I hate winter, but I do love the holiday season. It’s a wonderful excuse to get together with your favorite people to eat and drink delicious things until you’re fit to burst. I did exactly that at my first Thanksgiving of the year (Yes, there was a first Thanksgiving. There was also a second Thanksgiving, and a third, too.), and I definitely gained five pounds after that one day.
I regret nothing, but I have unsuccessfully attempted to detox ever since. I limited myself to only whole-grain carbs; that lasted one day. I tried to sub a meal a day for green juice; that lasted two days. I even tried going vegan; that lasted one meal. So I hoped The Skinnytaste Cookbook by blogger Gina Homolka – with its light on calories, big on flavor claims – would help me stay on the straight and narrow.
Each recipe in the book includes the serving size, calorie count and nutritional information, which is helpful for the health-conscious. I also liked that the recipes don’t necessarily sound like diet food. Chicken enchiladas or Mongolian beef and broccoli don’t sound like diet dinners – they sound like something I want to eat. I had nearly everything I needed at home to make Homolka’s Kiss My (Shrimp and) Grits, and I was curious to see if her healthier version could stand up to a buttery favorite. Her recipe calls for ingredients with big flavors like Old Bay, bay leaf and a little bit of ham, all of which go in the sauce with the shrimp. The grits had a little added creaminess and saltiness from the single ounce of Harvati cheese.
Unsurprisingly, the limited use of fat and salt was restrictive. Only 1 teaspoon of oil to sear a whole pound of shrimp? It’s hard to get good color on them with so little fat. Also, the recipe uses ½ tablespoon of butter in for the entire four servings of grits… Let’s be honest, I use that much on a piece of toast. In the end, the dish lacked the richness one expects with shrimp and grits, but at only 311 calories per serving, it did help assuage my triple-Thanksgiving guilt.
Kiss My (Shrimp and) Grits 4 servings
Grits
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1¼ cups fat-free milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant)
½ Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 oz. Havarti cheese, shredded (1/3 cup)
1 Tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Shrimp
24 (about 1 lb.) peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1½ tsp. olive oil
2 oz. lean smoked ham steak, finely chopped
¼ cup minced shallots
½ cup caned fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained (I recommend Muir Glen)
2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon wedge
3 Tbsp. sliced scallions, for garnish
• For the grits: In a medium pot, combine ¼ cup water, the chicken broth, milk and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Slowly stir in the grits. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover with a fitted lid, and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent the grits from sticking to the bottom, adding more water if necessary, until smooth like cream of wheat, 28 to 30 minutes. Stir in the butter and cheeses, remove the pan from the heat, and keep warm.
• For the shrimp: Sprinkle the shrimp with Old Bay. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and the shrimp and cook until browned, about 1 minute. Flip the shrimp and cook 1 more minute or until opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining ½ teaspoon oil and the ham. Cook until slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the drained tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, and black pepper to taste. Increase the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens and reduces slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the shrimp and parsley, and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir well and discard the bay leaf.
• Divide the grits among 4 serving plates and spoon the shrimp and sauce over the top of each. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.
Reprinted with permission from Clarkson Potter Publishers What healthy twists do you put on your favorite dishes to lighten them up at home? Tell us in the comments below for a chance to win a copy of The Skinnytaste Cookbook.
This article appears in December 2014.
