Hey Jumbo, have some shrimp

We found a 2 lb bag of pre-cooked, frozen shrimp at Wal-Mart for $11. Word! With a price like that, we bought 2 bags and headed to Sunburst Market for veggies.

Mission: Shrimp Ceviche (<150 calories per serving - total calorie count at end of post.)

The ceviche was concocted as follows:

1 cucumber
½ red bell pepper (de-vine, seed, and rinse – see end of post for hints)
½ yellow bell pepper (de-vine, seed, and rinse)

1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 onion

1 jalapeno (seed and rinse, dice extra small)

8 Roma tomatoes

Wash and dice all above ingredients, and place in a large bowl.

Add:

1 – 2 Tbps minced garlic
(We used pre-minced garlic in oil. If you prefer fresh, use 1-2 cloves, depending on your taste)
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
¼ bunch parsley, chopped (we’ll probably omit this next time. Both of us preferred it without.) 

Sea salt to taste

Juice of 2 - 4 lemons
Juice of 2 limes

(Hint: Roll the lemons and limes around, firmly, on a countertop before slicing in half to squeeze out the juice. It’ll get the juices flowing. Put a colander/strainer on top of the veggies in the bowl, and squeeze the lemons and limes through it. It catches the seeds and any big chunks of pulp.)

Mix it up. You may let it sit for a few minutes to let the veggies and juices mingle.

Defrost about 10 shrimp (3 oz), throw some ceviche in a bowl, and top with the shrimp.

Grade: PASS!

This is a fast, fresh, cook-free dish that fills you up without weighing you down (in both senses).

Enjoy!

Eat well, live well!

Love,
Las Gordas

Shrimp calorie facts:

HINTS:

When cutting any pepper, mild or not, I use disposable plastic gloves. I have sensitive hands, and if I’m not careful, my hands will burn for days, and my wedding ring will fuse to my finger. Heads up if you’ve got even slightly sensitive skin.

Jalapenos: beware. If you like a lot of spice, add a jap or two. If you can’t take the heat, eliminate this ingredient all together. Jalapenos in Texas are risky. Some are about as spicy as a cucumber, but others will burn your mouth off. So, to be safe, I usually slice mine in half and de-seed them. Then I rinse and drop them in an ice bath. Something about the ice bath calms the jap oil, which is the part that will burn your mouth off if you’re not careful. 

 

One of my first jobs was a “Sandwich Artist” at Subway. I learned the best way to de-vine and seed bell peppers there. Cut the top of the pepper off, around the stem, like you’re carving a pumpkin. Pull up on the stem, and the whole inside part full of seed should come out with it. Just use your fingers to pull all the inside vines out. If it’s ripe, they should break off easily. Rinse peppers out before you use them. 


Love, Gordita Blanca 

TOTAL CALORIE COUNT:
If you have a normal sized bowl, your figures might look something like this (though this would be an awfuly generous serving!)

84    (3 oz shrimp)
  4    (1/4 cup cucumber)
  6    (1/8 cup red bell pepper)
  6    (1/8 of one yellow bell pepper)

  5    (1/4 cup yellow squash)
  5    (1/4 cup zucchini)
  6    (1/8 cup onion)

10    (1/4 cup Roma tomatoes)
10 - 20    (lemon/lime juice)
____
136 - 146 Calories

N/A =   Jalapeno - too small to count. 1 whole cup = 27 cals, and if you eat a cup, you're insane.)
N/A -    Garlic, parsley, cilantro. Quantities in serving too small to measure.


Nutrition facts from here