Aloha Teriyaki Shrimp Burgers

If I can't be in paradise, at least I can bring a little paradise to my backyard with these grilled shrimp burgers topped with grilled pineapple and a homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce – just under 300 calories!

It's June and the weather is getting hot out there, which means most of my dinners are being cooked outside on the grill. Last year I created a shrimp jalapeno patty which I modified slightly to come up with this Hawaiian inspired burger. I found making the burgers ahead of time and keeping them refrigerated before grilling helped them maintain their shape perfectly and I had no issues with them sticking to the grill.

They only take a few minutes to grill on each side and you can grill the pineapples at the same time. This recipes makes 8, but if you want to halve it, you can certainly make enough for 4, although I would probably keep the teriyaki sauce as is and use it for another day.

I served these on whole wheat potato buns but you can skip the bun and serve it over lettuce if you wish to go low-carb.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Chopped Salad

Chopped romaine tossed with sweet, juicy watermelon, grilled shrimp and goat cheese and a golden balsamic vinaigrette – I'll be making this salad all summer!!

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you, it's so good I plan on making it again for dinner tonight so my husband gets to try it. I put this together in about 20 minutes, so it's perfect for busy weeknights. The dressing is DEE-LICIOUS, I used DeLallo's golden balsamic vinegar, which is made from white grapes rather than red and has a sweetly rich taste – it's fabulous! They sell it at my local supermarket, or you can buy it online, but if you want to use regular balsamic, that would work fine too.

I love watermelon in my salad, mostly because I'm not much of a tomato lover. A few weeks ago while in the airport headed to Seaside Fl, I stopped to grab a bite at Marcus Samuelsson's new restaurant Uptown Brasserie located at the new JFK Delta terminal 4, and ordered a salad just like this. Eating healthier while traveling is getting so much easier these days, a good thing although they also have a Shake Shack which after seeing the calories on the menu, I opted not to try.

Hope you enjoy this salad, I'll be making this one all summer!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Canned Tuna Ceviche

Transform ordinary canned tuna into a zesty, flavorful lunch with a Latin flair by adding fresh lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, tomato and avocado – so good!

A high school friend (hi Cynthia!) actually gave me this idea. She had it while vacationing in Guatemala and shared the idea with me when she returned. When I read the email, I thought it was brilliant! It's basically a poor man's ceviche.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good fresh ceviche made raw fish or seafood. It's actually one of my favorite things to eat. I actually shared a recipe here of Ceviche in Cucumber Cups or this ceviche-like Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad. But when you need a quick lunch using pantry ingredients, this is great and it's inexpensive, low-carb, paleo-friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free!

For presentation, I put the ceviche tuna into the can to use as a ring mold, then inverted it onto my plate; completely optional of course! Topped with fresh avocado, this was filling and delicious.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Sea Scallops Arugula and Beet Salad

Sweet yellow beets, arugula, goat cheese and sauteed scallops tossed with a honey vinaigrette – this salad is delicious!

A day trip out East inspired this wonderful salad. We spent the day out in Riverhead, Long Island and stopped to eat at a quaint little restaurant overlooking the river called Farm Country Kitchen.  I ordered the scallop and beet salad that was sooo good, I knew I had to recreate it. Sea scallops are really easy to make and take only minutes to prepare. You can use precooked beets to make this quicker, but I just boiled them ahead until they softened. If you prefer roasting the beets, that of coarse would work out fine as well. Once the beets are cooked and cooled, the rest of the salad comes together in less than 15 minutes. You can easily halve the recipe if you are cooking for two!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Healthy Baked Fish Sticks with Lemon Caper Sauce

 
Making fish sticks from scratch is quick and easy. Once you try them, you'll never go back to prepackaged frozen sticks again!

Firm meaty cod fish holds it's shape perfectly during baking, and to get a crisp golden flavorful crust I combined panko crumbs with a little Old Bay and spices to get a faux-fried coating without the need to deep fry. I'm a dipper, I love dipping my food in condiments, and was really happy with how this lemon caper sauce turned out – you can really taste the fresh chives and lemon, which is the perfect compliment to the fish.

