Grilled Prosciutto Shrimp with Asian Dipping Sauce

This is my first post that's part of a brand new network of dietitans who believe flavor comes first. We call ourselves the Recipe Redux and every month we'll be creating recipes on a single theme and linking to each others' blog posts. Check out all the links at the bottom of this recipe for more great-tasting, good-for-you summer grilling ideas.

I love kebabs. They make any meal look like you went to more trouble than you did. There’s something about putting food on a skewer that elevates it to a special occasion (even a marshmallow on twig!).

These kebabs are extra nice because the large shrimp are each wrapped in a little strip of salty prosciutto and then they’re alternated on the skewers with sweet peaches. The marinade and dipping sauce is a sweet/salty/spicy Asian-inspired mixture made from ordinary pantry ingredients. I call for peaches or nectarines in the recipe, but you could also use cubes of cantaloupe, honeydew, mango, or pineapple.

When you shop, look for wild or farmed shrimp from the United States. They may be a little more pricey than the imported ones, but most shrimp imported from other countries are farmed with lenient environmental regulations.

While you’re grilling the kebabs, throw some quick-cooking veggies on the grill to serve with them. Sliced yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers or small whole mushrooms are all good low-carb options. This is an easy, delicious meal that lets you do what people were meant to do this time of year: sit back and enjoy summer.

Grilled Prosciutto Shrimp with Asian Dipping Sauce

Makes 4 servings

1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp (about 24 shrimp)

2 ounces prosciutto, cut into 24 thin strips

4 small peaches or nectarines, pitted and cut into wedges  

3 tablespoons orange juice or unsweetened apple juice

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon molasses

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 clove garlic, crushed through a garlic press

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Wrap each shrimp with a strip of prosciutto. Thread the shrimp and peaches alternately onto 8 (6-8 inch) metal skewers and place in a large shallow dish.

Stir together the orange juice, soy sauce, molasses, oil, garlic, and cayenne in a small bowl. Drizzle the skewers with 2 tablespoons of the orange juice mixture and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Set aside the remaining orange juice mixture to serve as a dipping sauce with the shrimp.

Preheat a grill to medium heat. Place the skewers on the grill and grill until the shrimp are opaque, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Each serving: 18 g carbohydrate, 216 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 183 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein, 777 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 fruit, 3 lean protein

Here is a list of the grilling creations of my fellow registered dietitian Recipe Reduxers:
Alexandra Caspero
Grilled Summer Fruit Salad
Alysa Bajenaru – Inspired RD
Grilled Romaine Salad
Cindy Brison
Nutrition Know How
Chef Pandita
Grilled Vegetables
Danielle Omar – Food Confidence
Grilled Sweet Peppers
Diane Welland – EatWellEatClean
Grilled Beet & Onion Salad with Goat Cheese
The Nutrition Budgeteer
Dr Barb’s Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
EA Stewart – The Spicy RD
Grilled Polenta Veggie Stacks with Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
Emma Stirling – The Scoop on Nutrition
Char Siu BBQ Pork
Gretchen – Kumquat
Grilled Tandoori Chicken Skewers
Jessica Fishman Levinson – Nutritioulicious
Grilled Salmon Burgers with Cherry Chutney
Kat Lynch – Eating The Week
Portobello mushrooms stuffed with spiced couscous
Katie Caputo- East Meats West
Succulent Sirloin Kabobs
Kristen – Swanky Dietitian
Portabella Mushroom Burgers with Grilled Corn
Lisa – Healthful Sense
Grilled Veggie Bean Burgers
Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex – Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen
Mushroom Burgers with the Works, Mushroom Cannellini Spread
Marie Spano
Italian Grilled Turkey Burgers
Nicole Ferring Holovach – Whole Health RD
Grilled Eggs
Rebecca Scritchfield – MeFirst
Grilled Plantains: A Sweet Summer Side Dish
Regan – The Professional Palate
Grilled Eggplant & Two-Tomato Whole-Wheat Piadina
Serena – Teaspoon of Spice
Grilled Watermelon Salad

Local & Naked

In almost all parts of the country right now you can probably find some local strawberries at your farmers’ market, at a nearby you-pick farm, or if you grow your own, they’re right in your back yard (lucky you!). You can also, without doubt, find strawberries in your local supermarket that are grown in California or Florida. If you ever thought that eating local foods was just for snobs or all just bunch of hoo-hah, this is the perfect time of year to prove to yourself how fantastic local food tastes.

Pick up a package of those shipped-in strawberries in a plastic container at your supermarket. Then, get some locally grown strawberries and put them side by side. The locally grown ones will almost surely be much smaller than the supermarket strawberries. They’ll be fresher, because they were just picked, and did not have to spend days on a refrigerated truck. In fact, the local berries you bought have never been inside a refrigerator. Commercially grown strawberries are bred to be large and to look fresh even when they have been picked for a week. Not so with locally grown strawberries; small farmers and backyard gardeners are not choosing the same variety of berries as the big growers like Driscoll. Their berries aren’t going that far; they will be picked and sold right away close to where they are grown.

