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Core Phase Recipes

BeefChickenFishShellfishEggsSaladsSide DishesSoups

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 198, Fat = 1g, Carbs = 18g, Protein = 32g

Ingredients
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 egg whites, well beaten
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup snow peas, halved
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
2 baby bok choy, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 green onions, diagonally sliced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup broccoli flowerets, lightly steamed
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 packets stevia

Directions
Beat the 5-spice and soy sauce in with the egg whites, then add the shrimp, stirring to coat each one thoroughly. Refrigerate the shrimp while you prepare the vegetables.

Heat a wok or large skillet. Combine the 1/4 cup soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and stevia. Bring the mixture to a simmer in the skillet, then add the minced garlic and ginger. Cook until softened, then add the minced jalapeno. Stir in the chicken broth, then add the celery, broccoli and bok choy. When they have softened, add the bamboo shoots, green onions, snow peas and red bell pepper. Stir fry the vegetables, then push them to the side and add the shrimp with their soaking sauce.

The shrimp should take just a couple minutes to cook through. Stir fry them with the vegetables in the skillet and simmer until the liquids are slightly reduced — they may thicken a bit due to the egg white.

Check for seasonings, and add sea salt and ground black pepper if desired. Stir the cilantro in last, and serve hot or room temperature.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 147, Fat = 2g, Carbs = 7g, Protein = 25g

Ingredients
1 lb King crab legs, in the shell
Barbecue Rub:
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup smoked paprika
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons cinnamon
2 packets stevia
1 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
Red Pepper Aioli:
2 large red bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese, drained through a fine mesh strainer
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions
Make the aioli first so it has time for the flavors to meld. Char or roast the bell peppers, then peel off the skins and seed them. Coarsely chop them and add to a blender or food processor with the red chili flakes, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. With the motor running, add the cottage cheese, a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth — you may need more or less cottage cheese to make a smooth paste. Taste for seasonings, then refrigerate in a closed container until ready to use.

Whisk together the ingredients for the barbecue rub — what you don't use can be stored in an airtight container. With scissors or the tip of a sharp knife, slit the crab leg shells along the length on one side only. Rub the shells thoroughly with the rub and refrigerate the crab while the grill is heating.

Light a charcoal barbecue or light a gas grill for medium low heat. (The crab meat is already cooked, the grilling will impart the flavor of the rub and the smoke from the grill onto the crab.) When the grill is ready, grill the legs, away from any direct flame, until they are heated through. Turn them frequently to heat them evenly.

Serve the crab in their shells with the aioli sauce. Steamed or grilled vegetables, such as zucchini or asparagus, can also be dipped in the sauce.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 197, Fat = 2g, Carbs = 25g, Protein = 21g

Ingredients
1 lb crayfish in the shell, head on
1 quart cold water
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 cup okra, seeded and cut in large slices
2 cups tomato, cut in large dice
1 medium zucchini, cut in large dice
1 large yellow onion, cut in large dice
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut in large dice
1 cup eggplant, cut in large dice
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 1/2 tsp dried
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Chopped parsley and lemon juice for garnish, if desired

Directions
Make the ratatouille first so that the flavors have time to blend. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and set it in a colander for 30 minutes. In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the onions, garlic and okra. Lower the heat and cover the pot. Let the vegetables simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Add the zucchini, bell pepper and eggplant, then cover with the lid and simmer until soft. Add the diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, bay leaf, cayenne pepper and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the red wine vinegar and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. Remove from the heat and let it sit.

Bring the quart of water to boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the Old Bay, bay leaf, celery salt, dried thyme and mustard seeds. Let the broth boil for 5 minutes, then turn the flame off. Stir in the crayfish and cover the pot. The heat from the water will cook them just enough — let them sit for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the crayfish and take of the shells and heads.

