowl Beyonce concert tonight! 

And what is the Super Bowl without some delicious food! According to a Mashable article, Americans will consume 1.23 BILLION chicken wings, 325.5 millon gallons of beer,  and 14,500 tons of chips, and (my personal favorite) 120 million pounds of avocados (holy guacamole!) on Super Bowl Sunday. I've just been told I am rooting for the Carolina Panthers*- so go team, keep pounding, and stuff. 

*I am ok with this because I was also just told that Michael Oher (who's story was featured in The Blind Side) plays for the Panthers. And I love that movie and Sandra's sass. Also, let's be honest, I am here for two reasons- to cry at the Budweiser draft horse commercial, and watch Beyonce slay. 

Anyway, if you're looking for a tasty, easy, and healthy protein for tonight (or any night), then look no further! I whipped this up the other night when I was craving anything BUT chicken. It was so good, I made another batch to take to work the next day! So, why shrimp? Well, they are a great source of protein- 3oz. has 20g! They are also low in calorie (84 cals in 3oz), but high in vitamins and minerals such as B12, phosphorus, and selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant that helps fight off damaging particles, as well as assists in thyroid function. Alright, enough science, let's hit the kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 3oz small shrimp (get them detailed and deveined and save yourself the headache)
• 1.5 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1.5 tbsp whole wheat panko crumbs (pro tip: if you don't have any, crush up a few whole wheat crackers)
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour (you won't use all of this)
• 1/4 cup egg whites

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp pepper jelly (I used my aunt's homemade that she gave to me for Christmas (my favorite!!), but they have it at any grocery store in the jelly section. Tabasco Brand is pretty decent.)
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Balsalmic vinegar
• Garlic Powder
• Salt

Preheat your oven to 375*. If your shrimp are frozen, defrost them by placing them in a bowl of hot water. 

Get your "breading assembly line" ready by lining up three small bowls- one contains the egg whites, one with the flour, and one with the coconut and crumbs mixed together. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and thinly coat with cooking spray.

Once your shrimp are ready, coat them in the breading as follows: 

1. Cover in flour, and shake off the excess.

2. Submerge in egg whites.

3. Coat in coconut/crumb mix.

4. Transfer to baking sheet.

Repeat these steps until all the shrimp are breaded. Toss out any remaining egg whites and flour, but sprinkle remaining coconut mixture atop the shrimp.

Place in oven for 9-10 minutes. Remove, and flip. Return to oven for an additional 7-8 minutes. 

While the shrimp are in the oven, prepare your sweet and spicy dipping sauce. Simply combine jelly and vinegars, with a dash of salt and garlic pepper to taste. 

Check your shrimp- when the breading is browned, you will know they are ready!

Pair your shrimp and sauce with your favorite vegetable or salad and enjoy!

Paired here with an arugula salad.

Nutritional Information:

Yields: 1 serving

Shrimp:

Calories: 184 calories

Total Fat: 6.8g

Total Carbs: 11.2g

Sugar: 1.5g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 21.3g

Sweet & Spicy Pepper Sauce:

Calories: 47 calories

Total Fat: 0g

Sugar: 11.7g

Stay happy & healthy,

Molly

...Sweet Potato Nachos

Happy sunday friends! 

I hope you had a nice weekend! Ours was pretty calm, as last weekend we were in Cleveland at a dear friend's wedding. Like most Americans (or at least Southerners), we spent yesterday watching football with a couple of brewskis. Luckily both the Tigers and the Tide won, or it would have been an uncomfortable evening. Shout out to Clemson for beating Miami 58-0-- the biggest loss in the Canes history! 

With football, comes tailgating, and with tailgating comes fried, fatty foods. As soon as we turned on ESPN, I immediately had a craving for wings, nachos, and sliders. Not wanting to throw away my hard work at the gym that morning, I decided to make a twist on my personal favorite tailgate food: nachos. I swapped sweet potatos for chips, used lean ground beef, lots of veggies, and BOY- were the results delicious.  I promise, if you make these at your next tailgate or game-watching party, they will be a huge hit!

You may be wondering why I decided to use sweet potatoes. Well, they have an incredible amount of vitamin A, as well as calcium, potassium, and fiber. As I have mentioned before, fiber is a necessary to regulate digestion, and keeps you fuller longer. Studies have also shown that eating sweet potatoes, can help decrease your risk of obesity, heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. They are also my personal favorite superfood- and I believe, the tastiest. 

This recipe also includes one of my favorite grocery store finds- refried black beans. They are high in fiber and protein, and make for a tasty addition to any Mexican dish. I will do another post that goes more in depth into beans, but for now..

Let's get cooking!

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato, sliced into rounds
• 5 tablespoons refried black beans
• 1.5 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 oz lean ground beef (I use 96% lean)
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite salsa (I used Trader Joe's Fall Harvest Salsa, because there is pumpkin in it and I am #basic.)
• 1/2 cup of your favorite Pico de gallo (homemade or store bought. I used a store-bought one with black beans and corn. Just make sure if you are buying it from a store it's just tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc. and no added sugar or salt!)
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 2 tablespoons guacamole
• cilantro
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper
• cumin
• ground cayenne 

Pre-heat the oven to 375*. Spray a cooking sheet with non-stick olive oil spray and place the circular sweet potatoes on it. Cook them for about 25 minutes, and then flip to the other side. Keep an eye on them as they should be roasted and toasted but not burnt.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, spray a pan and add the ground beef to it. Season with salt, pepper, cilantro, garlic powder, cumin, and cilantro. I go pretty easy on the salt, but pretty heavy with the cilantro, cumin, and garlic powder. Once the meat is broken up in the pan, add the diced onion. Continue to stir, until the onions are translucent, and the meat shows no signs of red or pink. 
(P.S.- this is a great recipe to do some improvising! If you have some green bell peppers or jalapeños laying around the house, dice those up and toss them in with the beef!)

Remove the sweet potatoes. If they are not yet crispy, put them back in the oven on broil for about 2 minutes. Make sure to watch them- broil can make them go from tasty to toasted really quick!

You can see a few of mine got too toasty on the edges!

Once the sweet potatoes chips are done, remove them from the oven, and squish them together "nacho style". Spread the refried black beans on the "chips," then top with the ground beef and onion mixture, followed by the shredded cheese. Pop the pan back in the oven, or transfer to a microwaveable safe plate, and put them in the microwave.  The goal here is to heat up the beans, and let the cheese melt. 

Once the cheese is melted and bubbly, remove from real or microwave oven.  Top with pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Head back to watch the game, with delicious nachos in hand. Hopefully even if your team loses, at least you'll have enjoyed some tasty nom noms.

Nutrition:

Makes: 2 servings

Per serving:

Calories: 299

Fat: 12.8g

Carbs: 24.3g

Protein: 20.4g

Sugar: 7.2g

Fiber: 5.4g

Sodium: 467.1mg

Stay happy & healthy,

Molly