In the Kitchen With Moni - Kung Pao Shrimp Makeover

I'm so happy to share cooking inspiration from one of my dear friends, Monica (also known as Mo or Moni, as we affectionately call her). Monica is my healthy food muse. She knows how to eat sensibly and is also great at remaking diet-busting recipes into healthy yet super tasty dishes. Today, I'll be sharing one of Monica's best recipe makeovers - a guiltless version of Kung Pao Shrimp with an amazing and easy side dish of Sichuan Asparagus. 

Lighter Kung Pao Shimp with Sichuan Asparagus and Brown Rice, Photo: NK 

Looks great, right? Trust me, you won't miss the extra fat, salt, or starch. This dish proves that you need not lose your joie de vivre to stay slim! While I made some minor tweaks to her recipe because I was missing one or two of the ingredients, you can find the original recipe and many other great dishes here on Moni's blog: Meals From Mo's Kitchen.

Before we start, here's how to time this meal:

Preheat the Oven to 400

Clean the Shrimp

Cut up the Lemons and put the Asparagus in the Oven.

Chop all the Shrimp and Sichuan Sauce Ingredients, and pull out all the bottles you'll need. 

Cook the Kung Pao Shrimp, preparing the Sichuan Sauce during inactive time. 

~Everything should be done around the same time this way. 

Healthy Baked Asparagus, Photo: NK

Let's start with the Asparagus Side Dish. I have to say, this recipe is really amazing. I love baking Asparagus but I refrain from doing so often because I don't like having to slather it in oil. Covering the Asparagus with Lemon Slices, as Monica does, solves this problem. The juices of the Lemon basically steam the stalks, cooking them perfectly without using excess oil and fat. Smart! And who knew making a Sichuan Sauce could be so easy? This sauce would be delicious on many veggies, so feel free to be creative. 

Mo's Sichuan Asparagus 

Serves 2-3

Sichuan Sauce Ingredients: 

3 Tablespoons Chicken Broth

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

2 teaspoons Chinkiang Vinegar (learn about it HERE.) or 2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

Sichuan Sauce Coming Together, Photo: NK

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1/4 teaspoon Cornstarch 

1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper, or more to taste

Additional Ingredients:

2 Lemons, sliced into rounds

1 Bunch of Asparagus 

1 pinch of Oil, for pan

Optional - 1 package Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Brown Rice that microwaves in only 90 seconds. 

Method:  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Lightly oil a pan and place the Asparagus in a row. 

Lay Lemon Slices over the Asparagus until completely covered.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes. 

To prepare Sichuan Sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Warm the Sichuan Sauce in a pan. 

Once the Asparagus is done add it to the pan and toss together with the Sichuan Sauce. The Sichuan Sauce is on the sweet side so you may want to add it slowly, adjusting the amount to your tastes. 

If you are preparing the rice, place it in the microwave now. 

Serve with Brown Rice on the side. 

Mo's Lighter Kung Pao Shrimp 

Serves 2  

Ingredients: 

1 teaspoon Canola Oil

5-8 Dried Chili Peppers - I used 8, because Sam likes her Kung Pao spicy...

1 Tablespoon Dry Sherry, Cooking Sherry, or Shaoxing Wine

1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Minced Ginger or 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder

1 Lb Peeled Raw Shrimp, tail on, deveined

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 Chopped Scallion (we didn't have Scallion so I used Celery and it was just fine)

1 Tablespoon Chopped Peanuts

Method:

In a bowl, combine Sherry, Cornstarch, Garlic, Ginger, and Shrimp together.

In a wok or large skillet, heat the Canola Oil over medium heat.

Add Dried Chili Peppers and stir. Cook until slightly blackened. 

Next, add the contents of the Shrimp Bowl to the wok. 

Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to low. 

Add Sugar and Soy Sauce. 

Cook, stirring occasionally, another 5 minutes.

Remove the wok from the heat.

Stir in Sesame Oil, Scallion, and Peanuts.

Enjoy!! 

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Mexican Fiesta - Spicy Vegetable Soup & Pork Carnitas

Photo: NK 

This past week, with the weather turning cooler, some spicy and comforting Mexican style food seemed like just the thing. The two dishes I decided to make ended up being polar opposites. The first, a healthy Mexican-inspired chunky Vegetable Soup, could not have been more light and virtuous. The recipe uses no fats and packs a major flavor wallop.  

