Getting sick and tired
of meal prepping this same old chicken breast?
Today, I'm going to show you how to meal prep
four healthy shrimp recipes
that are perfect for getting a little more variety
back in your diet.
Hey guys, welcome back to my channel.
It's Taylor from The Girl on Bloor.
I'm all about sharing easy meal prep strategies
that you can save time, money and stress.
Shrimp is my go-to when I want a quick meal
that's as healthy as it is tasty.
It's packed with protein,
low on calories and super filling.
You may not think of it as the best meal prep option
but it reheats really well
and is a delicious way to switch things up.
Today I'll be showing you how to make shrimp salad,
which is the perfect cold lunch idea,
as well as these easy skillet shrimp fajitas
along with the lighter shrimp pasta primavera
and spicy shrimp stacks with mango salsa.
They all come together super quickly
and are perfect for meal prep lunches and dinners.
If you're loving all of these recipes
and are looking for even more meal prep inspiration,
I've got tons of healthy, easy dinner recipes
to choose from
in my free four week meal plan,
which I've linked to in the description below.
All right, let's get into it.
To kick things off,
we're going to make this easy shrimp salad recipe.
It's a great cold lunch or dinner option
and is perfect for those hot summer days
when you don't feel like firing up the oven.
It requires absolutely zero cooking time.
And I'll be showing you how to serve it as a sandwich
or in lettuce wraps.
To start, prep your ingredients.
There's not a lot of prep involved for this recipe.
Just finely chop up two teaspoons of fresh dill,
add two teaspoons of fresh chives,
and dice two celery stalks
and thinly slice three green onions.
Super simple.
Once the chopping is outta the way,
mix together a third of a cup of light Mayo,
a quarter of a cup of sour cream,
one tablespoon of lemon juice,
the fresh dill and chives,
three quarters of a teaspoon of salt
and a quarter of a teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl.
Stir that all together
then add in one pound of cooked shrimp.
I usually buy mine pre-cooked at the grocery store.
So all you have to do is defrost
and then remove the tails before making the salad.
Once you've added your shrimp,
go ahead and add in the diced celery
and your sliced green onions
and toss until it's all well coated and super creamy.
Let the salad sit for 15 minutes
to soak in all those good flavors, and voila,
a no cook lunch or dinner idea
that's as healthy as it is delicious
but just 191 calories per serving.
I personally love serving the shrimp salad
on a nice brioche bun with kettle chips and a cold beer,
but you could also turn it into low carb lettuce wraps,
eat it on some crackers
or mix it in with cooked chilled pasta
to make a shrimp pasta salad.
You can keep any leftovers in the fridge
for up to three or four days in air tight glass containers,
then serve it with fresh lettuce wraps or your brioche buns.
Okay, on to recipe number two.
We all love chicken and steak fajitas,
but you're looking for something a bit healthier
and what to switch up the protein,
these easy skillet shrimp fajitas we're making next
will do the trick.
They take only 10 minutes to cook
and the recipe uses only one skillet,
so you'll spend less time cooking and cleaning.
It's a win/win.
Prep your ingredients to start.
Mince two clothes of garlic,
then slice up one small red onion.
Now for the peppers.
I like to use three different colors for plating purposes.
So slice up one green pepper,
one red pepper and one yellow pepper.
You can use whichever bell peppers you have on hand though.
Finally, you'll need to chop up
a quarter of a cup of fresh cilantro
and then slice some lime wedges for garnish.
The cilantro is optional,
so leave it out if you don't like it.
These are all the classic fajita fixings
but feel free to swap them out
for whatever you're in the mood for.
You'll also need to make your fajita seasoning.
You can use a store bought blend to save time,
but it is super easy to make and uses pantry staples
you likely already have on hand.
Just mix together one tablespoon of chili powder,
one tablespoon of paprika,
one tablespoon of onion powder,
one tablespoon of garlic powder,
one teaspoon of cumin,
one teaspoon of salt,
one teaspoon of pepper
and one pinch of chili flakes.
Dump that mixture with Ziploc bag
or an airtight glass container
and store your pantry to use whenever you're making fajitas.
Okay, now you're going to use that homemade seasoning
to make the marinade,
which is what makes these shrimp fajitas so flavorful.
