Hooray For Healthy

Well here I am, joining the fray, writing about a waist-friendly recipe to start off the new year.  Now as you can probably tell from reading this blog I am not usually the purveyor of low-calorie food.  However, I want to do better, if not for the sake of my growing a$% than for the sake of my growing husband. 

This is easier said than done, and I found it very difficult to come up with a recipe that does not involve the following: butter, cream, mascarpone, and cheese of any sort.  But I will persevere, and so I headed off to the market in search of a muse for my low calorie feast.  The unfortunate reality of this mission hit me when I just so happened to pass the cheeses at the market and felt my heart practically sink into my stomach.....so many lovely cheeses, so many calories to burn. 

So with a gulp and maybe a small tear I restrained myself and moved on, and luckily found some lovely shrimp that caught my attention.  Now this had potential.  I also found some nice fresh pineapple and then the idea came to me.....shrimp tacos.  I know, shrimp....pineapple, tacos usually wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind with those ingredients but what can I say, I'm a little odd.  Anyway, so I hunted, I gathered and I headed home to complete my anti-calorie festivus. 

Let it be known that for this recipe the no cheese rule fell through a bit, however, I did go with a low calorie Queso Fresco so that shouldn't be considered cheating should it?  Guilt set aside the tacos were very yummy, I topped them off with red cabbage, fresh avocado, pineapple salsa, and a little bit of Queso Fresco, and after eating them I felt a little bit better about the low calorie life, that is until I saw the Haagen Dazs in my freezer. 

Shrimp Tacos With Pineapple Salsa

Cook Time: 1 hour

Shrimp:
2 lbs medium raw shrimp peeled, de-veined
and tails removed

1/4 cup cilantro

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 

Pineapple Salsa:

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

2 jalapenos finely chopped (remove seeds to decrease heat)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Red Cabbage:
1 small head of red cabbage thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Flour or corn tortilla's
Sliced avocado
Crumbled Queso Fresco

In a small food processor or blender combine the cilantro, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings.  Blend until the the cilantro and garlic are finely chopped. 

In a medium bowl combine the shrimp and the marinade and marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.  To prepare the salsa in a medium bowl combine all the ingredients, toss well and set aside.  Do the same for the red cabbage and set aside. 

Once the shrimp are done marinating preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Pour the shrimp and marinade into the hot skillet and saute just until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. 

Remove shrimp from heat.  To assemble tacos top shrimp with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, crumbled Queso Fresco, and prepared salsa.