Shrimp Salads

Not me, the things in the picture below! Prawns I suppose, what is the difference anyway?

There is a difference, did you know that? Let's start with what's the same (stolen from WiseGEEK.com) - Both are decapod crustaceans, meaning that they have exoskeletons and 10 legs. They can be found in salt and fresh water all over the world, typically swimming in search of food. Both shrimp and prawns tend to stay near the ocean floor. They also have similar flavors, and come in a wide range of sizes from minuscule to quite large.

Culinarily, many people distinguish between shrimp and prawns on the basis of size. “Prawns” are considered to be larger, while shrimp are smaller. In terms of biology, however, things get a bit more complex, since shrimp and prawns are in different suborders, indicating key biological differences between the two. Prawns are in the suborder Dendobranchiata, while shrimp are classified as Pleocyemata.

The primary difference is the gill structure. Shrimp have branching gills, while prawns have lameller gills with a platelike structure. There are a few other distinguishing features. The front pincers of shrimp are typically the largest, while prawns have bigger second pincers. Prawns also have longer legs than shrimp. These differences may seem subtle, but they indicate different steps along the evolutionary path of both creatures.

Numerous varieties of shrimp and prawns are harvested for consumption. Some common shrimp species include spot, pink, white, and brown shrimp, along with Northern shrimp. Prawns that you may find at the fishmonger include tiger, deep water, bay, and king prawns. 

Below, you can see my shrimp, they have been sprinkled with chili powder and red pepper flakes (I love spicy food) and then broiled just till firm. Yum!

I have been eating shrimp every single day now for four weeks. I LOVE shrimp! Tiny problem, I can only have 4 ounces (cooked), that's not a lot of shrimp.  But I have been making an awesome salad, I call it my Vietnamese Shrimp Salad. Check it out!

The salad above is at my desk, the dish is my travel salad container. I get 1 teaspoon of olive oil on it, since I eat a good fat at every single meal, I am using a fantastic Spanish olive oil that my brother-in law, Carlos Rafael Aguilar Gonzalez sent over here as a gift when my brother last visited. It's mixed greens (Super Greens) and spinach, a very small amount of cucumber and some endive. 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon Sriracha Sauce and organic rice vinegar.

My friend Mark commented on my consumption of shrimp, he was concerned about cholesterol. I told him that ingesting foods high in cholesterol does not raise your blood cholesterol levels very much, eating saturated animal fats does! A lot of people avoid shrimp because they think it will wreak havoc on their cholesterol, well I have news for you- it won't. Here is an article on a study of how it really didn't raise cholesterol levels much at all. 

Back to my salad though, I eat a shrimp salad at my 4:00 meal everyday. I can have chicken, fish, beef or eggs, but I like shrimp! Shrimp is a fantastic protein source, and is high in tryptophan and iron. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that you cannot produce, you must ingest it and it is needed by the body to create serotonin- the feel good chemical produced in the brain.

Three ounces of shrimp contain 120 calories, 2 grams fat and 22 grams of protein. You cannot beat this great protein.

Sometimes I will broil them with my chili powder, and other times with smoky Spanish paprika, and most recently I purchased a wonderful spice blend called Shichimi Togarashi or Japanese 7 spice. I have a link here to a recipe from Chow so you can make your own!

I buy a bag of frozen raw shrimp, big as I can get, peeled (but most have the darn tail still on) and defrost them overnight. I have found the raw ones have less sodium in them. I then line a big cookie sheet with foil, cover them with my spice of choice, broil for a few minutes then turn and broil again on the other side for a few minutes. I then let them cool and rip off those pesky little tails and weigh them out into containers for my meals. 

This salad can be varied by the protein source and the spices or dressings you use. Do not use commercially prepared dressings, MEASURE your oil, don't try to eyeball it, and think outside of the box! My favorite greens are Super Greens , and I will add a very small amount of cucumber, Belgian endive, sugar snap peas or snow peas. I try to keep it to lettuces to reduce the carbs. If you visit their website, you can get a coupon for $1.00 off too!

