Tag: seafood

Thai Grapefruit Shrimp Salad

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This recipe came about because I had something similar one fateful night when I got delivery pan-Asian – and then proceeded to think about it nonstop for a solid week.

While this isn’t 100% the same as that dish, it’s pretty close – and almost equally as addictive. The sharp bitterness of a good grapefruit pairs really well with sweet-tart tamarind, and the earthiness of nut butter. Yum all around.

gluten-free, paleo, low carb

Thai Grapefruit Shrimp Salad

1 ruby grapefruit
14-16 shrimp
1/4 c. roasted nuts
1 small shallot
1 red chili
1 clove garlic
2 small cucumbers
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
Salt & pepper

For the dressing

1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (or fish sauce)
1 tsp. Thai roasted red chili paste
2 tsp. tamarind paste
1/2 tsp. honey
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. nut butter

Add to a large bowl, the grapefruit (peeled and supremed), shallot, chili and garlic (minced), cucumbers and nuts (chopped), and cherry tomatoes (halved).

In a separate bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together.

Pour over salad and toss.

Sautée the shrimp in the oil in a medium pan 3-5 minutes or until cooked through, making sure to season with salt & pepper.

When done, add to the salad. Toss again and let chill a couple hours to allow the flavors to marry.

Serves 2 as a light meal

Japanese CYOA Bowls

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This is another in my series of Asian-inspired ‘choose your own adventure’ dinners – these seem to be working best for DH’s and my separate nutrition needs and the type of light summer foods we’ve both been craving.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, Keto, vegetarian, vegan

Japanese CYOA Bowls

In the bottom of your bowl, add:

1/2 tsp. ginger garlic paste
1 tsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
Squirt sriracha (optional)

Add your base – like zoodles or rice – and toss.

Top with:

Sliced radish
Sliced nori
Sliced scallions
Shredded rotisserie chicken
Soft boiled egg
Shrimp

Sprinkle on a little furikake or some sesame seeds, serve and enjoy.

Paleo Poke Bowls

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Mmmmm… poke. This is a dead simple choose your own adventure kind of dinner – the kind of thing I’m making a lot lately, since I’m back to eating low carb and DH is craving rice to fuel his workouts.

Gluten-free, paleo, Keto if you make it Keto

Paleo Poke Bowls

Fresh salmon or tuna, chopped bite-sized
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 Tbsp. pineapple juice
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Toppings

Sliced avocado
Shredded purple cabbage
Julienned carrots
Chopped cucumber
Minced ginger
Lime juice
Chopped pineapple
Sliced scallions
Chili garlic paste
Furikake

Base

Zoodles, rice, lettuce or steamed and chilled broccoli

Marinate the fish in the next 5 ingredients while prepping the toppings.

To serve, top X with X and fish. I laid out a plate of toppings + bowls of zoodles & rice for an interactive choose-your-own bar. Enjoy.

Keto Sushi

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Ha! Finally! Keto sushi! I have no idea where exactly I saw a version of this recipe, but I do remember I was deep in a Pinterest recipe hole at 3am while I couldn’t sleep one night. Go, night cravings me. I didn’t think keto sushi was a thing unless it involved cream cheese and cauliflower rice.

You can make these however you want – I’d say the only “must” is avocado, but mostly because I love avocado and without it these would not be filling in the slightest. I made 2 rolls for my dinner, and could have eaten double happily. But then again, much like Homer Simpson, I can lay waste to some seafood.

Gluten-free, paleo, keto

Keto Sushi

Nori sheets (1 per roll)
Avocado, sliced into thin strips
Fresh fish of choice (I had salmon on hand), sliced into thin strips
Julienned kimchi
Julienned bell peppers
Julienned green onions

To assemble

  1. Place the nori shiny side up on a bamboo sushi mat or piece of parchment paper.
  2. Place your fish down about half an inch from the edge facing you.
  3. Add your other ingredients in a strip – I did a double-wide strip – fish in a quarter-inch thick slice topped with avocado then pepper and scallion with kimchi on top.
  4. Wet the edge closest to you with a finger dipped in water.
  5. Roll the damp raw edge over the fillings.
  6. Roll the edge of the mat (or paper) over the roll and push back with your hands to compress into shape.
  7. Slowly roll the mat (or paper) away from you while compressing to form the roll.
  8. Wet the far edge with a finger dipped in water.
  9. Seal by rolling the sushi over the edge and pressing a bit to stick.
  10. To slice, dip your sharpest (non-serrated) blade in water and pull through the roll quickly, taking care not to mash. My first cut was a hot mess – with subsequent cuts, I started on the far side and sliced towards myself. Which I’m sure offends some sort of sushi gods, but so probably does kimchi and zero rice. I have not yet been haunted.