Now, take a bite from each of the berries and you’ll instantly understand why local is better. And it’s not just for strawberries—it’s every food. When you have diabetes or heart disease, when your health really does depend on every bite you put in your mouth, every bite should be delicious. And, when you take the extra trouble to seek out local produce that’s full of flavor, you’re going to be excited about eating all those fruits and vegetables that you should be piling on your plate every day. The best way to eat those strawberries: naked (the berries, that is), in a bowl, with a fork.

Summer Lentil Salad

My CSA started up last week and the local Jackson Heights Greenmarket is in full swing. It’s the time of year when there is way more produce in my refrigerator than I will ever find the stomach space to use. Neighbors don’t think you’re too weird if you show up at their door with the gift of a head of Bibb lettuce. They get used to it as the season progresses.

One of the ways I like to use fresh produce is to cook some lentils or dried beans and use those to make a salad with all the produce I have. The lentils or beans are a good source of protein and an excellent source of fiber—and they’re delicious with almost any vegetable you add to them.

The salad I made today uses what I had on hand. This recipe is just a blueprint really, to use whatever is fresh and fabulous at your farmers’ market this time of year. You can add almost anything: diced carrots, radishes, turnips, bell peppers, jicama, kohlrabi, cucumbers, green onions, halved cherry tomatoes, and any herb that you have on hand.

One rule of thumb I will mention is that when you’re making salads with high carb ingredients like these lentils, dried beans, whole grains (like wheat berries or barley), or whole wheat pasta use the same amount of fresh vegetables in the salad as you do of the lentils, beans, grains or pasta. In this recipe, 1 cup of dry lentils will make about 2 cups of cooked lentils, so make sure you add about 2 cups of vegetables to the mix. This not only prevents carb overload, but it insures that you have a flavorful, colorful, and crunchy salad. And if, like me, you are up to your eyeballs in lettuce, serve the lentil salad on top of fresh greens. Ah, the joys of summer!

I will point out my flavor-infusing cooking method for lentils in this recipe. They cook so quickly (in about 15 or 20 minutes) that they need to go into an already flavorful cooking liquid so they can absorb as much flavor as possible. I simply simmer a small halved onion, a stalk of celery, a crushed garlic clove, and a bay leaf in salted water for about 15 minutes before I add the lentils. That way, the lentils are cooking in a vegetable broth that’s really going to give them an additional layer of flavor. Another trick: once they are just done, tender, yet firm to the bite, and still holding their shape, I pour the lentils, liquid, and the onion/garlic/bay leaf mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish and let the lentils cool in the cooking liquid to absorb even more flavor. Set the dish in front of a fan to cool if you’re in a hurry.

Lentil and Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

Makes 6 servings

To cook the lentils

3 cups water

1 small onion, cut in half

1 stalk celery, cut in 3-inch pieces

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup French green lentils, picked over and rinsed

To make the salad

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil (or, if you have it, walnut oil is lovely)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (you don’t need much, since the lentils were cooked in salted water)

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small turnip, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1 green onion, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (crumble it while it’s cold, so a little bit can go a long way)  

To cook the lentils, combine the water, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Add the lentils, return to a simmer, and cook just until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour the lentil mixture into a large shallow dish and let cool to room temperature. Drain the lentil mixture and discard the onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf.

To make the salad, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the lentils, turnip, carrot, cucumber, green onion, and dill and stir to combine. Serve the salad at once, or store refrigerated for up to 3 days. The salad tastes better at room temperature, so if you do make it ahead, let it sit out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving. Taste the salad before serving; it may need another splash of vinegar to brighten the flavor. Sprinkle the salad with the goat cheese just before you serve it.

Each serving: 21 g carbohydrate, 177 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 10 g protein, 255 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 veg, 1plant-based protein, 1/2 fat

Grilled Chicken with Avocado-Basil Sauce

Living in an apartment in a city where cooking on a grill requires a special city permit (only in New York!), I’ve learned to love my Lodge cast iron grill skillet. I use it all the time for quick dinners like this one made with marinated and grilled chicken breasts with a sauce. This Avocado-Basil Sauce is fantastic with fish, shrimp, or scallops, too.

Grilled Chicken with Avocado-Basil Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Chicken & Marinade

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Avocado-Basil Sauce

1 ripe medium avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled

3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 slender green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/4 to 1/3 cup cold water

Lime wedges

To make the chicken, combine the basil, lime zest and juice, olive oil, and garlic in a shallow glass dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

Preheat the grill or a cast iron grill pan to medium heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with the salt. Brush the grill rack or the grill pan with a small amount of canola oil. Place the chicken on the grill rack or in the grill pan and grill, turning occasionally, until the juices of the chicken run clear, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the avocado, basil, lime juice, green onion, salt, and hot sauce in a food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the water and pulse to combine. Process the sauce until smooth, adding additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. You can make the sauce up a day ahead. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the sauce to prevent it from browning and refrigerate.

Serve the chicken with the Avocado-Basil Sauce and lime wedges.