Mix together one tablespoon of the fajita seasoning,
one tablespoon of lime juice,
one tablespoon of soy sauce,
one teaspoon of vinegar,
a bit of salt and pepper
and the minced garlic in a small bowl.
Pour the marinate over one pound of defrosted shrimp
in a large resealable bag or a bowl
and let the shrimp marinate for at least 10 minutes.
The longer it marinates the better the flavor.
Next we're going to move things over to the skillet.
Did I mention that this is the only dish
you'll have to clean afterwards?
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil
in a large skillet over high heat.
When the oil is smoking,
add in the peppers and onions
and saute for two to three minutes
until they're nice and charred.
Your kitchen is going to smell amazing.
Then add in the shrimp marinade
and reduce the heat to medium high,
sauteing for another two minutes
until the shrimp is no longer translucent.
Shrimp cooks way faster
than traditional beef or chicken fajitas,
which is a huge plus if your stomach is growling
and you need something fast.
While the shrimp is sizzling away,
heat up 12 corn tortillas in the microwave or in the oven.
You can use flour tortillas
or even lettuce wraps for a low carb option.
But I love the authentic flavor you get with corn tortillas.
Once the shrimp is done cooking,
remove it from the heat and assemble your fajitas.
Feel, feel free to get creative with the toppings.
I'm using fresh cilantro and lime wedges for mine,
but the topping options are totally up to you.
See how easy that was.
This entire recipe takes 30 minutes from start to finish
with just 10 minutes of cooking time and way less cleanup.
It's a great option for busy weeknights
when you need something fast and delicious,
plus it's healthier than your traditional chicken
or steak tacos.
You can store the leftovers in the fridge
for up to five days in an airtight glass containers.
So they're also perfect for meal prep.
When you're ready to eat,
reheat the shrimp in the microwave for about a minute,
then assemble your fajitas
with fresh tortillas and all the fixings.
Okay, on the recipe number three.
If you're craving pasta
but want to cut down on the calories,
this lighter shrimp pasta primavera we're making next
is going to become your new best friend.
It's a healthier spin with fresh veggies
and shrimp in a creamy lemony sauce.
First things first,
heat a large pot of water on the stove over high heat.
When the water comes to a boil,
add in one pound of spaghetti
and cook for about eight minutes
until the pasta is al dente.
While the noodles are cooking,
you can prep the rest of your ingredients.
Mince four cloves of garlic.
Finally chop up half of a red onion,
defrost and deshell one pound of frozen shrimp,
chop up one head of broccoli,
zest one lemon
and grate two thirds of a cup of Parmesan cheese.
This recipe is a great way to empty
out your vegetable crisper,
so feel free to swap out the broccoli
for whatever veggies you have on hand.
You basically can't go wrong when it comes to the veggies
since the entire concept of pasta primavera
is to use whatever's in season.
Now that your prep is done,
it's time to drain your pasta.
Before you drain it,
reserve a quarter of a cup of pasta water
to use for the sauce,
then drain and let the cook pasta sit in the strainer.
Next, you're going to heat two tablespoons
of butter in the same pot you used for the pasta
over medium high heat
and saute tell you the garlic and onions for 30 seconds.
Then you'll add in the shrimp, broccoli, lemon zest,
one teaspoon of salt, have a teaspoon of pepper
and half a teaspoon of chili flakes,
and cook for about two to three minutes
until the shrimp starts to turn pink.
If you don't like spice, you can leave the chili flakes out.
But I like that they add a bit of a kick to this dish.
Next you're going to add in the ingredients
for that creamy sauce I've been hyping up.
Mix in one tablespoon of flour
then add in one tablespoon of lemon juice,
half a cup of 2% milk,
and the Parmesan cheese.
Mix it all together,
then add in half a cup of sun dried tomatoes,
and half a cup of peas
and cook for another three to four minutes
until the sauce starts to thicken.
Mix in the cooked spaghetti
and your reserved pasta water,
then cook on high for two to three minutes.
Toss everything together
then serve with a bit of fresh Parmesan on top.
And there you have it,
a delicious dinner idea
that can double as your lunch for the next day.
If you happen to have any leftovers,
you can store individual servings in the fridge
for up to three or four days in airtight glass containers.
When you're ready to dig in,
sprinkle some water over top,
then microwave the pasta for two minutes.