Low Carb Sushi Bowl

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Sushi is something I really miss when I’m cracking down on my carbs – a bowl like this helps in times like that. You can dress this up a million different ways: sub cauli rice tossed with a splash rice vinegar for the cucumber noodles, switch out the proteins, add your favorite ingredients … the sky’s the limit, really.

Gluten-free, paleo, keto

Low Carb Sushi Bowl

Bowl

Shrimp – I had 19kg or 18 medium
1.5 tsp. ginger garlic paste
1 Tbsp. your favorite oil
1/2 avocado
2 sheets nori
1 cucumber

Sauce

2 Tbsp. mayo
1 tsp. coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 tsp. sriracha or to taste
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. ginger garlic paste

Topper

2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. furikake

First, make your base by noodling the cucumber however it is that you prepare zucchini noodles. Cucumber noodles will be a bit wetter, so you will want to put them in a colander to drain. Salt if you want and let sit to drain while you prep everything else.

In a large pan over medium heat, add the neutral oil and large portion of ginger garlic paste. let cook until fragrant. Add the shrimp and sautee until pink and cooked through – about 4 minutes total for both sides. Cut the heat and move the pan aside.

While the shrimp is cooking, make the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stirring.

To assemble, split the cucumber between two bowls. Cut the nori into thin strips and divide between the bowls. Cut the avocado into bite-sized pieces and divide. Divide the shrimp and add.

Top with a drizzle of the sauce and add sprinkle with the toppers.

Serves 2 for a light dinner

Quick Keto Tuna Bowl

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This meal came about because I was too lazy to go grocery shopping after coming home from vacation, and had zero fresh food (but a lemon) in the house. I think I did pretty well for myself and was super sad that I didn’t have leftovers for lunch the next day.

gluten-free, keto

Quick Keto Tuna Bowl

2 ounces tuna in oil
1 tsp. white miso paste
1 tsp. soy sauce or coconut aminos
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. sriracha
1 Tbsp. shallot, minced
Squeeze lemon
1 cup roasted broccoli

In a small bowl, combine everything but the broccoli and mix well. Add the broccoli (or whatever vegetables you want) for a rounded meal.

Serves 1

Keto Ramen

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If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been on a Japanese kick again lately, and I’m determined to lick this delicate-yet-complex flavor profile and bend it to my low carb ways (muahaha).

Gluten-free, keto

Keto Ramen

2 c. water
1 pkg. shiritaki noodles
2 Tbsp. dashi broth starter
1 tsp. white miso
2 Tbsp. wakame
6 ounces white fish
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 c. bok choy
1 Tbsp. soy sauce, ponzu, tamari or coconut aminos
1 tsp. rice vinegar
Sriracha
Furikake (I love the varieties with bonito)
Salt
White pepper

Season the fish with salt & white pepper and sautee in 1 Tbsp. sesame oil until cooked through. Flake into a large bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. sesame oil to the bottom of the bowl, along with a squirt of sriracha.

In a saucepan, stir the dashi stock into the water and being to a boil. Add the miso and stir. Add the wakame and bok choy.

Drain and rinse the shiritaki noodles. Add to the pan.

Boil 3 – 5 minutes to cook the noodles and veggies. Add the soy and vinegar.

Pour the soup into the bowl and top with furikake to serve.

Makes 1 big serving

Keto Eggrolls

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Mmmmm….. eggrolls. Sushi. These are two things I kinda miss on Keto. Sure, sashimi is great – buuuuuuut I can eat my bodyweight in fresh fish, and that ish gets expensive.

I’ve got my favorite egg roll in a bowl recipes, but I wanted something a little different.

Gluten-free, paleo, Keto

Keto Eggrolls

About 4 ounces shrimp
1/2 an avocado
1/2 inch ginger
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. soy, tamari, coconut aminos or ponzu
2-3 sheets nori
A few Tablespoons frying oil

Dipping Sauce

2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy, tamari, coconut aminos or ponzu
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp. Sambal olek

Grate your ginger and garlic. Chop the shrimp. Peel and slice the avocado. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, warm a quarter of the frying oil.

Add the shrimp, garlic & ginger and stir-fry until cooked through. Set aside and wipe the pan.

Assemble the eggrolls by placing about 2 Tablespoons shrimp and a slice or two of avocado in the center of the nori sheet.