Salads can be wonderfully healthy, but its the croutons, cheese, dressings, nuts, dried fruit and other non-greens that make them a disaster on a plate. And, if you use iceberg or romaine, it doesn't give you any nutrition to speak of, that is just slightly crunchy water, so stay away from those lettuces; in addition, they won't keep you as full as more fibrous ones! 

Notice I have no starch here, and little vegetable, so its really low in carbs, but I have some fats to give my body and brain the energy it requires (although it may desire more, it doesn't need it) - it doesn't take much, so 1 teaspoon of olive oil is enough!

Make a salad and do try the Japanese 7 spice- you can order it from Whole Spice Company, it's wonderful!

My Food

My diet changes throughout the year, when I am gearing up for a competition, I am super strict, I have to be. In fact, my diet will start on Tuesday, February 28. This is the day after my annual vacation to Mexico ends; I refuse to diet on vacation.

This is 9 ½ weeks until my competition (oh, I recall a steamy movie by that name!) I know, you are supposed to start your diet 12 weeks ahead of time but my vacation always falls here, so that’s life right? Vacation is more important than any competition where, at best I can only go home with a couple plastic trophies, and I have plenty!

So just what am I eating these days anyway? Here is an example of my food on Thursday.

4:15 a.m. Lean One shake from Nutrition 53, this has 20 grams protein, 19 grams carbs and is 220 calories. I have a bunch of supplements too.

5:00 a.m.  to 6:00 a.m. Intra workout I will have 20 grams BCAA’s. Yes I know that the package says 5 is enough, but according to Charles Poliquin (and Roy), I need 20 grams, as it is by bodyweight. I have noticed a great improvement in body composition since starting this, higher weight and less body fat.

6:15 a.m. Post training is a mixture of amino acids, glutamine, beta alanine, L-leucine and more supplements. Then coffee.

7:30 a.m. homemade waffles made with 1 cup egg whites, 1/3 cup oats and flavorings. I have 1 tablespoon peanut butter on them too….with cinnamon; I eat all the stuff I love at once. More supplements.

10:00 a.m. an orange from my CSA delivery and water.

11:30 a.m. is lunch. I have 4 ounces chicken breast, 2.5 ounces soo-foo and a mixture of radicchio and kale that I roasted with balsamic vinaigrette and mushrooms. I do not weigh or measure my vegetables. More supplements.

3:00 p.m. is afternoon lunch and I have a salad of 4 ounces chicken breast, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, endive, broccoli slaw and a ¼ of an avocado. I have a bottled dressing here that is great and super low cal- Lean on Me Naturally .


I used to buy this at Cosentino's but they closed and now I cannot find it. If anyone in my area knows where to get this, please tell me! My favorites are the Caesar and the Citrus Sesame.

6:00 I am so ready for dinner, I am starving. I am having soup, today I made tilapia soup with my favorite Thai Peanut Soup mix. I added 5 ounces tilapia that I cut into chunks and seared,  then a huge handful of chopped and par boiled kale (Kale is one of the best vegetables you can eat), and mushrooms. I topped it with Sriacha Sauce and some Greek yogurt. Umm... more supplements.

The fish is chunked then quickly seared in a bit of olive or coconut oil.

The Thai soup mix I love from Montebello Kitchens, I get this at Whole Foods. I use 1.3 ounces of the powder mixed with 2 cups water, whisk then add any ingredients I like. 

Here is the finished soup, looks great doesn't it? 

Sardines and Soo Foo

Salad, Sardines, Soo Foo. 

Sardines are very good for you, but you must be careful about the ones you buy. Often they are packed in oil, and since sardines are high in calories themselves, it's best to avoid the oil. Also, most are packed in soybean oil! I avoid soybean oil (and soy in general) due to the Omega 6 fatty acids. The Western diet includes way too much Omega 6 fatty acids, don't make it worse by ingesting vegetable oils! If you must choose a sardine in oil, look for one in olive oil.


I found these sardines on sale and bought several cans. Smokey, great flavored sardines. You don't need much, 55-60 grams is a good serving, although I need a bit more protein, that's why I added the hard cooked egg.

What is in this can of sardines?  Sardine fillets and salt! And they are from the cold waters of Maine.


