What's for Dinner?

Those "3 little words" that strike fear into the heart of every one of us every afternoon - and it's even worse when you are a bariatric patient and really WANT to pursue healthy eating for not only yourself, but also your family.  This is going to show you the kinds of healthy and SIMPLE dinners that you and your family can all enjoy.

I have some specialty tools in my kitchen that aid me on my particular culinary journey, but I'm going to assume - probably correctly - that you have only knives, pans and a small but adequate spice rack.

Just to be clear, carbohydrates (hereinafter referred to as carbs) are NOT evil - they simply need to be a very limited part of the post-bariatric eating plan.   The dinner ideas we present here are low carb, high in protein, simple to make and TASTY.

Jalapeno Shrimp Veggie Bake




It's the peak of summer when I write this and all around me, farm stands have the locally grown vegetables stacked and primped for their perennial "closeups". The local shrimpers are at the peak of their season and "freshness" is a feature that I cannot ignore. AND.... This miracle of flavor and freshness will be on the table in under an hour.

INGREDIENTS

16 medium shrimp (peeled, thawed)
2- 3 chopped garlic cloves
One large tomato (sliced 1/3 inch thick)
2 summer yellow squash (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
One jalapeño, sliced and deseeded. Or keep the seeds and veins for extra spice.
1/4 cup onion (sliced or chopped)
1/3 cup Parmesan crumbles
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes or seasoning
1 tablespoon softened or melted butter (see below for other options)
1/3 cup cream
Two eggs
Cilantro and additional chili flakes for toppings and garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

First make sure your shrimp is peeled and thawed completely.  You can rinse them in cold running water if needed to get them ready.

Preheat oven to 350 F
Slice all your veggies - I recommend a slicer or mandolin if you have one handy.  If not, a sharp knife is your best friend.

Layer them evenly into a greased or oiled 9 X 13 casserole dish

Place Shrimp on top or mixed within the veggie layers.

In small bowl, mix your eggs, garlic, almond flour, butter, cream, and seasoning.
Pour this evenly over your shrimp and veggie dish. 

Add your Parmesan on top (evenly).

Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Depending on your oven, it could be less. Just want to make sure that your shrimp is cooked and your veggies are nice and tender. so be sure to check at 30 minutes just in case.

The top should be lightly brown and crunchy from the parmesan and the eggs should be cooked through.
Remove from oven and top with cilantro
Feel free to season with additional salt-and-pepper and chili flakes as well.

Cook's Notes:

You can use non dairy butter or olive oil if desired but the taste and consistency might be different. Check at around 35 minutes to see if the veggies cook faster.

I chose 16 shrimp as a good starting point.  Of course, you can completely cover the pan if you have a house full of seafood loving carnivores

Zucchini works well in place of yellow squash 

Coconut cream works as a substitute for cream

Notes on consistency- the egg/butter/cream mixture acts as a base almost like a frittata. You will want to make sure that's cooked through as well. If you find the consistency too runny, use less cream or one less egg.

To use coconut flour in place of almond flour. It is in a ratio of 1/4 of the almond flour. So, in this recipe you will use 2 tablespoons coconut flour instead of 1/2 cup almond flour. Add a little extra liquid - coconut flour is DRY