Mardi Gras will be here soon! Traditionally, we associate richer foods with Mardi Gras celebrations, but some of these foods have quite a nutritional profile! The seafood included in many Mardi Gras themed recipes can be lower in calories with a great amount of protein:
A 3 ounce portion of crawfish tail provides 14 grams of protein and just 70 calories.
A 3 ounce portion of shrimp provides 15 grams of protein and just 68 calories.
A 3 ounce portion of farmed catfish provides 13 grams of protein and just 101 calories.
Compare crawfish, shrimp, and catfish with beef sirloin steak:
A 3 ounce portion of beef top sirloin steak provides 17 grams of protein and 171 calories.
That’s a calorie savings of 70-100 calories for a protein food!
You don’t have to cut lean beef out of your diet, but it is a good thing to include lower calorie seafood proteins in your meal routine every now and then. Maybe start with these 3 Mardi Gras themed recipes:
Cajun-Stuffed Potatoes
From myrecipes.com & Cooking Light (https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cajun-stuffed-potatoes)
Substitute chopped cooked shrimp if crawfish are unavailable.
Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: 2 potato halves)
Ingredients
- 6 medium Yukon gold or small baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 pounds frozen cooked crawfish meat, thawed
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 450°.
- Pierce potatoes with a fork; brush with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Bake at 450° for 50 minutes or until tender. Remove potatoes from oven; cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, and scoop pulp out of skins, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Place pulp in a large bowl; coarsely mash pulp.
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 5 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to pan; sauté for 4 minutes. Add garlic and next 4 ingredients (through red pepper); sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheese, butter, and herbs, stirring until smooth.
- Stir cheese mixture and crawfish into potato pulp. Place 1/2 cup crawfish mixture in each potato shell. Arrange stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes or until browned.
Open-Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches
From myrecipes.com & Cooking Light (https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-catfish-sandwiches)
This Cajun-inspired catfish sandwich is served open faced and topped with a creamy slaw packed with fresh cilantro.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 open-faced sandwich)
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups packaged cabbage-carrot coleslaw
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 (1-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted
Preparation
- Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of fish with paprika mixture. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add fish; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
- Combine yogurt, juice, and honey in a medium bowl. Add cabbage and cilantro; toss well to coat. Top each bread slice with about 1/2 cup slaw and 1 fillet. Top each fillet with remaining slaw.
Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger Show: Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger Episode: One Pot Cooking Lightened-Up Cajun Jambalaya (https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/jambalaya-with-shrimp-and-ham-recipe)
Yield: 4 servings (serving size is 2 cups)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 ounces diced, smoked ham
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- One 14 1/2-ounce can no-salt added diced tomatoes
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
- Hot pepper sauce
Directions
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in the next 11 ingredients, salt through the diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice is done and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp and cook, covered, for 5 minutes more, or until shrimp is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with hot pepper sauce.
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