Just make sure to finish it off
with some more fresh Parmesan because let's be real,
you can't go wrong with more cheese.
This pasta also freezes like a dream for up to three months
and can be reheated in the microwave
after defrosting in the fridge overnight.
Okay, you've seen three healthy, easy shrimp recipes
and now it's time for my favorite.
To finish things off,
we're going to make spicy shrimp stacks with mango salsa.
This recipe is a fun twist on the spicy California roll
and there's another great cold lunch or dinner idea.
Before prepping your ingredients,
you'll need to cook the sushi rice.
This can be done up to two days in advance
and leftover rice is better here,
so I recommend doing it this way.
Add half a cup of dry sticky rice to a rice cooker
followed by three quarters of a cup of water
and half a teaspoon of salt.
Cook until the liquid is absorbed.
And you're going to stir in
two tablespoons of rice wine vinegar,
and one tablespoon of sugar
to get that signature sushi flavor.
While the rice is cooking,
you can then prep the rest of your ingredients.
Dice one mango, a quarter of a cup of red pepper,
a quarter cup of red onion,
and then finely chop two tablespoons of cilantro,
mince one clove of garlic.
Finally, you'll need to defrost one pound of cooked shrimp,
remove the tails and then chop in into small pieces.
Once the prep is out of the way,
you're going to make the guac,
mango salsa and bang bang sauce.
All three of these sauces are super easy to make
and add tons of flavor to this dish.
They can also be made up to two days in advance
just like you did with the sushi rice.
So you can cut the prep time in half here
to make your life easier.
For the guacamole, mash one avocado and a medium size bowl.
Then mix in one tablespoon of lime juice,
your clove of minced garlic,
and a quarter of a teaspoon and salt.
The mango salsa is super easy to make as well.
All you have to do is mix together the diced mango,
red pepper, red onion, chopped cilantro,
one tablespoon of lime juice
and half a teaspoon of salt.
Last but not least is the bang bang sauce.
Stir together half a cup of light Mayo,
one tablespoon of sweet chili sauce
and two teaspoons of sriracha and you're good to go.
In addition to the sushi rice,
guacamole, mango salsa, bang bang sauce, and shrimp,
you're also going to need one tablespoon of wonton
or tortilla strips,
some Sesame seeds for garnish
and one sheet of Nori seaweed.
You can find the Nori seaweed sheets buy the sushi section
of your local grocery store, if it has one,
or the international sauces aisle.
Now comes the fun part,
assembling your shrimp stacks.
I perfected this method over the years
and I find that it's easiest to make them
in a one cup measuring cup.
You'll be making four of them,
so keep that in mind as you're eyeing out your portions.
Spoon a thin layer of mango salsa into the measuring cup
followed by the guacamole and then the shrimp.
Then you'll rip up some of the Nori seaweed,
add that in and then finish off with the sticky rice.
Once you've packed everything in there nice and tight,
run a knife along the edges of the cup
to loosen the mixture
and tap really hard on the top of the measuring cup
to dump the shrimp stacks onto a plate.
Top with the wonton or tortilla strips,
drizzle some of the bang bang sauce over top,
sprinkle and Sesame seeds and you're good to go.
It's an Instagram worthy dish
that's as healthy as it is delicious.
You can store any leftover shrimp stacks
in the fridge or up to three days, then serve them cold.
Unfortunately, you can't freeze this recipe,
but you can freeze the sushi rice
in an airtight glass container for up to three months.
When you're ready to eat,
thaw the sushi rice in the fridge overnight
before assembling your shrimp stacks fresh the next day.
Okay, now that I've shown you four
of my favorite healthy shrimp recipes,
I need to know which one gonna meal prep first.
They're all super easy to make
and are packed of nutrients and lean protein.
Cooked shrimp will last in the fridge for a few days,
but because it's so easy to cook,
you can make these recipes fresh in a flash on a weeknight
for a last minute dinner.
That's a win in my books.
If you wanna see even more meal prep recipes,
make sure to give this video a thumbs up,
subscribe to my channel
and follow me on Instagram at the Girl on Bloor.
If you love these easy, healthy dinner recipes,
there's even more where those came from
in my free four week meal plan
which I've linked to in the description below.
All right guys, that's all for today.
Thanks for hanging out with me in my kitchen
and I will see you in the next video.