Read a little about the excellent health benefits of sardines. Omega 3 fatty acids is what they are known for, and we all need more of those!

Below is a picture of Soo Foo. This is a yummy mixture of 9 different grains, legumes and rice and that can be served hot, room temperature or cold in a salad. I buy this at Whole Foods grocery in the bulk section, but you can also buy it online.

So just what did this great salad contain? I made it before training hamstrings, it gave me the energy I needed without a great deal of heaviness.

Cucumber, carrots, snow peas, savoy cabbage (chopped), frisee, 2 ounces cooked Soo Foo (less than a serving), 56 grams sardines, 1 hard cooked egg, balsamic/mustard vinaigrette (no oil).

Meals after Over Indulging

Saturday I went off the diet, I was in control, I planned it. I have to be fair to David and this is our month of fun, July when he is off. Anyway, I don't need to starve myself for three months.

I do have to get back to the right foods though so on Sunday I ate wonderful, healthy, fabulous foods. I know several competitors who wouldn't dare eat this when they are prepping for a competition, but I can and I do.

I started the day with my usual meal replacement drink, then a protein-carb (1 to 4 ratio) drink after training.

Breakfast was 1 cup egg whites with low sugar ketchup and some hot sauce, then one serving of steel cut oats with splenda and cinnamon.

Lunch #1 as David refers to it (actually meal #3) was this salad. I shredded raw green cabbage, chunks of tomatoes, roasted beets, thick cucumber, raw bell pepper and 4 ounces cubed cooked chicken breast. I tossed it with homemade balsamic vinaigrette (no oil, recipe will be at the bottom).

Dinner was this salad, a modified salad nicoise (my favorite). David made it for me (with my strict direction as he loves his olive oil), he does a great job. We went to the farmers market in the morning and bought it all there.

Thick slices of heirloom tomatoes, chopped green bell pepper, sliced breakfast radishes, sliced cucumber. Then I cooked pasture raised eggs, till the yolk was almost set, and topped it with two of those.

Stacy introduced me to pasture raised eggs. I used to buy organic, these are so much better, even my son can tell the difference and he asks for these ahead of time now to make sure we cook the right ones.

Whole eggs are more calories, about 50 per egg, but I am not drastically reducing calories now, just keeping it all clean, and on an even keel, besides, if you noticed there was no starch in this meal or the other one, when I reduce starch I increase fats.

Whole eggs occasionally are very good for you, in fact, when I am not prepping I will eat them more often, these are creamy, rich and have a fantastic mouth feel. 

Then I had 4 ounces of grilled ahi tuna. Rare, really, really rare. Topped with chopped chives and again, my balsamic vinaigrette, salt and pepper and I was not only satisfied but feeling good.

Had I not been dieting I would have shared David's lunch. These are fresh Monterey sardines, wrapped in grape leaves pulled from our vines out front. He just took them off the BBQ.

Here is the actual meal, looks pretty tasty huh? He oven roasted these cherry tomatoes with olive oil, coarse sea salt, balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar and fresh thyme. Served with bread to sop up the oils, looks great but just a little to much for me right now, I have a goal in mind.

Then I made the boys a rustic crostada, it is a dough of white flour, white sugar, butter, salt, rolled out and then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and a mound of fresh apricots from our backyard is piled on, the entire thing is baked till flaky and golden.

And when it comes out of the oven it is sprinkled with confectioners sugar, and served hot with vanilla ice cream. I went to bed so I didn't have to suffer through the moans and groans of pleasure! ha ha

Vinagrette: Mix to your own taste approximately 1 Tbsp grainy mustard, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp splenda, salt and pepper. Keep it on hand always, take it with you when you go out to dinner so you aren't tempted to put any of their dressings on, they are full of oil and garbage! 

Buffalo Chicken Salad

I LOVE buffalo chicken wings! I rarely eat them though, I understand that there really isn't much worse than that for a lean, healthy body (unless you eat a meal at the Cheesecake Factory)

What exactly do I like so much about it? The chicken and the hot sauce and blue cheese. So the other day I read this recipe from Jenny Grothe of Recipes for Gals in Figure and Bodybuilding (but anyone can use her recipes). I follow her on facebook, she always has interesting sounding recipes, some are winners, some are not.

