BF Top 5: Summer Recipes

We're now in what I like to call "the thick of summer." The first day of summer has passed. The 4th of July has passed. Now it's time to settle into summer until Labor Day gets here. I actually like the thick of summer. Holidays sometimes stress me out. You either have to host something or contribute a dish to something. I'd much rather have a lazy day with good food.

Here's a few recipes perfect for the thick of summer.

Thai Shrimp Skillet. This one was a contribution from one of our long-time Foodies, Julia! It's a skillet meal that combines all the luxurious flavors of Thai food into an easy, low-carb, high-protein meal!

Here's your Thai Shrimp Skillet recipe!

 

S'mores Protein Pudding. I mean c'mon...what says summer like S'mores??? When Torani released this sugar-free flavor I was so excited. So. Excited! You can make this as a pudding or dump it into popsicle molds for a delicious, chocolatey, marshmallow-y frozen treat!

Here's your S'mores Protein Pudding recipe!

Buffalo-Style Chicken Meatballs. So to be fair, I do this one in the oven, which is a bit counter-intuitive during the summer. These meatballs can also be cooked in a slow cooker (use whatever method works best for you). I LOVE me some buffalo wings. They actually remind me of both summer and football season, so expect to see this suggestion again come fall!

Here's your Buffalo-Style Chicken Meatball recipe!

Protein Orange Creamsicles. This is a more recent post but I swear...I'm on my third batch of these things! (To be fair the kids lapped up some before leaving for the summer and my boyfriend seems to like them as well.) It's cool and cream and, best of all, three ingredients!

Here's your Protein Orange Creamsicle recipe!

No-Sugar Added Tropical Lemonade. When I posted this recipe I got a lot of "Why not just make Crystal Light?" Ohhhhh, Foodies. Have you tasted real lemonade? Made from real lemons? It's out of this world! This recipe is really intended to be an occasion drink more than a "this is what I drink every day" because it does take some effort. But for the experience of having cool, tart, refreshing, real lemonade...I think you're worth it. But I may be biased.

Here's your No-Sugar Added Lemonade recipe!

Summer Shrimp Salad with Watermelon Champagne Vinaigrette

 

Ok so let me set the scene of this meal for you.

It’s Wednesday – Hump Day – mid-summer. It’s warm, but not offensively so. There’s a slight breeze that feels really nice against your skin and it’s evening so there’s just enough shade for you to think to yourself, “It would be nice to have dinner outside tonight.”

And maybe you have a spouse or significant other arriving home soon. Or, if not, maybe you have a good friend who doesn’t live that far away and you invite them over. Because this evening feels like the kind of evening for good conversations and relaxation. After all, you’ve only got half the work week to go and you feel kinda good.

Thinking about what you want to prepare, you don’t want anything fussy. It should take maybe 30 minutes to prep. You don’t want anything too heavy – it’s just a tad too warm for that. You want something fresh, light and good. But since this evening feels so breezy you also want something that feels a little fancy. Because…well…you deserve it!

This is the meal you make for that occasion. Ladies. This is a meal to put on a maxi dress to eat!

A word about the dressing. It totally makes the salad. So I tried to limit the amount of fat in other places in the recipe so you could spend it on the dressing. I can't even describe how good it is. And with the watermelon...swoon! It feels fancy because it is fancy - but not fussy!

Nik’s Summer Shrimp Salad with Watermelon Champagne Vinaigrette
(The above picture is either one non-op portion, two post-op portions, or a combination thereof)

Ingredients:

For the salad

• 10-12 cooked/shelled shrimp in the size of your choosing (I used medium, 24-30 ct.)
• Garlic powder
• Salt and Pepper
• 4 c. salad mix (I used spring mix…just make sure to use something hearty)
• About 10 chunks/balls of seedless watermelon (I bought a small personal sized one and made the balls with a teaspoon measure)
• 2 tbsp. crumbled goat cheese (garlic/herb flavor works well here)
• 2 tbsp. pepitas (roasted and shelled pumpkin seeds – I used unsalted)

For the dressing (makes enough to toss into about 4 servings of salad so don’t freak out!)

• 3 tbsp. Champagne vinegar (it’s available in most grocery stores)
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 heaping tsp. honey Dijon mustard (or the same amount of regular Dijon mustard with ¼ packet no-calorie sweetener, if you want to skip the honey)
• 2-3 tbsp. juice from the watermelon (of which there should be plenty)
• ½ tsp. minced garlic
• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Spray a small skillet generously with non-stick cooking spray and set it over medium heat, allowing it to get hot.

If your shrimp are frozen, run them under some cold water in a colander. If not, then season them with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Place them in the hot pan and cook about 2-3 minutes, turning once. Set aside and allow them to cool.

Place salad greens in a mixing bowl with watermelon, goat cheese and pepitas. Add half of your dressing and toss salad with tongs.

Distribute evenly between two plates. Top with shrimp and serve.

To Make the Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, watermelon juice, garlic and pepper. Refrigerate at least one hour before straining through a sieve into a bowl or dressing bottle.

Outtake Photos

Not sure you've ever wondered, but I generally photograph on my front porch (I live in a row house which means my house is attached to other houses on either side). My neighbors think I am very strange!

I was trying to play with the mood on this one, but I think I just ended up making it look like it's about to rain on my salad. Hmph. The struggle continues...

This was almost the cover photo for this recipe but I wanted you guys to see the whole salad. Oh, fun fact: that super cute "napkin" is actually an apron I got as a souvernir from Haiti. I liked the pattern and I don't have many cloth napkins so I figured I'd just MacGuyver it!