Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Oh man - SO good! If you love the Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill, this is a MUST-MAKE. Another delicious recipe from SkinnyMom!! Mmm.

8 oz angel hair pasta
40 medium raw shrimp (about 1 lb), shelled + deveined
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
6 tbsp light mayonnaise
¼ c Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp Sriracha
3 green onions, chopped
red chili flakes to taste, optional

Prepare angel hair pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Place coconut oil in a skillet or wok and heat on medium-high heat. In a small, shallow bowl, combine cornstarch, paprika, salt and pepper. With your hands, coat shrimp in cornstarch mixture. Place coated shrimp in heated skillet. Keep shrimp moving in skillet for about 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turns to a pink/whiter in color. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine light mayonnaise, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, lime juice, Sriracha, salt and pepper.

Pour over pasta and toss gently. Serve hot in bowls and top with 10 pieces of shrimp, chopped green onions and optional red chili flakes. (Only 350 cal!)

Original recipe found here.

Cheesy Tomato & Basil Bake

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I LOVE tomatoes from the oven! This was so good. I could seriously eat these with every meal, all the time!! Tomato lovers... enjoy.

1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 c panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp light melted butter

1/3 c part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp chopped basil

Preheat the broiler. Combine the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil in an 8-inch baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Broil, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella over tomatoes. Then, combine the Panko and the butter, and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Broil until cheese is melted and Panko becomes golden and crispy. Sprinkle the basil over the top. Serve.

Original recipe found here.

We had the tastiest dinner last night along with this bake: Garlic Mushroom Quinoa, Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" (SO good!), and some tiny zucchini pizza bites. I don't have a recipe posted for those. I just broil the zucchini slices on each side, add marinara, cheese, and turkey pepperoni... then broil some more!

Easy Mexican Tostadas

Ok, so I already have a recipe for some pretty amazing Skinny Mexican Pizzas. These are very similar, but easier and I guess more like a tostada! So I will call these Easy Mexican Tostadas. I didn't have a recipe for these, so I kind of just threw some stuff together! We loved how crispy and delicious these were.

4-6 low carb tortillas (60 cal)
marinara/hot sauce (or salsa)
1 lb very lean ground beef
1/2 c canned corn
shredded red-fat Mexican cheese
diced tomatoes
diced avocado
green onions
chili powder
cumin
salt/pep

Brown your ground beef, and add some chili powder, cumin, and salt/pep.

Preheat your broiler to low. Put tortillas on a baking sheet and spritz with olive oil spray. Broil tortillas 3-4 min on each side until crisp. Watch them closely!

Once crisp, spread a little marinara and hot sauce (or salsa) on your tortillas. Add some ground beef, a little corn, some cheese, tomatoes, and green onions. Put back in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and tomatoes start to get wilted. Remove from oven, top with avocado, and enjoy!

Szechuan-Style Green Beans

First homemade meal in our new house! I made Portobello Pizzas, Oven-Fried Eggplant, and this new recipe - Szechuan-Style Green Beans. They were delicious, spicy, and perfect. Not to mention I used my mom's green beans from her garden. YUM.

¾ lb green beans, trimmed
¼ c peanut or vegetable oil
4-5 dried red chilis (I did not use these)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced or grated fresh ginger
3 green onions, chopped

Sauce
1 ½ tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 ½ tsp Sriracha (chili sauce), or to taste
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

In a small bowl, stir together the rice wine, Sriracha, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.

Dry green beans thoroughly with paper towels; even a small amount of water will cause oil in the pan to spit. Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the beans and stir-fry, keeping the beans constantly moving, for 8-10 minutes or until the beans are browned and wilted. Turn off the heat, remove the green beans and set aside to drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil and reheat the pan. Add the chilis, ginger, garlic and green onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the sauce and return the green beans to the pan and stir-fry for about another minute. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Moo Shu Chicken

WOW. I do love Hungry Girl - and this is one of her awesome recipes. This is actually a moo shu pork recipe, but we made it with chicken!

1 1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium/lite soy sauce 
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar 
2 tsp granulated white sugar 
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
 
1/2 tsp chopped ginger 
1/4 tsp cornstarch 
6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
Dash each salt and black pepper 
2 c bagged cole slaw mix 
1 c thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps 
1 c bean sprouts
 
1/2 c canned bamboo shoots, drained 
1/4 c thinly sliced scallions 
1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce 
1 tsp sesame oil 
8 six-inch high-fiber flour tortillas with about 50 calories each

To make the moo shu sauce, in a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Mix until cornstarch dissolves. 

Bring a wok (or large skillet) sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add sliced pork, and season with salt and pepper. Add slaw mix and mushrooms, and cook and stir until veggies have slightly softened, about 3 minutes. 

Add bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and moo shu sauce. Cook and stir until sauce has thickened and pork is cooked through, about 2 more minutes. 

Remove from heat, and mix in scallions, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. 

Once ready to serve, warm tortillas in the microwave. Divide 1/4th of the mixture (about 3/4 cup) between two tortillas. 

Wrap 'em up, repeat, and enjoy! 

Original recipe found here.