Barbecue Shrimp  from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites
This book wouldn’t be complete without a barbecue shrimp recipe. I played around in the kitchen to insure the recipe included tons of sauce to dip the French bread, as that is the best part.  Serve with French bread and angel hair pasta.

Makes 4–6 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fat-free Italian or creamy onion dressing
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pounds large shrimp (not peeled)
1/3 cup light beer
1/2 cup clam juice or fat-free chicken broth

1.  In large nonstick skillet, combine oil, Italian dressing, garlic, onion powder, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper over medium heat until sauce begins to boil.
2.  Add shrimp, cook 5 minutes. Add beer and broth, cook another 5–7 minutes or until shrimp are done. 

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 207, Calories from fat (%) 44, Fat (g) 10, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 196, Sodium (mg) 614, Carbohydrate (g) 6, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Sugars (g) 2, Protein (g) 22, Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 carbohydrate, 3 lean meat

TERRIFIC TIDBIT:  Peeled shrimp may be used in the recipe if desired, but peeling the shrimp is tons of fun, just have plenty of paper towels.

Shrimp Remoulade from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites
You’ll love my pantry friendly and impressive version of this classic French sauce.   Serve on a bed of lettuce for a light lunch or fabulous first course.

Makes 8 (1/4-cup) servings

1 pound medium peeled shrimp, seasoned and cooked 
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Creole or grainy mustard  
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1.  Place shrimp in bowl.
2.  In another small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and toss with shrimp. Refrigerate until serving. 

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 74, Calories from fat (%) 22, Fat (g) 2, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Cholesterol (mg) 112, Sodium (mg) 243, Carbohydrate (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 0, Sugars (g) 1, Protein (g) 12, Diabetic Exchanges: 2 very lean meat

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Louisiana Dirty Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes (brown rice takes about an hour to cook)

Makes 4-6 servings

Serving size 1 cup
Cost Per Serving: less than $2

1 pound ground sirloin
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon of Great Value minced garlic
1 tablespoon Great Value Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Great Value pepper
1 cup uncooked Great Value brown rice
1 3/4 cups Great Value beef broth

In large nonstick skillet, cook beef, garlic, celery, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is done and vegetables are tender.
Add Worcestershire sauce and pepper, stirring well. Add broth and rice, mixing well. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover, and cook about an hour or until rice is done.

Crawfish Etouffee

After adjusting back into school after winter break, I realized how much I missed my southern foods!  Within one week I made Crawfish Etouffee and Chicken and Sausage Gumbo both from my mom’s Gulf Coast Favorites book.  All of my friends at school love southern cooking and hover around my kitchen when I am cooking.  I always love to share southern recipes, because my friends always rave about how tasty the recipes are.  Both recipes took very little time and were full of flavor.  The only downside is that seafood is extremely expensive in St. Louis.  After a few grocery bills, my parents cut my southern craving down to only a few seafood recipes per month!

Crawfish Etouffee recipe from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook

The key ingredients in this popular Louisiana staple are tender crawfish simmered with onion, green pepper, and garlic stared with a light roux.   This easy to follow recipe will quickly become part of your Cajun recipe repertoire.

Makes 4 (1-cup) servings

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup fat-free chicken broth

1 tablespoon paprika

1 pound crawfish tails, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch green onion tops only, finely chopped

1.  In large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, melt butter, stir in flour.
2.  Cook over medium heat until light brown, 5–8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic, sauté until tender, 5 minutes.
3.  Gradually add chicken broth, stir until thickened. Add paprika and crawfish. Bring to boil.

4.  Reduce heat, cover, cook 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Stir in green onions, cook another few minutes.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 210, Calories from fat (%) 31, Fat (g) 8, Saturated Fat (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 170, Sodium (mg) 257, Carbohydrate (g) 13, Dietary Fiber (g) 4, Sugars (g) 4, Protein (g) 22, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 3 lean meat

Terrific Tidbit: The browned flour and oil creates a roux that gives the etouffee that deep rich flavor.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC  Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook

Chicken and sausage gumbo, a Louisiana favorite, may be prepared easily and conveniently with chicken, sausage, and seasonings. Gumbo is served over rice.

Makes 14 (1-cup) servings

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound reduced-fat sausage, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen cut okra or fresh cut okra
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped

1.  Preheat oven 400ºF.
2.  Place flour on baking sheet, bake 20 minutes, stirring every 7–10 minutes until a dark nutty brown color. Set aside.
3.  In large nonstick pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, stir-fry sausage over medium heat until crispy brown, set aside.  Remove any excess grease, recoat skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
4.  Add chicken and cook, stirring until starting to brown. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery, cooking until tender. Add browned flour, stir continuously.
5.  Gradually add chicken broth, okra, thyme, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add sausage and green onions cooking 5 more minutes. Serve over rice.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 160, Calories from fat (%) 11, Fat (g) 2, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 49, Sodium (mg) 550, Carbohydrate (g) 12, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Sugars (g) 4, Protein (g) 22, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 3 very lean meat

Best Beef Brisket

Ever needed a great dish to feed and please lots of people? Best Beef Brisket is a delicious make-ahead recipe that will win over men and women of all ages. And you will never believe how easy it is as all you do is season the meat, pop it in the oven, and forget about it! This is great served with Roasted Vegetables and use leftover brisket…that is if you have any…to make the best sandwiches! And, someone just sent me Black Truffle Barbecue Sauce-and wow is it good with the brisket, or probably even with a spoon!