Stir the crayfish into the ratatouille and serve in large bowls, garnished with chopped parsley and a sprinkling of lemon juice.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 261, Fat = 0g, Carbs = 21g, Protein = 45g

Ingredients
10 each jumbo shrimp in the shell
1 quart cold water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 1/2 cups green beans, cut in half and boiled
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 packets stevia
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup fresh dill leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/4 cup yellow onion, grated
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Make the pickled green beans first to give them time to absorb the flavors. Whisk together the vinegar, stevia and hot sauce. Add the smashed garlic and pour over the cooked string beans. Toss to thoroughly coat the beans, then refrigerate them in a small container with an airtight lid for at least 2 hours.

Combine the water with the lemon juice, bay leaf, black peppercorns, Old Bay and celery salt in a medium sauce pan and bring the pot to a boil for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer, and poach the shrimp until they turn opaque, about 5 minutes. Strain the shrimp and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. When they have cooled completely, shell them and store them in the refrigerator with some of the cooking broth.

Make the dill dip while the shrimp are refrigerating. Pour the cottage cheese into a blender or food processor and pulse until it is smooth. Add the fresh dill, salt, dried onion and grated onion. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and the ingredients are well ground. Season with the ground black pepper and more salt, if desired.

To serve, spoon the dip into small ramekins. Drain the green beans from the liquid and divide them onto 2 plates. Put the ramekin of dip in the center of each plate, dip the head of 5 shrimp over the lip of the ramekin, and spread the pickled green beans around the other side of the ramekin and serve.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 273, Fat = 4g, Carbs = 22g, Protein = 31g

Ingredients
12 oz fresh Dungeness or jumbo lump crab meat
1 cup sauerkraut, well drained
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese, strained through a fine mesh strainer
1/2 cup whole water chestnuts, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Chopped chives or parsley for garnish
Extra lemon juice if desired

Directions
Whisk the strained cottage cheese and cardamom, curry powder, cumin and lemon juice until thoroughly blended. Blend the mixture until smooth in a blender or food processor. Fold the mixture into the crab meat and refrigerate, covered, for at least 20 minutes

Combine the drained sauerkraut with the diced celery, water chestnuts and bell pepper. Stir in the mustard and ground caraway seeds. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

Pile the sauerkraut into large martini glasses or small bowls. Spoon the chilled crab in a mound on top and garnish with chopped parsley or chives. Sprinkle with a little more lemon juice before serving. Serve with steamed or grilled vegetables for an entree, or alone as an appetizer.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 298, Fat = 2g, Carbs = 28g, Protein = 46g

Ingredients
2 lobster tails, about 6 oz each, in the shell
3/4 cup clam juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Water to cover
2 cups cauliflower flowerets
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fat free Parmesan cheese, grated
3 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Lemon juice for garnish

Directions
Boil the cauliflower in lightly salted water until it is soft. Let the flowerets drain as much as possible. Put the basil leaves, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper into a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Add the garlic and as much of the vegetable broth as necessary to make a smooth paste. Add the cauliflower and process until the mixture is smooth. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary.

Combine the clam juice and lemon juice with enough water to just barely cover the lobster tails in a small saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then take the pot off the heat and cover it. The heat should cook the lobster just enough so that it can be pulled out of the shell.

When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells and slice each one into medallions, following the pattern of the shell sections. The lobster is cooked if the meat is opaque. Dip them in the warmed cooking liquid if the medallions are still translucent. Don't over- cook the lobster or it will be tough.

Spoon the cauliflower pesto over the lower third of a heated dinner plate. Arrange the medallions in an over-lapping pattern on top of the pesto and sprinkle each tail with a little of the lemon juice. Serve cold with a salad or warm with steamed or grilled vegetables.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 181, Fat = 0g, Carbs = 18g, Protein = 29g

Ingredients
10 large shrimp, shell on
1/4 cup clam juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
Ground black pepper
1 or 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, left whole
2 cups mixed squash, such as zucchini, summer, scalloped and crookneck, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 or 3 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions
Devein the shrimp, but leave the shells on. Toss with the clam juice, garlic, shallot and pepper. Add the sprigs of tarragon and refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the onions, salt and pepper. Squeeze a wedge or two of lemon over the onions and saute them until soft and lightly colored. Add the mixed squash slices and lower the heat by half, and saute until they are softened. Season again with the salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set the squash aside.