Although there's nothing like catching your own fish, that's not always possible. So when purchasing seafood, I always look for sustainable options, whether it's fresh or frozen. The first time I heard the term "sustainable seafood" was a few years back in San Francisco at an Alaska Seafood cooking demonstration where I learned that unlike many of the world’s other fish populations, Alaska’s are managed for protection against overfishing ensuring a healthy, wild and sustainable harvest for our future generations. So when I see the Alaskan Seafood label, I know I'm making a sustainable choice. I also have the (free) Seafood Watch App on my phone which I LOVE and always refer to before purchasing fish. It's simple to follow – you simply type the name of the fish and it gives you a green, yellow or red dot, plus suggestions for good alternatives. It's also a great idea to talk to your fish monger!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Flounder Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes

Breaded flounder lightly pan sauteed and topped with an arugula, lemon and tomato salad – a simple yet delicious way to prepare fish. Perfect for Lent, or any night you're in the mood for fish.

I was on a cruise a few weeks ago aboard the Norwegian and one of the meals I ordered more than once was the Flounder Milanese. I was able to recreate a lighter version of that meal; rather than deep frying it, I generously sprayed the fish with olive oil and pan sauteed it until golden. I love everything about this dish, it's light, quick and satisfying all for under 225 calories. You can use any white fish fillet you wish, and if you rather make this in the oven, I would broil it instead. Hope you enjoy!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp

A healthier twist on a Cajun classic, the addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. I'd like to think of this as a Cajun shrimp fried rice. With Mardi Gras ends tomorrow, I thought this would be the perfect timing to share this recipe from the archives because I LOVE this dish!

Dirty rice is a classic Cajun dish made "dirty" by cooking the rice with minced livers or gizzards. I created a healthier version using brown rice and lean ground beef in place of the chicken livers that normally make dirty rice "dirty".

But don't worry, this healthier version does not skimp on flavor! It has plenty of spices and a bit of kick, you can adjust the heat to your taste but don't be shy with the cayenne if you can handle it!

Normally a rice dish like this if made with white rice would be cooked all in one pot, but after several attempts to perfect this I found that cooking the brown rice all together created an unpleasant mushy texture. By cooking the brown rice separate, the texture of the rice was perfect when mixed with the beef and shrimp and made a delicious main dish even my "non-brown rice eating" husband enjoyed. 

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Spicy Shrimp with Chilies and Garlic

 

Sauteed shrimp with garlic, dried chilies and lemon juice – it's spicy, garlicky, acidic and sooooo good! You can serve this as an appetizer or have this for dinner over some baby greens with a crusty whole wheat baguette. And the best part about this dish – it's ready in under 15 minutes.

If you don't have dried chilies, you can use a generous amount of crushed red pepper. If you don't like spicy food, you can leave the chilies out completely. You can also make this with lime juice and cilantro for a twist of this dish, see Cilantro Lime Shrimp. This is gluten-free, paleo-friendly and low calorie… but trust me, you would never know it (it's THAT good!).

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Cilantro and lime make this simple shrimp dish outstanding – and it takes just minutes to make! 

This is an oldie but goodie, a regular in my home. I was making it for dinner the other night and felt the need to re-shoot it. We serve it over rice or with a big avocado and lettuce salad. Enjoy!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Crab and Avocado Phyllo Bites

Quick and easy! These bite sized appetizers are the perfect treat whether you're watching the game or just need some finger foods to munch on.

These were actually a happy accident. I had leftover fresh lump crab meat that I didn't want to waste after making crab cakes so I whipped up this easy appetizer. They turned out really good! For best results, don't fill the phyllo shells until you're ready to bake, and eat right away!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Baked Salmon Cakes

Baked salmon cakes make the perfect Holiday appetizer, made with wild Alaskan salmon, diced peppers, capers and breadcrumbs. For dipping, I made my favorite Zesty avocado cilantro dressing which compliments the flavor of the salmon and makes these absolutely addicting!

Target has partnered with the Target Inner Circle crew to put together a Holiday Party 101 blog series. As a team we are sharing everything you need to plan the perfect holiday party from cocktails, music, decorating tips, invitations, and more!

I was put in charge of the appetizers which was a fun challenge for me, and I came up with the idea to lighten up a recipe I recently had at a friend's house after stumbling on Simply Balanced Wild Alaskan Salmon at Target. I also picked up some holiday plates, napkins and this simple white flat plane platter from their Threshold collection which I will be using for everything.