She recently posted the following recipe for Buffalo Chicken Salad. I will give you her recipe, then explain how  I altered it for my delicious lunch!

Easy Hot Buffalo Chicken Salad

by Recipes for Gals in Figure and Bodybuilding

 Makes 1 salad

 Ingredients:

• 3 tbs VOSKOS nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbs Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 10 sprays Ranch Salad Spritzer or 1/2 tsp ranch dip mix
• 3 oz cooked and sliced chicken breast
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup sliced baby carrots
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced romaine

Directions:

Combine spray, wing sauce, and Greek yogurt. Add in remaining ingredients and toss. Serve!

Nutrition:

• Calories 181
• Calories from Fat 20.6
• Total Fat 2.29g
• Cholesterol 55.95mg
• Sodium 635.1mg
• Total Carbohydrate 14.73g
• Dietary Fiber 3.76g
• Sugars 8.49g
• Protein 27.29g

So, what did I change? I had no carrots so I used more celery. I don't care for ranch, I like blue cheese, so I used 1 Tbsp of Marie's Lite Chunky Blue Cheese. It added some calories, but this meal is so low, I can afford it.

1 Tbsp of the dressing has the following:
35 calories
3.5 grams fat
145 mg sodium
.5 gram carbs
.5 gram protein

I also doubled the Franks Hot Sauce...I like it hot!

For a meal with additional carbs add 1/2 cup kidney beans, they will be great!

Opa!

Veterans Day.  I work for the State of California, and "the Gov" requires that I take this as a holiday. David is a principal of an elementary school, so we both get the day off. Cooper attends the same school district, so that's three of us lazing around all day. Not really though....
 

I am up at 4:00 a.m. as usual, I like my routine. This allows me to spend the time I need at the gym in one visit.

It's glute day, an entire day devoted to "My Butt". It has gotten rather round, I will be posting a picture soon, it looks really, really good.
 

I trained glutes then did 20 minutes on the treadmill. Home for a good breakfast and then off for some shopping, David had a Groupon at Gap he had to spend.

It was lunch time, so we grabbed Cooper and headed off to a Greek restaurant in town called Opa! Check out their link, it is seductive! If you never experienced a sensual feeling related to food and eating, this site will change that for sure! Turn on your speakers....you will want to visit Opa!, or take a trip to Greece.
 
Opa is a Greek Word that may be used as an ‘Exclamation’, or ‘Utterance’, or ‘Declaration’, or ‘Affirmation’ or a lovingly gentle way of telling you to ‘Stop’ ... depending on the situational context.

It is a word or pronouncement of celebration; the celebration of life itself. It is another way of expressing joy and gratitude to God, Life, and others, for bringing us into the state of ultimate wisdom; that all that really matters is health, family, and friends. It is a humorous affirmation that you’re the best; that you’re where you’re supposed to be; and that you need to stop and celebrate…

It is the Greeks’ way of stating they have come to a level of serene exuberance able to enjoy life as children. … In a state where having been fed, and having quenched our thirst, and having enjoyed the pleasure of uniting with others, we have filled with hope and confidence that life abounds with all that we need, … and that food will always be there, … and so, we break the plates, … because tomorrow there will be more.…

And we light a fire and dance around it as a symbol of the warmth that surrounds us. … and … We break the plates as a way of saying thank you to those that helped us reach a state of celebrating our life, … as a way of saying thank you to the music that brought peace to the world, … and we break them to honor the one that’s dancing, as we kneel in front of them and look up to them exclaiming : Oooopa !!! …

And we throw the napkins in the air as a reminder that we are as free as the birds; ‘sky is the limit’ … so ‘Let go, Be Greek, Fear nothing and join in the celebration’. It is a way of saying “don’t worry” … no matter what has happened you are still alive, … “don’t be harsh on yourself,” there’s another minute and another day ahead of you to right what’s wrong, … and we are here together to make sure of this.

So, as an example when someone accidentally drops and breaks something, no matter how valuable, we yell: Oooooopa !!! … kind of “It’s ok,” … everything can be mended if your mind is healthy and still open to music, dance, mezedes, and wine !!