Gently roll the nori sheet, taking care to tuck the ends in like a burrito so you have an enclosed packet. If the nori rips a little, that’s ok – the frying will keep your eggroll mostly together.

Add the rest of the frying oil to the pan over medium-high heat.

When the oil comes up to temperature, place the eggrolls seam side down and fry 1-2 minutes or until crisp. Flip and fry. Be careful here not to burn your eggrolls to cinders – it’s easy. A little burned is fine; just no carbon.

To make your dipping sauce, combine all dipping sauce ingredients in a small dish.

Serves 1

Keto Pad Thai

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Mmmmmmm … pad Thai. Oh, how I love thee. Buuuuuuuuuuut, my waistline is saying no to all the carbs. So, a compromise. This isn’t authentic by any means, but it’s delicious. And low carb. Check and check.

Pad Thai comes together in a flash – be forewarned before you start adding things to the pan: prep your veggies, get your liquids ready in a dish, and crack your eggs.

Gluten-free, paleo, keto

Keto Pad Thai

1/2 small head cabbage
1/4 cup frozen peas (optional if you don’t have the carb budget)
shrimp (I used 6 ounces pre-cooked canned shrimp)
2 tsp. tamarind paste (check your labels!)
1 tsp. shrimp paste (optional, check your labels!)
2 Tbsp. + sesame oil
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (check your labels!)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (again with the labels)
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. sambal olek (labels!)
2-4 eggs
1/2 inch ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 small shallot
1 green onion
1-2 Tbsp. fresh basil (optional)

First, prep all your stages.

Stage 1: peel and mince the ginger, garlic and shallot.

Stage 2: in a small dish, combine the tamarind paste, lime juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, shrimp paste, and sambal olek.

Stage 3: add to a large bowl the cabbage shredded into ribbons, peas if you’re using, and shrimp.

Stage 4: crack your eggs into a small bowl.

Stage 5: chop the green onion and basil if you’re using.

After your stages are prepped, add 2 Tbsp. sesame oil to your largest pan over high heat.

Add stage 1. Stir frequently and cook until softened.

Add stage 2. Stir to make sure the shrimp paste is broken up.

Add stage 3. Toss to combine and let cook, stirring frequently, until the cabbage is softened and the mixture kind of dries out. Hollow out a well in the center of the mixture, pushing the cabbage and stuff to the sides.

Add stage 4. Let the eggs cook halfway through. Stir to break the yolks and make large curds. Cook until eggs are firm.

Top with stage 5 and serve.

If you’re keto, also top with a teaspoon or so of additional sesame oil to increase the fat ratio.

Serves 1-2 for dinner — 1 if you’re alone in the house and like to eat; 2 if you’re not

Tuna Chermoula Salad

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This recipe is based off of a tuna chermoula toast I saw in a favorites of the week link roundup recently. I was struck by the simplicity of the flavors and the overall unexpectedness of encountering the humble canned tuna in presumably a party setting.

Chermoula is a really neat condiment. Popular throughout northern Africa, this sauce is made a zillion different ways and used as a meat marinade, accompaniment to fish or seafood, and dressing for vegetables. The version I’m making is seasoned to balance tuna’s meaty-but-dull nature.  I’ve seen versions that include the brininess of olives, sweeter versions including raisins, and versions that just straight up seem like chimichurri to me. If you happen to have preserved lemons on hand, they would make a fantastic swap for the lemon here. I, sadly, have run out.

gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, keto


Tuna Chermoula Salad

Your favorite canned tuna (I used a 6 ounce pouch of water packed tuna)
1/4 cup olive oil
Big hand full cilantro
Juice and zest of 1 big lemon (I had 2 small little sad lemons on hand)
1 clove garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1 tsp. sweet paprika
Big pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cumin
Big pinch salt
Few cracks black pepper
1/2 avocado
2 cups roasted broccoli

If your broccoli isn’t already roasted, roast some broccoli florets sprinkled with salt, pepper and your favorite fat in a 400 degree (F) oven for 25 – 30 minutes). Let cool.

On to the chermoula.

Chop the cilantro, and add to a bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, the garlic and ginger once those have been grated, the olive oil, paprika, cumin and red pepper flakes, and hit with a  big pinch og salt and pepper. Taste. Your sauce should be nice and acidic and there should be a bunch of it. Adjust as necessary for your personal salt and heat preferences.

Add the tuna and stir. Add the broccoli and stir. Chop the avocado and add last, gently stirring to combine.

Taste again and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serves 2 for lunch