When purchasing fish, I always opt for wild rather than farm raised so I was happy to see wild Alaskan seafood in Target. I adapted the original recipe from Ina Garten with lighter ingredients, then baked the cakes rather than frying and they turned out wonderful. I love a good dipping sauce and knew that my avocado cilantro dressing would be the perfect fresh compliment!

If you are looking for a healthy appetizer idea this Holiday season, look no further. Wild salmon is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s and these salmon cakes are pretty easy to make. You can assemble them ahead of time, then put them in your oven when your guests arrive. Set them out on the table and watch them disappear!

To tune in to more holiday party-throwing tips, be sure to follow #mykindofholiday and #targetinnercircle on Pinterest. Target will be compiling all the posts for an article on A Bullseye View. Happy party-planning everyone!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Ceviche in Cucumber Cups and My Tour of the CIA

This very popular Peruvian dish is made with fresh pieces of raw fish (or shellfish) marinated in lime juice, onions and cilantro which slowly causes the fish to "cook", in very much the same way that heating does. The results are bright and refreshing with an opaque appearance and firmed texture of cooked fish. This dish is also gluten-free, paleo friendly and low-carb.

A few weeks ago I went on a fun tour to one of the world’s best professional culinary colleges – the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. 

Pictured from left to right is me, Jennifer from Bake or Brake, Kita from Pass the Sushi and Russ from The Domestic Man. I loved the tour and meeting new food bloggers – the group was small which was perfect to watch the classes in progress without interfering too much.

Lucky for me, that day they happened to be making ceviche in their Americas cooking class and I got to eat it for lunch. I LOVE a good ceviche, and I order it any chance I get when I go out to eat, so I was excited that they shared this recipe with me.

The good news – this is really easy to make and it looks so impressive if you're having guests over. Their original recipe was made with scallops, but I opted for some fresh Striped Bass which I picked up at my local fish store. You can use any type of ocean fish or shellfish to make ceviche, the only rule of thumb is that it should be as fresh as possible, preferably caught the same day. This would make a wonderful appetizer for Christmas eve if your family likes to have fish. While you can prepare the cucumber cups and the vegetables for the ceviche a few hours ahead, ceviche tastes best when it marinates no more than an hour or two before you serve it.

Funny where life takes you, I went to art school and studied graphic design at Pratt in Manhattan which led me to become a graphic designer/digital photo-retoucher prior to Skinnytaste. I believe those experiences helped me and my love of food photography, but if I was to go back to school now, I would LOVE to attend the CIA or at least take some classes their. They are teaching our next generation of leaders – chefs such as Anthony Bourdain, Duff Goldman, Micheal Simon, Cat Cora, just to name a few are all CIA graduates. I mean, doesn't this chef jacket and hat belong on me?

What's really cool about the school is that all students work in 3-week course rotations, the senior class works at one of three CIA’s restaurants – both the front and back ends. So during our first night there we were served by the graduating students, with meals that the students prepared. We ate at the new French Bocuse Restaurant, and the food was phenominal. The highlight of my meal was watching the students make ice cream in 30 seconds with a hand cranked mixer and dry ice – amazing!

If you're ever in the Hudson Valley, you can go on a group tour and dine at one of their three award winning student-staffed restaurants. And if you're thinking about pursuing a career in the the culinary arts, or have kids that are trying to decide their future, check out the CIA . A 4 year degree is completed in 3 years, they have new classes starting every 3 weeks and offer classes in culinary arts, baking, nutrition, and culinary science. What's more, they boast about their 99% job rate in leadership positions after graduating which is unheard of these days! 

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Grilled Shrimp Tostadas

Grilled shrimp, homemade guacamole, fat free refried beans and lettuce on top of a crispy tostada. Super easy and quick – you're going to love these!!

I've been dying to make share this shrimp tostada recipe with you guys and finally got around to photographing it. It's still hot enough this week to make these outside on the grill, but if you prefer to keep it indoors, just use a grill pan, you can make them all year round.