Somebody dropped something, or broke something : Opa!

Someone is assisting someone to back up the car, ...and just about when the driver is about to hit something : Opa (ie : Stop !)

Somebody is dancing and another is breaking plates as they exclaim : Opa !!

A group is drinking and as a form of Cheers : Opa !

Opa! is a fun restaurant, they have pita sandwiches, plates, salads, great wonderful Greek food. I am always interested in eating healthy though.  I try to stick to my lean protein, lots of fresh vegetables and some good quality carbs.

We started with some skordalia. This is in no way healthy nor fit for a plan to lose bodyfat, but I am not a fanatic and I am not prepping for a competition, so I had some and boy was it good! Three small pieces of crisp pita with the skordalia and I was quite satisfied.

As an entree I chose the seafood souvlaki, which was marinated, skewered shrimp and scallops, grilled.... it was served with a choice of fries or rice pilaf. Now rice would be the better choice, but it is white rice so...I asked.

Could I substitute Greek salad for the rice?

Yes!

You can see it above and it was outstanding! A huge Greek salad with two fat, plump skewers of shrimp and scallops grilled and laid on top.

I will go back and I will order this same dish. The only change is that I will ask for half the oil. A true Greek salad has only olive oil on it, no vinegar as it gets the tartness from the tomatoes. This was a great salad, just a little too much oil for me. At least it is olive oil which is a healthy fat.
 

A glass of wine and fun times with the family. Next time we will order the cheese appetizer, the cheese is brought to the table on a metal patter, then they flambe it right in front of you, putting the flame out with a squeeze of lemon. I am not sure how it tastes, but It  looks fun!

 In fact, they have happy hour Monday through Friday 3:30 to 6:00 where all appetizers are half off and there are drink specials too.

I am back to work on Friday, but the boys are off another day. I bet they will sleep till 9:00 (David) and 10:00 (Cooper).

So when you think about your life, and everything you have to be thankful for hopefully the word Opa! comes to mind and brings a smile to your face.

Cheesecake Factory

"R" and I were heading out for a little shopping and we needed lunch first. I picked her up at the club and off we went to Valley Fair with our first stop the Cheesecake Factory in the mall.

I had never set foot in one before, but I had heard the name countless times. I think it must be the most popular place for Figure competitors immediately after a competition.

I had a copy of the nutritional facts in my hand and I was astounded by the calories in their foods. 

I needed protein and some greens, and a little carbs too, shouldn't be difficult but the Cheesecake Factory is an evil, evil empire.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great lunch and a fun time with "R" but only because she and I are wise to their tricks and we know how to select a healthy meal.

We were seated and a young, college age waiter come over and started to tell us about the specials. 

Waiter: "We have cream of chick" 

Kristy: "No" I said, "No cream, thanks", so he went on 

Waiter: "Breaded and fried...."

Kristy: "No, no fried. I know what I would like. What is in your Chicken Caesar salad?'

Waiter: Romaine, chicken, Parmesan, creamy garlic Caesar dressing..."

Kristy: "Chicken breast right?"

Waiter: "Yes, chicken breast"

Kristy: "I would like romaine lettuce, chicken breast, Parmesan cheese on the side, no croutons, no dressing"

Waiter: "Oh, right, I forgot the croutons.."

R: "I will have the same"

Waiter: "I'll bring the bread"

Kristy: "No bread, thanks"

Waiter: "Looks like I have some healthy eaters today!"

Most people think a salad is healthy, most salads are anything but healthy. In the link below you can see Cheesecake Factory's nutrition charts, the Chicken Caesar is 976 calories, that is almost half my daily caloric intake. They show the saturated fat, but not all the fat....

Cheesecake Factory Nutrition

The calories and fat are coming from the salad dressing and the croutons, a bit from the cheese but dry cheeses are low calorie and not a huge cause of concern. So that is why I told him to leave them off.

He delivered the salad dressing on the side in two gravy boats, it appeared to have been about 1/3 cup each!  On top of that, their food is served on serving platters, the portions should be illegal.

Unfortunately is it quite clear by looking around that many of the patrons frequent this place often.