Each serving: 6 g carbohydrate, 225 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 24 g protein, 273 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1/2; Exchanges: 1/2 carb, 3 lean protein, 2 fat

Pile It On: Low Carb Veggies

If you’ve had diabetes for a while, or even if you’ve only been recently diagnosed, you’re probably already tired of your diabetes educator, your doctor, or your dietitian preaching to you about portion control.

Your health care providers are probably so concerned about getting the message across that you should only have a single cookie, a 3-ounce portion of meat or poultry, and high calorie oils and butter in moderation that they didn’t tell you what you can eat all you want of: non-starchy vegetables.

These include all lettuces and leafy greens, cucumbers, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, summer squash, green beans, and lots, lots more. You can find a full list here.

The American Diabetes Association calls these the non-starchy vegetables and they say that a serving is 1/2 cup of cooked vegetable or 1 cup of the raw vegetable. This serving size has about 5 grams of carbohydrate, so unless you’re loading up on other carbs at the same meal, you can eat two or three servings of these at a time.

Not only are these choices nearly a free ride when it comes to carbs, they are low in calories, high in fiber, and all of them have healthful antioxidants. If you’re out of ideas for preparing vegetables, check out the website FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org. The site has more than 1000 recipes for fruits and vegetables in an easily searchable database.

Go to Eating Well magazine and Cooking Light magazine too and search for vegetable recipes. These two magazines do a fantastic job of creating great tasting recipes that are easy to prepare. I recommend them for people with diabetes also because all their recipes have the nutrition information included, so you’ll know how much of the dish can fit into your diet.

When was the last time someone told you to eat more of anything? Now, get yourself to the farmers’ market and start cooking.  

Meatless Monday Bean Burger

If you’re participating in Meatless Monday (or even if you’re not), here’s a burger with so much flavor, you’ll enjoy it any day of the week. I eat bean-based burgers often and love to play around with the seasonings. For this one, I sautéed the jalapeno, onion, and garlic to soften them slightly before adding them to the other ingredients.

A potato masher is the best tool for mashing the beans; I think a food processor grinds them too finely. I like to see a little bean in my bean burger. I used pintos for this recipe, because that’s what I had in the pantry, but black beans would work here too. These burgers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; just put wax paper between the patties to keep them from sticking together and cover them with plastic wrap.

A few words about buns (bread buns, that is): If you haven’t made the switch to whole wheat buns, a full-flavored recipe like this one is the perfect place to give them a try. The burger itself is so flavorful that you won’t notice the whole wheat. If you buy large buns and rolls from a bakery or from those self-serve bins at the supermarket, take them down a notch. No one needs that many carbs!  I bought the one in the photo here from the self-serve bin at my local market and I cut fully 1-inch of bun out of the middle of it!  Just saved myself a lot of carbs and calories that I never missed. If you can’t bear to throw the middles away, save them to make stuffing or bread crumbs. 

Cilantro Bean Burgers

Makes 3 servings

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 large egg white

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 small whole wheat sandwich buns, toasted

Optional toppings: lettuce leaves, tomato slices, sweet onion slices

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the jalapeño, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish to cool slightly.

While the vegetables cook, place the beans in a medium bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Add the egg white, bread crumbs, cilantro, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Add the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Shape the mixture into 3 patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the patties and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve in the buns, with the toppings of your choice.

Each serving:  39 g carbohydrate, 298 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g fiber, 12 g protein, 410 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 2 1/2; Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 plant-based protein, 1 fat

Asian Chicken Salad

                Today I had a craving for a crunchy salad but I wanted something salty, too, so I made this fresh Asian Chicken Salad for lunch. The dressing and marinade are made with salty Asian fish sauce, tart lime juice, and spicy chili-garlic paste. It’s a refreshing but filling springtime lunch. If you’re watching your sodium, this salad—or anything made with Asian fish sauce—is definitely an occasional treat.

The pretty greens in my salad are from my local farmers market, from Monkshood Nursery and Gardens in Stuyvesant, New York. Any greens will work here—you can try mesclun, baby spinach, bibb lettuce, or romaine.

Asian Chicken Salad

Makes 2 servings

marinade and dressing

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed through a press

1/4 teaspoon chili-garlic paste

salad

2 (4- to 5-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon canola oil

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 cups mixed salad greens of any type

2 radishes, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 of a hothouse cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs

To make the marinade and dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Place the chicken in a small shallow dish and add 2 tablespoons of the marinade. Turn the chicken to coat, cover snugly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade, which will be used as a dressing on the salad.

To make the salad, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-hgih heat. Add the canola oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook until the juices run clear, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand about 5 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, combine the tomatoes, greens, radishes, green onions, carrot, cucumber, and cilantro sprigs in a large bowl and toss to combine.

To serve the salads, drizzle the tomato mixture with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade and toss to coat. Divide the mixture among two plates. Top evenly with the chicken. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved marinade and serve at once.  

Each serving: 12 g carbohydrate, 251 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 27 g protein, 1181 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean protein, 1 1/2 fat