On the other hand, our second dish, an all-afternoon project perfect for a lazy Sunday, was a luscious, slow-cooking, meaty and rich batch of Pork Carnitas. Garlicky, Jalapeno-inflected goodness melts into shreds of delectable Pork finished with a bit of Orange Juice. Just perfect for serving in a warm Tortilla, the Carnitas can also be optionally topped with just a little Lime Juice, a sprinkling of chopped Poblano or extra Jalapeno, and a dollop of Sour Cream. 

Sometimes when I am deciding what to eat, I envision a cartoon angel and devil on on my shoulder. I feel like they take turns whispering to me: "eat healthy, eat naughty, eat healthy, eat naughty." So, in short, the two dishes featured below will allow you to choose your food based on whether you're feeling naughty or nice. Both recipes will feed a family of two for several days and they actually work very nicely when served together. Enjoy!

Mexican Vegetable Soup with Cilantro Hominy Crema & Pepitas
Adapted from Weight Watchers - Original recipe was 1 point on the Points Plus plan
Serves 10 or More
*Cook's Note: This recipe has the potential to come out Very Spicy. Depending on variations in the spice factor and size of the peppers you buy, you may want to lessen the pepper profile if you are spice averse. To make it milder, be sure to de-seed the Jalapeno and perhaps use a bit less of the Poblano. You can always add more at the end. The spice level as listed below was just fine for me and my husband, but when I brought the leftovers to work, only the people with super spicy palates could handle it, even though they all told me it was tasty :) Thanks for bringing me back to reality guys!

Ingredients: 
3 large Cloves Garlic, minced
2 medium Raw Zucchini, cubed
14 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes - we used Muir Glen Organic Brand
1 medium Vidalia or Spanish Onion, finely chopped
1 medium Green Pepper, chopped
1 Cup Tomatillos, chopped
1/2 Medium Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped (leave out the seeds for less spicy)
1/2 Medium Poblano Chile, finely chopped
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
6 Cups Organic Vegetable Broth
3/4 Cup Roasted Red Peppers Jarred in Water
1 tsp Canned Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
1/2 Cup fresh Cilantro, chopped + 1/4 cup extra for optional garnish
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
1 Can Hominy, drained
Optional Cilantro Hominy Crema & Pepita Topping
1/2 Cup Pepitas 
1 Cup Fromage Blanc
1/4 Cup Cilantro
1/4 Cup Hominy (you may borrow 1/4 Cup from the above can or use it all in the soup)
1 tsp Lime Juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Put Garlic, Zucchini, canned Tomatoes, Onion, Hominy, Green Pepper, Tomatillos, Jalapeno, Poblano,Oregano and Cumin in a very large soup pot.  Pour Vegetable Broth into pot.

Next, in a mini food processor combine the Roasted Red Peppers and Chipotle in Adobo Sauce into a puree. Add this mixture to the soup and combine well. 

Stirring In Red Pepper Chipotle Puree, Photo: NK 

Cover pot and bring to a boil of high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, another 10 minutes. Stir in Vinegar, Lime Juice, Cilantro and Salt. Serve now or prepare the Cilantro Crema. Do so by combining all the ingredients except the Pepitas in a small bowl. Spoon a dollop over soup and scatter Pepitas over it everything. 

Mexican Vegetable Soup With Cilantro Hominy Crema and Pepitas, Photo: NK 

Enjoy! Next up, the perfect slow-cooking pork Carnitas. Attempt this recipe when you know that you'll have the 5 hours needed to monitor it. The active time is very little, so even though the timing may seem daunting, the result makes this well worth it, and as I said, it will feed you for quite some time. The Carnitas store well in the fridge and will keep for about 3 days. 

Conventional Oven Pork Carnitas 
Lightly Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 6 
Total Time - 5 hours, 40 minutes Active Time 
Ingredients: 
About 4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil for drizzling on the Pork
One 3.5 Lb Boneless Pork Shoulder 
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Chile Powder (original recipe calls for Ancho Chile Powder, if you can find it)
2 Unpeeled Garlic Cloves 
3 Jalapeños, seeded and diced
3/4 Cup Orange Juice 
Warm Tortillas, for serving
Lime Wedges, for serving

Method:
Preheat Oven to 325. Place Pork in a roasting pan with high sides. Drizzle with Oil and spread it all over. Turn Pork fatty side up and sprinkle with the Chile Powder. Season liberally with Salt and Pepper. Add about a 1/2 Cup of Water to the Pan and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. 