Light a grill or heat the broiler. Grill the chilled shrimp, shells on, over high heat until just cooked through, about a minute or two per side. Serve the shrimp with the sauteed squash and onions and lemon wedges.

Makes:
Four Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 137, Fat = 1g, Carbs = 15g, Protein = 15g

Ingredients
1 pound small, raw shrimp, washed, peeled and de-veined
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and small diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and small diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped, some set aside for garnish
1 large onion, small diced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
sea salt to taste
1 jalapeno, minced
2 heads of endive, washed and leaves separated

Directions
In a large bowl, stir together the shrimp, cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, limes juice, cumin, and salt. Place in the refrigerator overnight and allow the citric acid from the lime juice to cook the shrimp.

Spoon the ceviche into the endive leaves, garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 323, Fat = 7g, Carbs = 23g, Protein = 44g

Ingredients
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 cup fat free cottage cheese, drained through a fine mesh strainer
1/2 cup fat free Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup onion, diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth or clam juice
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash, separated into strings
Fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges for garnish

Directions
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add the onions and garlic. Add a little clam juice or chicken broth, and saute until soft and lightly colored. Add the shrimp and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. When the shrimp are just cooked, take the pan off the heat and set it aside.

Puree the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and pulse until just blended. Add the cheeses to the skillet with the shrimp and onions, then return it to stove over medium low heat. Stir in enough of the broth to make it like a sauce, then stir in the parsley.

Heat the spaghetti squash in the microwave or in a little broth. Twirl the strings with a fork and mound them in the center of heated dinner plates. Spoon the shrimp sauce over the squash and around it on the plate. Garnish with more chopped parsley and lemon wedges, if desired.

Makes:
Four Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 184, Fat = 3g, Carbs = 8g, Protein = 32g

Ingredients
6 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 crayfish, heads off
1 lobster tail, about 6 oz
1 lb crab legs, such as Dungeness or King, shells cracked or split
6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups fresh basil
1 quart clam juice
1 lemon, cut in wedges
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Make the cioppino broth first. Put the tomatoes, garlic, basil, pepper, salt and clam juice in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle the mixture into a blender and process until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and adjust the seasonings — add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Bring the broth to a simmer and add the lobster in its shell. When it is almost cooked through, remove it and add the shrimp, crayfish and crab legs. When the shrimp are just opaque, remove all the shell fish and divide it into large shallow soup bowls that have been warmed. Take the lobster out of the shell and slice it into an equal number of medallions or large chunks. Divide the lobster between the two bowls. Bring the broth to a boil, then pour it evenly over the shellfish in each bowl. Put a couple of lemon wedges on the side of each bowl and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Bring a bowl to the table to hold shells from the crayfish and crab. Cocktail forks are handy to pull crab meat out of the shells, and soup spoons are used to scoop up the broth.

Makes:
Two Servings

Nutrition per serving:
Calories = 180, Fat = 0g, Carbs = 23g, Protein = 24g

Ingredients
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 slices unpeeled eggplant, cut 1/2 -inch thick
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup clam juice
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish, if desired
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup diced tomatoes

Directions
Combine the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and sherry vinegar in a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic. Heat a broiler to high and line the pan with aluminum foil. Soak each slice of eggplant in the liquid mixture, then drain and broil, turning once, until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Reserve the marinade.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and saute the onions and remaining minced garlic until softened, but not browned. Add the clam juice, and simmer until the liquid evaporates. Stir in the saffron and the liquid it was soaking in. Stir the onions until they are evenly colored with the bright yellow saffron. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the onions are simmering, heat the remaining marinade in a small saucepan over medium low heat and poach the shrimp until just cooked through. Stir in the chopped parsley.

To serve, spoon equal amounts of the saffron onions on each of two warmed dinner plates. Center 1 slice of broiled eggplant in the middle of the onions, then spoon a portion of the shrimp and the cooking liquid over each slice. Set the remaining slice of eggplant at an angle against the shrimp and spoon the remaining sauce and shrimp around the plate on the onions. Garnish with the diced tomatoes and more parsley, if desired.