#lighteats

Enjoy the delicious flavors of sesame chicken without the guilt with this skinny version! It's quick to make and perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients: 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces. 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce. 1 tablespoon honey. 1 tablespoon sesame oil. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. 1 teaspoon minced garlic. 1 teaspoon minced ginger. 1 tablespoon cornstarch. 2 tablespoons water. 1 tablespoon olive oil. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish. Green onions, chopped, for garnish.

Instructions: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. In another small bowl, mix cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour the sauce over the chicken. Stir until the chicken is evenly coated with the sauce. Add the cornstarch slurry to the skillet and stir until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped green onions on top. Serve hot over rice or steamed vegetables.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Enjoy the flavors of New Orleans with this lightened up version of a classic Caesar salad, featuring seasoned shrimp and a tangy Caesar dressing. Perfect for a quick and satisfying meal!

Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined. 1 tbsp olive oil. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 1 tsp Creole seasoning. 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. 1/2 cup Caesar dressing. Croutons, for garnish optional. Lemon wedges, for garnish optional.

Instructions: Warm up the olive oil in a big pan over medium-low heat. For about one minute, until the garlic smells good, add the minced garlic. Sprinkle Creole seasoning on top of the shrimp in the pan. About two to three minutes on each side, cook the shrimp until they are pink and fully cooked. Take the shrimp out of the pan and set it aside. Chop up romaine lettuce and put it in a large bowl. Add grated Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing. Toss the lettuce around so that the dressing covers it all. Put some of the salad on each plate or bowl to serve. On top of each dish, put cooked shrimp. If you want, you can add croutons and lemon wedges as a garnish. Serve right away and enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Fresh cucumber sushi rolls, or grken-sushi, are a fun change from regular sushi. Cucumbers are crisp, and they go well with seasoned sushi rice to make a light and tasty roll.

Ingredients: 4 sheets nori seaweed. 2 cups sushi rice, cooked. 4 small cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthwise. 4 teaspoons rice vinegar. 4 teaspoons sugar. 1 teaspoon salt. Soy sauce, for serving. Pickled ginger, for serving. Wasabi, for serving.

Instructions: In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Spread cooked sushi rice evenly on each nori sheet, leaving a small border at the top edge. Place cucumber slices along the bottom edge of each nori sheet. Roll the nori sheets tightly, using a bamboo mat if available. Moisten the top border of the nori sheet with water to seal the sushi roll. Slice each roll into 6-8 pieces. Serve Gurken-Sushi with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Week 15: Another healthy variation of pizza? Yes please. The crust of this “Light BBQ Chicken Pizza” was made out of golden cornmeal, instead of conventional flour. It was difficult to stop eating, because its sweet barbecue sauce component contrasted with the chicken, onion, and cheese. The way in which the crust remained cohesive instead of falling apart was also an impressive surprise. 

Issues: As you can probably tell, my variation visually differs from the model picture. This is because I went grocery shopping for the ingredients a week before I made it, so when I went to search for the cilantro in my fridge, it has already gone bad. I also had half of a leftover white onion which I wanted to use up, so I substituted it in for the red onion. Despite its lack of color, the flavor of my pizza was still on point.

Week 12: This week, I was lucky enough to return to my house in Texas after a spring break vacation. With a variety of kitchen utensils at hand, I could finally make “Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Garlic Shrimp.” I had two necessary tools at my disposable; a vegetable spiralizer and my mother. She couldn’t help herself from advising me on my cooking per usual. This dish was very light and fresh, which resulted in everyone at the table going back for thirds.

Issues: My mother was actually the one who informed me of the main problem with the recipe. The author calls for the shrimp to be very well-cooked until it gets a “little crispy”. I started to do this, but my mother instantly corrected me, lecturing that you should only cook shrimp for two minutes on each side or else it will get too rubbery. She claims she learned this years ago from her Italian chef friend, Gino.