Add Garlic Cloves all over the pan and toss in Jalapenos as well. Bake uncovered for another 2 hours, rotating the pan midway for even cooking. 

Before Pulling the Pork, Photo: NK 

Raise oven temperature to 375. Remove pan from the oven and carefully slice pork into 4 or 5 thick slices. Using two forks, pull the Pork apart until large chunks form. Arrange chunks in the pan with the browned parts facing up. Remove Garlic from the Pan and peel it carefully (it may be hot). Return peeled Garlic Cloves to the Pan. Continue to Roast pork another 30 Minutes until nicely browned and slightly crisped. 

Again, pull Pork using two forks into smaller pieces and cook another 30 minutes longer. Transfer Pork, Garlic, and Jalapenos to a large platter for serving. 

Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan and place on top of stove burners over medium high heat. Pour in Orange Juice and boil until reduced a bit, scraping the bottom of the pan to catch some of the browned bits for extra flavor. Pour over Pork and toss to incorporate. Season with additional Salt and Pepper and serve in warm tortillas. 
Enjoy! 

Carnitas served with Lime Wedges, Extra Jalapeno, Cilantro, and Tomatillos, Photo: NK 

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Takeout Makeover - Lightened Up Asian Dinner

Today's post is all about flavor, and how even the richest takeout delights can be lightened up yet still remain satisfying in all the right ways. Our first recipe is a bold, Thai-inspired salad made with absolutely no fats. Zucchini Ribbons sliced on my new mandoline (courtesy of my wonderful Mother-in-Law) make for a lovely presentation, and the tangy, sweet and salty dressing packs a delicious punch. Any crunchy green veggie will do for this, green beans, snap peas, whatever you have on hand! You will almost forget that you're eating healthy. 

For our entree, I checked out a few WeightWatchers recipes a friend shared with me and settled on their virtuous version of General Tso's Chicken. I will say - it came out pretty good. While it was by no means an exact copy, more evocative really, the recipe definitely yields an easy, tasty and flavorful chicken dish nonetheless. Just because you are eating more carefully doesn't mean you have to miss out. 

Super Healthy Thai-Style Mango Salad
Adapted from Veggie Wedgie
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
Juice of One Lime 
1 teaspoon Agave Syrup or Honey
1 teaspoon Orange Juice
1/2 teaspoon Fish Sauce (optional)
1 dash Sriracha 


1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Hot House Cucumber, unpeeled, or 1 regular Cucumber, peeled
1 Zucchini
1/2 Lb Sugar Snap Peas
1 Yellow Thai Mango or underripe regular Mango

Julienned Mango, Photo NK

                                                                 Method:

In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients to make the dressing. Set aside.

Next, peel and cut Mango into matchsticks (julienne them) and chop Snow Peas




Using a spiralizer, mandoline set on the thinnest setting, or sharp chef's knife, cut zucchini lengthwise as thin as you possible can, to create ribbons. 



Chop Cucumber by hand into 1/4 inch thick slices and then roughly chop them. 



Combine chopped Cucumbers, Sugar Snap Peas, and Cilantro together. Pour half the dressing over and toss, the add in half the Mango matchsticks.

Snap Peas, Cilantro and Cucumber, Photo: NK

Next, Spread the Zucchini Ribbons on a flat surface and gently toss them in the remainder of the dressing. 

To assemble the salad, pile the Snow Pea, Cucumber, and Mango mixture onto a plate. Place Zucchini Ribbons on top or on the side (whatever you prefer presentation-wise!). 

Finally, top with the reserved Mango matchsticks. Serve and enjoy!

Thai-Style Mango Salad, Photo: NK

WeightWatchers General Tso's Chicken
Very lightly adapted

Photo: NK

Serves 4. *8 Points Per Serving

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1.5 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 tsp Peanut Oil
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 Jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper 
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Scallions, white and green parts sliced

2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice,we like Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (done in 90 seconds in microwave),kept warm

1 Lb Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cut into two inch chunks

 
Method:



In a bowl, combine Chicken Broth, Cornstarch, Soy, Sugar, Vinegar and Ginger powder. Whisk briskly and set aside. 

Heat oil in a wok or large, high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure it gets nice and hot. Add Scallions, Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes and Jalapeno. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring continuously. Add chicken and sauté until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. 

Next, add the Sauce that you set aside and simmer until the sauce becomes thickened and the Chicken is fully cooked, about 3 minutes.

Serve over Rice and enjoy!

Lightened Up General Tso's, Photo: NK

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