I brought my own dressing (I was prepared). This is great dressing, low cal and wonderful flavor.

Here is the back, and in case you cannot read it, the nutrition is as follows:

1 Tbsp

15 calories

1 gram fat

115 grams sodium

1 gram carbs

1 gram sugar

1 gram protein

You can see my salad at the very top, and my container that I transported the dressing in. It made a great salad, and a healthy one as opposed to the impostor they attempted to serve me.

As we ate the waiter came back, rested his hand on my shoulder and asked how everything was, "R" and I both froze. "Fine, thanks, everything is great" I said.

'What was that?" R asked..."I have no idea, I have never been touched by  waitstaff at a restaurant before..." It made the entire event even more surreal.

He came back with the bill and said based on what we ordered, he knew that dessert was out of the question.

Not only was he cute, but darn smart too!

Salad Lyonnaise

One of my favorite salads, Salad Lyonnaise. It can be rather fattening if you order it at a restaurant, but if you make it yourself, it can be quite delicious and good for you at the same time.

Salad Lyonnaise is made with frisee, with a mustard vinaigrette, croutons, lardoons and a poached egg on top. Most people automatically assume a salad is healthy and a great diet choice. Not so, in fact, most restaurant salads are as calorie laden as a cheese burger and just as fattening.

To start with, the salad dressing is always a killer. It is laden with fat and they put way too much on, the greens are almost always swimming in oil.

Croutons are also covered in oil, they are fried!

Lardoons? Those are just long, thick slices of bacon.....

So how do you make this at home so it tastes good and you aren't ruining your diet?

Make your own dressing, but make a white wine mustard vinaigrette:

1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
1 Tbsp Flax oil
pepper
1 packet splenda

Then, don't fry croutons, but cut some whole grain or ezekiel bread into large squares, bake it in a 400 degree oven, turning occasionally until crisp, 10 minutes. Or toast it and cut it into cubes.

Cut turkey bacon into thick slices, then fry or microwave and drain well.

Toss the frisee with some of the vinaigrette, croutons and lardoons, then top with a poached egg. The egg should still have a warm, runny yolk so that when you cut into it, the warm yolk mixes with the salad greens. Sprinkle on some chopped chives and a couple grindings of pepper.

Delicious!

Steak Salad

I had this for lunch today, it is one of my favorite salads, but I find myself writing about so many other favorite foods, I guess I do enjoy a lot of them!

My husband dubbed this "clean out the fridge salad" today, and I think it was an appropriate term, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I was craving steak salad yesterday so I pulled some flank steak out of the freezer and had  David quickly grill it while he made dinner. Then I left it in the fridge overnight.

At lunch time I pulled all of my left over cooked vegetables out of the refrigerator and also the fresh ones I was craving.

It is fine to eat as many vegetables as you like, it's the protein and starchy carbs that need to be monitored. So the first thing I do is decide on the starch that I  will use as that needs to be weighed. My girlfriend dropped off some sugar snap peas (yes those are a starch!) and I wanted to use those. I also had a small amount of grilled plain corn that had been cut off the cob.

I would make two salads, one for today and one for tomorrow.

I weighed out 4 ounces of corn  and sugar snap peas (combined together 4 ounces per salad) and put that into each dish. Then I weighed out 4 ounces of cubed steak in each dish. I was then free to fill the dishes up with whatever I wanted!

In went two wedges of grilled radicchio, cut into large julienne, one cucumber cut into large chunks, one cut up tomato, a big handful of cilantro leaves, a couple canned  green Ortega chiles, cubed; a red bell pepper cut in chunks and I tossed it all together.


A generous grinding of black pepper, and fat free vinaigrette (recipe below). As a special treat, I add 2 tablespoons of low fat blue cheese dressing. 2 tablespoons has 70 calories, and adds an amazing amount of richness that compliments the beef and vinegar.

It was huge, I loved it and even with the small amount of blue cheese it was still wonderfully healthy (and I used all the left over vegetables in the fridge!)

Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
1 packet of splenda
a few grindings of pepper

Combine ingredients in a small jar, shake well. Adjust seasonings and use as much as you like!