CEiMB - Garlic Basil Shrimp

This recipe was Yummy!   Thank you to Tea and Scones who picked this out this recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly.

It was a perfect weeknight meal because took me about 30 minutes from start to finish, including peeling the shrimp.  I have made very similar shrimp dishes but really liked the addition of basil and tomatoes.  I did make a couple of changes, I didn't have red pepper flakes and really didn't want to run back to the store so I left it out.  I also added a cup of baby spinach to add a little extra goodness, my trainer would be so proud!  I also cut back on the amount of tomatoes because I don't like tomatoes at all, hubby ate all of those.  I served this over some parmesan orzo and we truly enjoyed this recipe.  

Garlic Basil Shrimp
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup white wine
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot.  Add shrimp turing over once until just cooked through.  Since the pan is so hot this will only take a couple of minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Add garlic to oil remaining and cook 30 seconds.  Add wine and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.  Stir in spinach, basil and tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Return the shrimp to the pan and cook until heated through.

CEiMB - Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

When I saw that this recipe was the Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe I was really excited!  I have made this recipe before and we LOVED it!  It has a wonderful lemony tang that is delicious!  I made a couple of mistakes in preparing the soup this time - but it still ended up tasty!  I strongly recommend this recipe - it will be a favorite in your house.  I included the recipe below with my changes - the original recipe is in Ellie's book - The Food you Crave.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
Adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food you Crave

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 cup white wine
5 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in large saucepan.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to saucepan.  Once cooked through remove to a plate.  Add onion, celery, carrot and dried parsley.  Cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.  Deglaze with the white wine, making sure to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add 4 1/2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Check seasoning and add salt or pepper if needed.  Add orzo and simmer about 8 minutes until orzo is tender.  Reduce heat - do not let soup boil from this point.

Warm remaining 1 cup of broth until hot but not boiling.  In separate bowl beat eggs.  Whisk lemon juice into eggs.  Slowly add warmed broth into eggs, whisking while incorporating.  Gradually add egg mixture into the soup stirring until thickened.  (You need to be careful at this point because the eggs can cook - trust me I had to skim out some cooked eggs this time!  Be careful not to let the soup boil)

Serve immediately and enjoy!

CEiMB - Chocolate Mousse

This weeks recipe was a low-fat Chocolate Mousse that used tofu as the main ingredient. This wasn't a dessert that worked for our house. I think that if I tried this again I would increase the amount of chocolate - this had too much of a tofu taste.

Check out the others who had a better result!

Craving Ellie in My Belly!

This is my first Craving Ellie in My Belly Recipe and I strongly recommend it! This recipe is really easy to make and I had most of the ingredients in my pantry. I paired this with my roasted potatoes and asparagus for a filling and inexpensive dinner.

Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds beef flank steak
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic. Put the steak into a sealable plastic bag with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, or 1 hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, in a small bowl combine the blue cheese and buttermilk with a fork, mashing until creamy. Stir in the Worcestershire and set aside.

Spray a large grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat.

Remove the meat from the marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper. Discard the marinade. Cook the meat in the grill pan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side for medium rare. Drizzle with blue cheese sauce and top with a sprinkling of parsley.