Buffalo Shrimp Salad

My son was going through some recipe cards I had laying on the table and picked this out as something that he wanted to try "right away".  Although instead of a salad like the original recipe called for, he wanted his in a wrap.  Really there is no difference.  Just take the salad and stuff a wrap with it.  Pretty easy.  This turned out really good and is something that is great to take to work for lunch too.

1 large fresh mango, coarsely chopped
1 medium avocado, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 lbs peeled/deveined shrimp (thawed), tails removed
1 tablespoon garlic herb Buffalo wing seasoning
1 bag (9-10oz) romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Caesar dressing
1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
1/4 cup honey

1.  Preheat oven to broil and line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2.  Chop mango and avocado, discarding peel and seed.

3.  Arrange shrimp on pan in single layer.  Sprinkle seasoning over shrimp and broil 4-5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink and opaque.

4.  Place romaine in salad bowl.  Combine dressing, wing sauce and honey.  Drizzle 1/2 of the dressing over the lettuce and then top with shrimp,mango and avocado.  Drizzle the remaining dressing over prepared bowls and serve.

Serves 4

Mediterranean Herb Crusted Tilapia

My son really doesn't like fish all that much, but this he loved.  And I have to admit, it was truly tasty!  I had two servings myself!

1 teaspoon minced garlic (dried)
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves
¾ teaspoon ground mustard
¾ teaspoon basil leaves
¾ teaspoon oregano leaves
½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
6 tilapia or flounder fillets (about 1 ½ lbs)
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted or olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Place fish on foil lined shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with salt. Mix butter and all of the spice in medium bowl. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon of the seasoned butter.

2. Stir spinach, panko, bell pepper and Parmesan cheese into remaining seasoned butter. Divide mixture evenly among fish fillets, pressing lightly so mixture adheres to top of fish.

3. Bake in preheated 400 oven 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 6

Brazilian Chicken Curry

My son and I really enjoyed this tonight.  My son does not particularly care for curries of any type, so I was surprised when he went back for seconds and ended up finishing off everything I made.

1 1/2 cups yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper (or any color bell pepper available),
  coarsely chopped
1 cup baking potato, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), cut into bite-size pieces
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup regular rice, uncooked
1/2 cup light (can also use regular) coconut milk*
1 tablespoon tomato paste*
2 teaspoons minced garlic*
     *I doubled this part of the recipe and would recommend doing so when you make this meal.*

1.  Prepare rice according to package directions.  After I had turned my rice to low to cook, I threw the leftover coconut milk into the rice rather than throw it out.  I did not alter the amount of water used, I simply added the coconut milk (approx. 1 cup) to the rice.

2.  Preheat large nonstick saute pan on medium-high 2-3 minutes.  Coat vegetables with cooking spray, then place peppers, onions, and potatoes in pan; cook 3-4 minutes or until browned.  (Instead of spraying my veggies with cooking spray I simply heated up some olive oil in my pan.)

3.  Coat chicken with cooking spray, then season with salt, pepper, and curry powder.  Add chicken to vegetables; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until chicken has browned on all sides.

4.  Whisk coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, and garlic until smooth.  Reduce heat to low , add sauce to chicken, and cover; simmer and stir 3-4 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is done. 

5.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.

Serves 4
Calories:  310
Fat:  5 grams
Cholesterol:  65 mg
Sodium:  250 mg
Carbs:  39 grams
Fiber:  4 grams
Protein:  28 grams
Vitamin A:  40%
Vitamin C:  170%
Calcium:  6%
Iron:  10%
*Obviously these values change if you alter the recipe as I did.*

Chicken and Pasta Primavera

This is a recipe from the back of a Campbell's soup lable. It isn't fancy or ground breaking, but it's fast and it gets the job done when you need dinner on the table ten minutes ago!

1 can (10.75 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bag (16 oz) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots mix is a good one)
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 of a 1-pound package spaghetti, cooked without salt and drained (you can also use whatever other pasta you may have on hand)

1. Heat soup, milk, cheese, garlic powder and vegetables in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.

2. Stir chicken in saucepan and cook until mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve over pasta.

Serves 4

Calories: 473
Total fat: 10 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Cholesterol 72 mg
Sodium: 449 mg
Total Carbs: 59 grams
Dietary Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 35 grams