Shrimp on the Barbie

Summer is finally here and nothing says summer more than a barbecue!!  (Sorry for the long break, we were gathering up our best summer recipes!) This shrimp recipe is absolutely amazing and it is a MUST try.  This recipe is a great appetizer for a party or as a main dish on any summer night.  Get ready to chow because you cannot stop eating these! 

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, juiced
2 TBS hot pepper sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 TBS tomato paste
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails

Directions:
Combine first nine ingredients in a bowl.  Place shrimp in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the shrimp.  Massage the marinade into the shrimp and let it marinade for at least two hours in the fridge.  Grill shrimp either in a shrimp basket, like in photo above, or place on skewers.  Grill for five minutes on each side.  Enjoy!!

Sweet N' Spicy Party Mix

You know those addicting snacks that you just cannot stop eating no matter how hard you try?  Well, this is that snack.  But have no fear- this mix is low fat and will give you no guilt while snacking!  (or over-snacking!)  This snack takes barely any time to make and anyone you feed it to, will keep going back for more!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar 

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground chile pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp chile powder 

2 egg whites

2 cups pretzel sticks

1 cup whole grain cheddar Goldfish crackers

2 cups wheat Chex cereal

2 cups corn Chex cereal

1 cup dry-roasted slightly salted peanuts

1 cup dry-roasterd salted almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  In a small bowl combine the first 6 ingredients and stir with a whisk.  In a large bowl, add two egg whites and whip with whisk until foamy and white.  Add pretzels, Goldfish, cereals, peanuts, and almonds to the egg whites.  Stir and coat each pieces with the egg whites.  Top with the spice mixture and stir to coat all pieces of mix.  Place parchment paper onto 2 cookie sheets.  Sprinkle mix all over the cookie sheets in an even layer.  Put in over and bake for 15 minutes.  (At 7 minutes, I stir the mixture so it can cook evenly.)  Once 15 minutes is up, stir mixture again and turn off oven and let mixture cook for another 15 minutes.  Once that is done, let mix cool and become crunchy.  Enjoy!  (Keep in air-tight container to keep fresh!) 

*Remember- Nuts are so good for you, but try not to eat too much- the fat adds up :)

Three Cheese Macaroni

Nothing says comfort food more than macaroni and cheese.  Who doesn't love digging into a yummy, ooey gooey, creamy mac and cheese?  Here is our healthier version of this delicious meal that normally would pack on the pounds.  Dig in without the worry!

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (Or whatever small pasta you like)

Extra virgin olive oil

2 cups onion, finely chopped (about 2 small onions)

4 TBS all-purpose flour

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups 1% low fat milk

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 cup part-skim Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded & divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  While noodles are cooking, drizzle a saucepan with a small amount (about 1/2 tsp)  of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Once heated, add onion to pan and cook until onions are soft and translucent.  Stir frequently.  Add flour and garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring consistently.  Add milk and bay leaves.  Once brought to a boil, constantly stir with a whisk and cook until thick.  Discard bay leaves.  Add Cheddar cheese and 3/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano.  Add salt and pepper and stir until cheeses have melted and mixture is creamy.  Drain the pasta and add to the cheese mixture.  Spray 5 ramekins generously with non-stick cooking spray.  (We used eight 12 ounce ramekins.  You may also bake this pasta in a baking dish.)  Add pasta mixture to the ramekin, only filling up the ramekin half way.  Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese over the pasta mixture.  Fill the rest of the ramekin with pasta mixture.  Sprinkle bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano over all of the ramekins to cover pasta.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the breadcrumbs, just so the breadcrumbs can get crispy. Bake for 25 minutes.  Turn on your broiler, and broil the pasta until tops are golden brown.  Enjoy your macaroni and cheese, please :)   

Nutritional Facts: 
Serving Size: 8 people
Amount per serving: 12 ounces
Calories: 338
Fat: 13 g

*We only calculated calories and fat because for us, that is what is most important :)