Mexicali Grouper plus a nutty giveaway {recipe video}

Last month, I teamed up with Tropical Foods to create videos for four AWESOME recipes, one of which was created by yours truly!  I posted the video for Buffalo Bleu Tailgate Bars last week, and today’s recipe video features Mexicali Grouper.  Take it from the girl who hates fish – this recipe makes for a delicious crusted fish with big bold flavors courtesy of the Mexicali Fire snack mix used coat the fillets.

Mexicali Grouper Recipe PDF

Speaking of BIG FLAVORS, Tropical Foods just rolled out their How Bold Can You Go site, which features all of their boldest nuts and mixes.  Check it out!  And don’t forget, if you see something you like, you can place orders online at The Nut House.

Grouper

Now onto the fun part! Tropical Foods has generously offered to give three lucky readers gift baskets, chock full of the bold nuts and snack mixes used in the recipe videos!  There are several ways to enter–check out the rafflecopter below!  The giveaway ends at midnight on June 15, 2013.

home_bags

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Shrimp Linguine Fra Diavolo {recipe}

Call it Shrimp Fra Diavolo, as the Italians say, or simply spicy shrimp with tomatoes and onions in a garlic wine sauce.  Either way, this easy pasta dish is one to add to your recipe repertoire, pronto.

Spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo Linguine

When it comes to pasta, I’m usually a marinara kind of gal.  I find cream sauces heavy and overly rich and oil based sauces often taste bland and greasy.  This fra diavolo sauce is the perfect middle ground—light, yet flavorful, with a kick of heat from the red pepper flakes.  Two bites into our pasta Saturday night, Jarrod and I agreed we’d be making it regularly.  That’s when you know you have a good recipe on your hands!

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Chili Yam Fries

I had an appointment to get my hair cut this evening FINALLY.  Is it just me, or is there a thin line between being happy with your hair and your hair looking like the coat of a baby wildebeest?  Same thing goes for cutting my nails–one day they are a fine, respectable length, and the next day they’re so long I feel like a neanderthal 😯

Hmmm.. hair and fingernails… not exactly the best segue to dinner, are they?  (PS – no clue that’s how you spell “segue” til I googled it)

After the hair appointment I headed to the grocery store.  A couple times a year, our local grocery store has a huge meat sale, and I kid you not, it is literally the talk of the town.  And I don’t mean just for the week of the sale, it’s a highlight throughout the year.  You can be at a cookout several months later, and the BBQ’er will proudly announce “got these here ribs at the meat sale (insert head nods here).  Buy one, get one free.  Can’t beat it.  Just can’t beat it.”

Case in point, check out the text I got from my friend Tim this evening:

 

At the grocery store, I picked up a random assortment of veggies and all the meat I could carry 🙂

It was already 7:30 by the time I got home, and I have a ton of work to get done tonight so dinner was a hodgepodge, albeit a tasty hodgepodge.

I picked up something new at the grocery store:

 Chili Garlic Sauce (found in the Asian food aisle).  I also picked up a yam.  I recalled seeing a recipe somewhere for chili yam fries so I figured I’d give that a shot tonight.

I scrubbed up the yam and chopped it into big bite size pieces, then tossed with:

  • 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
  • S&P

Into the bowl:

I sprayed down a cookie sheet, tossed the yams on topped, and cooked in a 415 degree oven for 25 minutes, stirring once.  The chili garlic sauce smelled SPICY.  I had a momentary flashback to my brief encounter with chipotles in adobo….  My face hurts just thinking about that!

Meanwhile, I sprayed down another cookie sheet and threw 6 halved brussels sprouts on it.  Then seasoned with S&P.  These also roasted at 415 degrees, but only for 17 minutes.

While all that was going on, I peaked in the fridge and found that I still had a grilled chicken breast from last week and some classico fire roasted tomato sauce that I had defrosted.  So, one thing lead to another, and here’s what I ended up with for dinner:

Two thumbs up on the chili yam fries bits:

 Roasted brussel sprouts rock my world:

More brussel sprouts for good measure:

Stats on the hodgepodge*:  325 calories, 40g carbs, 5g fat, 29g protein, 9g fiber

*hodgepodge consisted of 4 ounces chicken breast, 1/4 cup classico fire roasted tomato & garlic marinara, 1/2 of the chili yams, 6 roasted brussel sprouts

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Carb tooth strikes again

Happy July!!!!

Can’t believe it’s already here… There is so much going on over the next few months (my birthday, vaca, parties, get-togethers, HLS!!!), I’m sure they are going to fly by!  Psst… don’t forget to comment on the PB2 giveaway by Sunday!

The first day of every month my firm brings in a “Birthday Breakfast” to celebrate all the employees whose birthdays fall in that month.  The spread always consists of fruits and a variety of carblicious goodies to tempt me:

I really wanted to toast up one of those bagels and smear it in cream cheese and hot sauce (if you haven’t tried it and you like hot food, TRY IT NOW).  Something about baked goods and breads make my mouth water….  I wish I could get past it, but my body is head over heals in love with these unhealthy treats!!!  Darn you, carb tooth!

Since my birthday falls in this particular month, I allowed myself a tiny sliver of a blueberry muffin.  Ridiculous.  I just picked up some Bob’s Red Mill low-carb baking mix, so maybe I’ll try and make some healthified baked goods this weekend 🙂

 

Breakfast #1

For breakfast today, I had the leftover Canadian Bacon Eggins I made earlier in the week.

Just as tasty the second time around 🙂

Stats:   147 calories, 6g carbs, 1g fat, 26g protein, 0g fiber

 

Breakfast #2

For breakfast #2, I had 1.5 cups Trader Joe’s Vanilla greek yogurt with 1/4 cup blueberries.

I love all the fresh fruits and berries this time of year!  Cannot get enough.

 Stats:   171 calories, 28g carbs, 0g fat, 14g protein, 1g fiber

 

Lunch

My sandwich yesterday was so frickin delicious, I decided to make a similar one today.  I took a 3.5 ounce chicken breast, 1 cup spinach, 1 tbsp Trader Joe’s Spicy Hummus, tomato, and onion and smashed it into a Joseph’s Low Carb Pita.

Also had some sliced up red pepper on the side.  I looovvveeeeee hummuss…. mmmmm…..

Stats on stuffed pita & red pepper:   240 calories, 25g carbs, 7g fat, 28g protein, 9g fiber

Snack

I tried the Trader Joe’s Mocha yogurt, but was NOT a fan. 

It had a weird tartness about it… and overall was just different than I was expecting.  First thing I’ve purchased from TJ’s that I didn’t enjoy!

QUESTION OF THE DAY:  What are your favorite healthified cookout recipes?

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