Bariatric Foodie Play with your food
reimagining what amounts to the U.S. version of “peasant food.” (Meaning that it’s what most of us eat and not what most gourmets have traditionally cooked, NOT that we are all peasants!)
(Makes enough for three non-ops, one post-op with a post-op lunch portion left over!)
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1 small onion, diced
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1 green pepper, diced
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1 non-green (yellow, red, orange – your choice!) pepper, diced
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1 clove garlic, minced
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½ lb. shrimp, tails removed (I used frozen cooked ones but rinsed them to get them thawed enough to remove the tails)
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1 tomato (variety of your choice), diced
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Salt and pepper
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3 tbsp. tomato paste (or less if you want a more liquidy sauce)
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1 tsp. Cajun seasoning blend
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3 cups of spinach (or more, because I felt like it wasn’t enough)
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A package of grits (quick or traditional, your choice – I’ll tell you what to do with it in the instructions)
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Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Spray a large skillet generously with non-stick cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Allow it to get HOT. Add onion and peppers and cook for 1-2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add garlic and stir. Add shrimp and tomato and stir again. If shrimp are frozen, semi-frozen or cold, sprinkle some salt over the entire thing (not a bunch, it’s mostly to draw the water out of the veggies) and cover the pan and allow the shrimp to cook about 5 minutes or so. If shrimp are already fully cooked/room temperature, proceed to the next step.
Add tomato paste and seasoning and stir through. Add the spinach to the top of the mixture, cover and drop the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer about 10 minutes or so. Uncover and mix the cooked spinach into the rest of the sauce.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the appropriate portion of grits, according to the amounts on the package directions EXCEPT instead of water, use milk (the fat percentage is up to you. I don’t give the family grits often so I just use whole milk when I do) and add a bit of salt and pepper to the milk as it is simmering. Once the grits have thickened, add 1 heaping tablespoon of Parmesan
cheese for each intended serving of grits (so if you’re making 4 servings, use 4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese).
Now if you’re not into the idea of eating regular grits, this would be delicious atop my Four Cheese Mashed Cauliflower or…you can make “grits.” See the recipe box below for how to make them!
- 2/3 c. water
- 3 c. cauliflower florets
- 1/3 c. low-fat cream soup any kind you like
- 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese freshly ground
- 2 tbsp. milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- In a pot, bring water to a boil and add cauliflower florets. Cook until very, very soft (about 10-12 minutes).
- Drain and then mash (in whatever manner you see fit – I use a good old potato masher). You should mash it so that the cauliflower no longer looks like florets. If you still see florets, keep mashing! TIP: Drain the cauliflower into a colander and then mash in the colander in the sink. It helps to remove more of the water.
- Mix in cream soup, cheese and milk. For thinner “grits” use more soup and milk. For thicker “grits” use less cream soup/milk. Mix thoroughly.