Best Beef Brisket from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Freezer Friendly Meals
The sweet-spicy sauce infuses the brisket with tons of flavor.

Makes 12 – 14 servings

1 (5-6 pound) trimmed beef brisket
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup grainy or Creole mustard
1 cup diet cola
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey

1. Season brisket with salt and pepper, set aside.
2. In small bowl, mix together onion, ginger, garlic, mustard, cola, ketchup, soy sauce, and honey. Spread over brisket, cover, refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven 325°F. Place brisket and marinade in oven in heavy pot. Bake, covered, 5 – 6 hours or until brisket is very tender.

To Prepare and Eat Now: Slice against the grain and serve.
To Freeze: Cool to room temperature, then transfer both the brisket and the sauce to a freezer container, label, and freeze. Freeze up to 4 months.
To Prepare After Freezing: Remove from freezer to defrost. Preheat the oven to 325°F. and bake, covered, with sauce. Slice against the grain to serve.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 286, Protein (g) 41, Carbohydrate (g) 9, Fat (g) 9, Calories from Fat (%) 28, Saturated Fat (g) 3, Dietary Fiber (g) 0, Cholesterol (mg) 83, Sodium (mg) 507, Diabetic Exchanges: 6 lean meat, 0.5 other carbohydrate

Shrimp and Cheese Grits from trim&TERRIFIC Freezer Friendly Recipes
Easy to prepare shrimp with cheesy seasoned grits and ham is an easy fulfilling breakfast. The shrimp may be omitted.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 cup quick grits
3 cups water
1/2 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash cayenne pepper
1/3 cup diced Canadian bacon
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped green onions 

1.Cook grits in water and milk according to package instructions.   When grits are ready, stir in 1 cup Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, paprika, and cayenne and stir until cheese is melted.
2.Coat large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray.   Add Canadian bacon and sauté until it begins to brown. Add shrimp and garlic and cook, stirring, until shrimp are fully pink and almost done, 3-5 minutes. Add lemon juice.
3.Remove from heat and stir in grits mixture. Season to taste.  Add green onions.
4.Coat 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer grits and shrimp mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.

To Prepare and Eat Now: Serve immediately or preheat the oven to 350°F. and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
To Freeze: Cool to room temperature, wrap, label, and freeze.
To Prepare After Freezing: Remove from freezer to defrost. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 minutes, covered, or until heated through.

Nutritional information per serving, Calories 268, Protein (g) 26, Carbohydrate (g) 23, Fat (g) 7, Calories from Fat (%) 25, Saturated Fat (g) 4, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 134, Sodium (mg) 470, Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1.5 starch

Louisiana sweet potatoes and cornbread combine for the ultimate stuffing

Christmas is not far away and I am starting to make my grocery list ahead of time. Traditionally families have cornbread dressing and sweet potato casserole, but I just cannot shy away from this Yam Cornbread Stuffing…why not have the best of both?! What could be better than naturally sweet yams and cornbread team up for a mouthwatering savory stuffing – you will never believe its diabetic-friendly—which is really the healthiest way to eat! For a time-efficient approach, prepare the cornbread and toast the pecans a day ahead.  And you can even purchase premade cornbread for a time-saver. Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals pack this dish with nutrition. Look for Louisiana yams–the sweetest of sweet potatoes.

Yam Corn Bread Stuffing from trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cooking

The combination of fresh sweet yams, cornbread, ginger, and toasty pecans will make this stuffing recipe a new fall favorite.

10 servings/serving size: 3/4 cup

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups peeled chopped Louisiana sweet potatoes (yams)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon ground ginger

5 cups crumbled cooked cornbread

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1/2 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1. Preheat oven 375°F.

2. In large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté sweet potatoes, onion, celery 7-10 minutes, or until just tender. Stirring frequently.

3. Spoon mixture into large mixing bowl. Stir in parsley and ginger. Add cornbread and pecans, toss gently to coat. Add broth to moisten.

4. Place stuffing in 3-quart casserole dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, 35-45 minutes, or until heated through. Serve.

Nutritional information per serving

Calories 242, Protein (g) 4, Carbohydrate (g) 36, Fat (g) 9, Calories from Fat (%) 79, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 3, Sugars (g) 12, Cholesterol (mg) 6, Sodium (mg) 334, Diabetic Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 fat

Terrific Tidbit: Premade cornbread from the bakery department of your supermarket works fine in this recipe. You can prepare this stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate it up to 3 days, then bake it when you’re ready to serve.