Seasoning the shrimp with salsa verde and crushed garlic is my secret to fabulous tasting shrimp. I discovered this from my friend Doreen, who also added sofrito to her shrimp and I just couldn't stop eating it. I didn't have sofrito, but it was just as good without. These are super filling, one is all you need! If you have a crowd, you can easily double or triple the recipe.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Chipotle Lobster and Avocado Wrap

Chipotle lobster salad with avocado, scallions, cilantro and lettuce on a whole wheat wrap – fabulous!!

A few weeks ago I grabbed a bite at Lenny's clam bar with my husband and daughter and we ordered the special – the chipotle lobster avocado burrito. It was SOOO good I HAD to recreate a lighter version of it myself.

I don't eat lobster often because it's not cheap, but I love it and like to treat myself once in a while, especially in the summer. I went to my local fish market and bought a 2 pound lobster and had them steam it for me (I personally don't love cooking live lobsters). All the fish markets near me steam them for you for the same price as buying it live. This yielded enough lobster meat for 4 servings.

Then I tossed the lobster with lemon juice, a little light mayo and yogurt to make it creamy and added some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to give it a little kick. Tossed in some chopped scallion and fresh cilantro and the lobster salad was delicious.

I wrapped it on a whole wheat tortilla with avocado and lettuce (you can lower the carbs and make it gluten free by turning this into a lettuce wrap) and had myself a fabulous lunch over a bed of greens.

If you want to make a lunch to impress or even a light dinner, this is the perfect wrap!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp Kebabs

Grilled shrimp on skewers seasoned with cumin, garlic and finished with fresh squeezed lime juice and cilantro.  

I use my grill all summer long, and since we LOVE Cilantro Lime Shrimp, I adapted for the grill. This would be perfect for back yard parties as an appetizer, or you can serve this for dinner for 4 people with cilantro lime rice, fiesta bean salad, a big garden salad with avocado, or whatever you desire.

Since making the salmon kebabs last week, I loved how the lemon wedges looked between the salmon chunks, so I thought it would be pretty to do the same with the lime here. Completely optional but if you decide to do this, keep in mind that the lime juice will begin to cook the shrimp if you prep these too far in advance.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Easy Grilled Fish Fillet in Foil Packets

 

This super easy method for grilling fish is pretty foolproof, and you can use any fresh fish that's available to you in your area. It's almost 90 degrees today, which means I'm grilling tonight. In fact I use my outdoor grill just about every night in the summer to make quick, easy, healthy dinners.

Living on the east coast, I love to take full advantage of the fresh caught local fish available to me here on Long Island. Nothing is quite better than eating fish that came out of the ocean the same day! My local fishmonger suggested the Long Island porgy that was caught early that morning – delish! I asked him to fillet it for me, and I kept the skin on, just my personal  preference. Oh, the possibilities are endless when making fish in foil, you can add any fresh herbs you like, wine, garlic, shallots, whatever you like! I also do this in a 400 degree oven in the Fall and winter months.

When I do this outside on the gas grill, I cook the foil on indirect heat, which basically means I heat up one side of the grill with the cover closed so it gets good and hot, and keep the burners off on the other side. You can also do this with a charcoal grill with a cover, by leaving the coals on one side. The fish goes on the indirect side of the grill so that it cooks from the steam created in the foil. In about 10 minutes, the fish cooked to perfection. My whole family enjoys this, even my three year old.


Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Jalapeño Shrimp Cakes

These shrimp cakes are light and delicious, made with jalapenos, scallions, and cilantro then topped with a little fresh lime juice and a few slices of avocado. Serve this over a bed of greens for a quick, light summer meal.

It's really starting to feel like summer around here, temperatures are expected to hit 90 today. I can actually smell summer in the air, which gets me sooo excited!! After a long weekend of going to BBQ's and too many glasses of sangria, this week I am keeping it low carb and light. I love shrimp, it's naturally lean and cooks in minutes, which makes it perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

I've attempted shrimp cakes in the past, but always had issues with them holding together well so this time I decided to pulse the raw shrimp in the food processor and that worked out perfect. I left some of the seeds from the jalapeno to give it a little heat but you can leave them out if you don't like spicy food. My plan was to grill them, but the patties were a bit delicate and I decided to saute them on the pan instead which worked out perfect. Topped with fresh lime juice and a few thin slices of avocado on top, this was flavorful and light.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...