Recipe (or idea) exchange!

kcdrake

I've fallen into a slump of not caring about snacking. This is NOT okay!
I'm thinking it might have something to do with getting bored with what I'm eating. I've recently come across a few meals that are new for me and I'm always so excited to eat them! I'm hoping to come across some more recipes to help flesh out my daily log. I figure that some other people might have similar problems - in need of new food ideas but not really knowing what to do. So I was thinking maybe we could start a little "recipe" exchange! We can post a few recipes (or meals or whatever) that we've really enjoyed lately, and maybe someone will be inspired! Also, if you have an idea of something new to try, but aren't quite sure how to go about it, we can ask for ideas!

Well, I'll start.

I've been making kind of my own subway-style sandwiches lately.
I have bakery-fresh multigrain bread and spread about 1/2 tablespoon of natural, fat-free ranch on one slice. Then I add about 3 oz of lean chicken or turkey breast. Pile high with baby spinach, tomato, cucumber, and yellow bell pepper slices. top with the other slice of bread and you have one amazing sandwich for less calories and less sodium than Subway!

I also have fallen in love with a cajun shrimp recipe I got from allrecipes. I posted it earlier in the week on another topic, but here it is again:
This is the link to the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cajun-Shrimp/Detail.aspx
First, get some brown rice started. I used plain water seasoned with some cajun spice, but if I had it I would have used low-sodium vegetable stock. Brown rice takes about 45 minutes, so just sit back and chill out for the next 30 minutes.

About 15 minutes before your rice is done, heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Peel your shrimp. Now sprinkle some paprika, thyme, salt, ground nutmeg, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper into your oil. I kind of eyeballed it and my oil had turned a deep red, almost brown color. Saute this for a few seconds until the oil is nice and hot and fragrant. Then toss your shrimp in and stir. The shrimp should cook fast, and the color of the spices might make it hard to tell when the shrimp turn pink, so keep track of the time (should be cooked in 2-3 minutes over medium-high/high heat).

Sometime during all that, stick some broccoli into the microwave (or steam it) and heat it up.

Then just take your rice, shrimp, and broccoli, stir it all up, and serve. YUM!

I'm cooking just for me so everything was a single serving (85 g broccoli, 1/4 c uncooked rice [I used all of the rice in my meal], and 3 oz shrimp).



I hope someone enjoys these!
Now, the Cajun shrimp recipe has sparked a love for brown rice in me! I'll eat almost any kind of protein and my overall willingness to try new things has increased. Does anybody have yummy ideas to use brown rice as something other than just plain brown rice? It can be a side or a main dish, I'm just looking for ways to use it!

MzMolly

I have 2 suggestions. First I love the magazing Cooking Light!!! IT IS AMAZING!! It give you all the calorie, carb, fat counts and more and every meal is to die for.

I like to make my own version of the Panera Medaterian Veggie sandwich.
I take the deli round flat bread or a burrito wrap and spread on some spicy 3 pepper hummus, cut up tomatoe, cucumber, red onion, jared roasted red peppers, lettuce and some feta cheese. It is very yummy!!

MisdemeanorM

I love sweet potatoes sliced like chips as thin as you can then you spray the cookie sheet with pam, put out a single layer, sprinkle with just a tad of brown sugar and salt, spray w more pam, bake at like 400 degrees for 20 or 30 mins until they are crisp as they will be, turning once. Sometimes I turn on broil at the end for 1-2 minutes but no more. Once I just put them on broil only from the start and they were burning in 5 mins and i warped my pan! but i do that sometimes when I am impatient. The kicker - I dont like sweet potatoes! but i LOVE these! dip with ketchup! yummy!

p1nkpr1ncess

I love sweet potatoes sliced like chips as thin as you can then you spray the cookie sheet with pam, put out a single layer, sprinkle with just a tad of brown sugar and salt, spray w more pam, bake at like 400 degrees for 20 or 30 mins until they are crisp as they will be, turning once. Sometimes I turn on broil at the end for 1-2 minutes but no more. Once I just put them on broil only from the start and they were burning in 5 mins and i warped my pan! but i do that sometimes when I am impatient. The kicker - I dont like sweet potatoes! but i LOVE these! dip with ketchup! yummy!

This sounds yummy! I bought a sweet potato the other day to try something like this as I've never tried them before!

Going to do this tonight!!
-x-x-

jaylu

sweet potatoes are amazing but i sprinkle mine with chilli powder or garlic powder - yum!

I made a wrap the other day using the george forman grill so quick and easy and very tasty (sweet potatoes would be a good side for this to make into a main meal instead of a light lunch)

-cook turkey fillet chopped up into pieces until cooked through
-remove from george and coat in a mixture of extra light mayo and sweet chilli sauce
-pile into a tortilla wrap and lots of spinach and a little light mature grated cheese
-wrap up and put back in george to toast and melt cheese for 1-2 mins
-done and delish!

p1nkpr1ncess

sweet potatoes are amazing but i sprinkle mine with chilli powder or garlic powder - yum!

I made a wrap the other day using the george forman grill so quick and easy and very tasty (sweet potatoes would be a good side for this to make into a main meal instead of a light lunch)

-cook turkey fillet chopped up into pieces until cooked through
-remove from george and coat in a mixture of extra light mayo and sweet chilli sauce
-pile into a tortilla wrap and lots of spinach and a little light mature grated cheese
-wrap up and put back in george to toast and melt cheese for 1-2 mins
-done and delish!

Oh wow this sounds yum! I've just asked for recipe ideas for my first sweet potato experience later tonight! Lol This sounds like a good one, I wonder if I've got any tortillas in the freezer.....
-x-x-

jaylu

I hope you like it, its one of my favs to go with sweet potato chips,
the other is a quorn burger with a little cheese, and little ketchup or a slice of tomato in half a pita pocket thats been toasted
again = yum!
enjoy

kcdrake

I love the idea of sweet potato chips! I might just have to try it for a lunch-snack sometime soon. Do you know if they keep well or is it one of those "eat right away" things?

jaylu

i've never tried to keep them, they are too good they just get gobbled up!
when i say chips i mean fries... but they could totally work in a crisp form!
i've made apple crisps before, they take ages in they oven but keep in an airtight container for a day or two and are very nice and sweet, don't know if they'll ever replace a good bag of doritos though!

p1nkpr1ncess

So - I burnt my sweet potato chips!! Damn it!!

But they still tasted nice - they will be even better when I don't burn them! Lol I'm going to try again tonight!!

When you log them on MFP do you take the pre-cooked weight? They seem really heavy haha.

I am finding loads of new things I like since joining MFP - peanut butter and sweet potatoes being the main ones!! (Yes I must have lead a shadowed life haha!!)

I had my sweet potato chips/fries with BBQ chicken marinaded in a BBQ, garlic and chilli sauce - put in the oven for 25 mins and poured over the sauce when served - YUM!! With a salad. It was delish!
-x-x-

jaylu

next time with the sweet potatoes try covering the roasting tin with foil and give them a little stir around every now and again.
I will admit that it took me a few tries to get them right... not burned (cause thats what happened me the first time too) and then i went to the other extreme and cut them to chunky and the bloody things wouldn't cook through for about 45 mins lol oops.
anyway good luck for the second go