I've always been smaller than most everyone else.
So when I was a kid, my classmates always teased me: You're such a little shrimp! You're a freckle-faced shrimp!
Besides always being small, I've also always been roughly 40 years old. Somehow, even at age 7 or 8, I had a sixth sense that they were, basically, worthless douchebags. So I ignored them.
But had I known then what I know now about shrimp, I would have had a much savvier response. Something like: Yes, that's right! I AM a shrimp. I'm low in fat. I'm packed with muscle-building protein and have lots of vitamins inside this little frame. I'm small but mighty, and I'm low-maintenance when it comes to getting ready for dinner. Yes, I am a Badass Shrimp.
We often turn to chicken as a fast-cooking, affordable, lean source of protein when we're pressed for time. But shrimp is just as easy, versatile and healthy as chicken - if not moreso.
Consider the impressive scorecard of shrimp:
- Excellent source of protein for very few calories and miniscule fat: Four ounces of shrimp has 24 grams of protein, just 112 calories and less than a gram of fat
- Packed with selenium: Every 8 ounces of steamed shrimp can provide nearly half of our daily recommended of selenium. (Lack of selenium has been linked to many types of cancer, including prostate)
- Packed with vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, zinc, copper and magnesium.
- Good source of vitamin B12: The vitamin is vital for proper brain function and blood cell formation.
- Good source of omega-3 fatty acids: They reduce cholesterol in the blood, can ease premenstrual syndrome symptoms, and help prevent blood clots.
- High in phosphorus: This works with calcium to build strong bones and teeth.
The best part about shrimp is its versatility. The preparation possibilities are endless, from serving them chilled with cocktail sauce to baking them or grilling them. (You can fry them, too, though this as you well know would be the lesser of the Badass options when it comes to healthy eating!)
I love my Grandma Colavecchio's Seafood Creole recipe as a go-to favorite. I just take the family recipe that includes scallops, and add extra shrimp in the scallops' place. The tomato-based creole sauce is filled with lycopene goodness, plus green peppers and onions and hints of rosemary.
Served over brown rice, it is easy to make - especially because the creole sauce can be prepared a day or two in advance. When it's time to feast, just reheat the sauce and add the shrimp in for the final 10 minutes or so to cook. Badass Dinner is served!
This week my co-worker and fellow cooking afficionado Gina posted on her Hot Plate blog a delicious and healthy recipe for spicy shrimp served over soft polenta. I can't wait to try that one.
And Rachel Ray has this great recipe (see below) for garlic shrimp that you can whip together in four minutes. Yes, four minutes! Faster than you can do 100 lunges, a good-for-your-Badass dinner is served! So leave the chicken breast in the freezer for a day or two, and give shrimp a whirl!
4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed away from skin
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 24 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails
- 2 teaspoons grill or steak seasoning blend such as Montreal Seasoning by McCormick
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons (a handful) of chopped parsley leaves, a handful
Directions: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp. Season with grill seasoning or salt and pepper and cook shrimp 3 minutes or until just pink. Toss with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley. Remove shrimp to a serving platter, leaving the garlic cloves in the pan. Serve over brown rice or with a big salad and crusty whole grain bread. And a nice little glass of wine!
Coming Friday: Health and fitness myths, busted!
