Lightened Up Shrimp Po'boy Sandwiches

We can't drive by a Popeyes without Nick trying (I'll be honest, begging) me to stop and let him feast on fried shrimp and chicken with a side of biscuits. I will undoubtedly turn up my nose and start lecturing him about the insane about of fat, calories and sodium in the food. Just call me the fast food cop - saving the world one Bacon Double Cheeseburger at a time.

Cooking Light magazine's "Recipe Makeover" section may just keep me from turning into a complete food nag. Each month, the magazine makes a healthier version of our favorite calorie-bomb foods that we just can't live without. This month's makeover is the Shrimp Po'boy sandwich. I had to try it given my husband's fried shrimp obsession.


We made these hearty (yet healthy) sandwiches on the Fourth of July, so I had a bit more time to mess around in the kitchen. They are relatively easy, but preparing the sandwiches will take you about an hour or so. Be sure to get the pre-packaged coleslaw mix to save some time as well (shredding your own cabbage is messy business). I used pre-cooked shrimp to make these, but I think raw would be better. The extra cooking time would allow for a crunchier cornmeal coating on the shrimp.


After an intense morning spin class, we tore into the po'boys like there was no tomorrow (I was even practicing my Guy Fieri "hunch" to get the entire baguette into my mouth). The spicy Cajun flavor from the slaw was balanced by the crusty French bread and juicy tomato slices.  Grated lemon rind adds a nice brightness to the shrimp as well.

Serve the po'boys alongside some baked chips and a fruit salad, and you've got yourself a delicious and guilt-free meal, y'all. I'm collecting recipes for our family vacation in the Outer Banks, and I think this one will definitely be in the running for lunch or a light dinner!


Lightened-Up Shrimp Po'boys
Adapted from Cooking Light (July 2012 issue)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Rémoulade slaw -

• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat canola mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 1/2 cups packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw

For the Po'boys -

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 large egg white
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 (2 1/2-ounce) pieces French bread baguette, split and toasted
• 3 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

To prepare rémoulade slaw, combine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add coleslaw; toss to coat. Cover and chill.

To prepare po'boys, combine cornstarch and next 4 ingredients (through egg white) in a medium bowl; whisk until blended. Add shrimp; toss well. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, stirring once.

Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Place torn bread in a food processor; process until very fine crumbs form. Set aside 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; reserve remaining breadcrumbs for another use. Combine 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, cornmeal, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine.

Remove shrimp from bowl; discard marinade. Add shrimp to breadcrumb mixture. Seal and shake to coat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Arrange tomato slice on bottom half of bread. Top with 1/2 cup slaw and one quarter of shrimp. Cover with top half of bread.

Shrimp, Mango, and Avocado Salad

It's only March, and I'm already looking for no-bake recipes, so I don't have to use the oven or the stove top. What is going on with this weather? Whatever it is, I'll take it.

Nick gets credit for finding this recipe. It is one of his "go-to" meals for a quick yet delicious weeknight dinner. There's really nothing special about the contents of the salad - shrimp, mangoes and avocado over a bed of lettuce. What makes it fantastic is the sweet and spicy vinaigrette dressing. The base is Vietnamese sweet chili sauce, and then you add in unseasoned rice vinegar, fresh or ground ginger, and salt and pepper to taste. You can find the chili sauce and the vinegar in the ethnic foods aisle of most grocery stores. While the vinaigrette tastes sweet initially, the heat can sneak up on you. A bit of sweet mango and creamy avocado will help cool you down, though!

I didn't have fresh ginger on hand, so I used about one teaspoon of ground ginger. Fresh is always better, but the ground will do in a pinch.

Once you make the vinaigrette, just pour a few tablespoons over the thawed shrimp and toss to coat.

Chop up your mango. I used the Champagne mangoes at Whole Foods. They are small, wonderfully sweet and usually don't need much time to ripen.

 

Trying to get the hang of my avocado slicer. It sort of worked.

Now, all you need to do is toss the shrimp, mango, avocado and lettuce into a bowl and pour on the rest of the vinaigrette.

 Take a bite, and you'll be transported to that little cafe at your favorite tropical spring break getaway.



Shrimp, Mango, and Avocado Salad
From The Bon Appetit Test Kitchen
Serves 2 (main course servings) or 4 (first-course servings)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Vietnamese sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced and peeled fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 12 peeled cooked large shrimp (about eight ounces) - I used frozen shrimp
• 1 large head of butter lettuce or 1 package of "salad in a bag" of your preference
• 1 mango, peeled and pitted, cut into 1/3-inch thick slices
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into slices

Preparation

Whisk sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar and ginger in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette; toss to coat.

You can either put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and mix in the vinaigrette or place the ingredients on each plate and then serve the vinaigrette on the side.