cucumbers

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Last spring one of my friends was preparing for a surgery and was on a very restrictive diet. To liven things up, I offered to make supper with lots of fresh ingredients from the farm. It was a really fun challenge to prepare a 5-course meal that was under 1000 calories.

This is the first course in the Asian-themed, low-calorie, five-course meal: shrimp lettuce wraps as an appetizer.

 
 

ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp lime juice

  • 1 to 2 Tbsp gochujang (which is a Korean hot pepper paste), or your favorite hot sauce

  • 1 Tbsp oil (try sesame if you have it)

  • 2 tsp honey

  • 1 green garlic, grated (or 1 clove garlic)

  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

  • 1 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 1 head romaine lettuce (or other head lettuce), leaves separated

  • 1 cucumber, cut in small cubes

  • several radishes, sliced (or substitute salad turnips)

  • several leaves fresh mint (or basil, or cilantro), cut in small ribbons

directions

Combine lime juice, gochujang, oil, honey, garlic, ginger, and shrimp in a bowl, stir, and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange shrimp on a sheet pan and roast until just opaque throughout, about 10-15 minutes.

Allow shrimp to cool slightly, then lay out lettuce leaves and fill with shrimp, cucumbers, radishes, and mint.

Simple Snacks

Simple snacks with local veggies

If you’re trying to incorporate more healthy food into your routine, here are some easy ways to eat healthier snacks.

The quickest and easiest is to simply eat raw veggies with your favorite dip, like Ranch, honey-mustard, or homemade beet hummus like in the photo below. (For more delicious dip ideas, check out this collection.)

IMG_2846.jpg

To make healthy snacking easier, have your veggies washed and sliced, and in an easy-to-grab container so you’ll be more likely to choose them over the bag of potato chips.

Veggies in the photo above include:

  • carrots

  • cucumbers

  • multi-colored green beans

  • kohlrabi

  • multi-colored bell peppers

Other great veggies for raw snacking include:

  • cauliflower

  • broccoli

  • radishes

  • salad turnips

  • cabbage

  • snap peas

  • cherry tomatoes

And fruits and berries are great for snacking! You can find local:

  • strawberries

  • raspberries

  • blackberries

  • cantaloupe

  • watermelon

  • apples

  • peaches

  • pears

You can freeze or dehydrate fruits and berries to make them last longer.

To step up your snacking game a bit (or for fancy appetizers), try incorporating vegetables into dips, spreads, or the beautiful tomato-basil bruschetta pictured below, crafted by one of our CSA members.

photo by Jen Amor

photo by Jen Amor