With just the right amount of sweet, spicy, and creamy, this Instant Pot Chinese food recipe will be a hit with the whole family. Plus, this great recipe uses a lower calorie Greek yogurt instead of mayo, cream cheese, or heavy cream, so you can keep the dish creamy while making it healthier.

My family requests that I make my Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta often, as it is one of their favorite pasta recipes. I especially love this shrimp pasta dish for busy weeknights because it’s quick and easy to make, whether you cook it in the Instant Pot, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

Where’s the Recipe?

Readers with all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen visit My Crazy Good Life for healthy and delicious recipes. To make sure you get great results, whether you just started cooking or have made this recipe before, I like to provide a ton of helpful information in my recipes.

However, if you’d like to skip over different variations for making this dish, as well as recipe tips and healthy eating plan information, please just scroll to the bottom of the post where you’ll find an easy-to-print version of this healthier Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta recipe!

Ingredients in Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

• Dry whole wheat spaghetti noodles: Whole wheat noodles are packed with 3x the fiber and also contain protein, iron, and zinc. You can use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti if you like. Just note that angel hair pasta doesn’t boil as long as cooked spaghetti noodles.
• Raw FROZEN jumbo, peeled and deveined shrimp: You’ll want to make sure you use raw frozen shrimp because using raw unfrozen or pre-cooked shrimp will affect your cooking times. Definitely make sure to use deveined and peeled shrimp, too. Do not let the frozen shrimp thaw before cooking.
• Minced garlic: Use fresh minced garlic if you can, as it will give a great punch of flavor to this dish. If you’re out of fresh minced garlic, though, garlic powder will do in a pinch.
• Coconut oil: Coconut oil will add a fresh, tropical flavor to this creamy pasta dish. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can swap it for olive oil (but remember that this will change the nutritional counts).
• Honey: A little honey adds just a touch of sweetness to this delicious dish!
• Fresno Pepper: A Fresno pepper is a lot like a jalapeño, but is slightly spicier with smokey undertones. It can add wonderfully complex flavor to a dish. If you prefer, though, a jalapeño will work well in this dish, too! If you don’t want your pasta too spicy or don’t have any peppers on hand, chili powder or red pepper flakes will do, but they will slightly change the flavor of the meal.
• Lime juice: Fresh lime juice will perfectly complement the coconut oil in adding a tropical zing to your pasta.
• Black Pepper: Fresh ground black pepper contrasts so well with the sweetness of the honey.
• Rice vinegar: Look for unsweetened or unflavored rice vinegar to add a bit of tang to this dish.
• Plain 2% Greek yogurt: Instead of using mayo or cream cheese, this healthy version of Bang Bang Shrimp pasta substitutes plain Greek yogurt. Be sure to purchase the 2%.
• Sriracha sauce or other hot sauce: Sriracha sauce is easy to get at most grocery stores, but other hot sauces such as Thai sweet chili sauce will work well, too.
• Green onion: I like using green onions to bring a bit of color and crunch to this pasta dish.

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta in the Instant Pot

When calculating your total cooking time, don’t forget to allow a few minutes for your pressure cooker to come to pressure!

1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt and heat up.
2. Next, add the garlic and Fresno peppers. Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange in the Instant Pot. Pour the water over the noodles.
4. Toss in the frozen shrimp, salt, pepper, rice vinegar, honey, and lime on top of the noodles.
5. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
6. Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 3 minutes.
7. Release the pressure using a controlled quick release method. To do this use a utensil to open and close the pressure valve so that only a little pressure releases at a time. This will prevent liquid from sputtering out the top.
8. Slowly mix in the Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. If you like your pasta less creamy, use less yogurt.
9. Serve while still hot.

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta in a Slow Cooker

1. In the slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except the Greek yogurt and green onions.
2. Add the lid to the slow cooker.
3. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours or high heat for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the lid and stir in the Greek yogurt and green onions.
5. Serve.

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta on the Stove Top

1. Cook pasta until al dente in a large pot according to the directions on the box. Drain the cooked pasta and rinse in cool water.
2. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil (or olive oil) on medium-high heat.
3. Sauté the garlic and Fresno peppers. Add the shrimp, lime juice, salt and pepper to the skillet.
4. Mix it up and allow the spices to coat the shrimp, and then cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is defrosted.
5. Remove the lid. Mix the honey, rice vinegar, and Sriracha or other hot sauce in a small mixing bowl, and then add to the shrimp.
6. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
7. Turn off the heat. Add the hot pasta noodles to the pan with the shrimp. Mix in the Greek yogurt and green onions.
8. Garnish and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• This delicious recipe has shrimp. We love to eat shrimp, however cooking shrimp can be a little tricky the first time, but you’ll quickly get the hang of it. You’ll be looking for the shrimp to turn pink and a little bit white instead of gray and translucent or “clear.” Uncooked shrimp is usually gray and translucent, so if you are still seeing that color they are not cooked enough. If your shrimp are bright white, you may have overcooked them.
• The internal temperature of shrimp when fully cooked is 120º, as measured by a meat thermometer. You’re looking for the shrimp to form a C shape when they’re finished cooking. If you see an O shape, they’re overcooked.
• The Fresno peppers make this a spicy dish! You can use peppers with less spice or omit the peppers entirely if you’d rather not have spice in this dish, and it won’t affect the cooking time or quality of the dish.
• If, on the other hand, you’d rather this pasta be a bit spicier, I’d recommend using a spicer pepper like serrano instead of Fresno peppers, and adding a teaspoon or two more of red pepper flakes for some serious spice. Do note that using red pepper flakes will modify the overall flavors of the original sauce ingredients.
• This pasta can be made gluten free by using brown rice noodles or zucchini noodles. Both have a much shorter cook time, as do zucchini noodles, so keep that in mind while you’re making this recipe. The sauce recipe will stay the same as it is gluten free already.
• This dish is not dairy free because of the Greek yogurt. You can substitute plain greek yogurt with a dairy free yogurt if you have one that you like, or add an extra bit of olive oil for a dairy free Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta that isn’t dry.

Healthy Eating Plans

Portion Fix & 21 Day Fix

Entire recipe: 6 yellow containers | 4 red containers | 1/2 green containers | 1 tsp | 12 sweetener teaspoons

Per serving: 1 yellow container | Just over 1/2 red container | negligible green container | negligible teaspoon | 2 sweetener teaspoons

2B Mindset

This makes a great lunch, you’ll need to add some extra veggies to make sure you hit your percentages for those.

Weight Watchers

9 2023 Points | 9 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving using sugar free syrup instead of honey, and fat free Greek yogurt.

More Healthy Recipes

• Spring Roll Salad
• Healthy Drunken Noodles
• Healthy Orange Chicken Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein
• Instant Pot Tofu Pad Thai

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Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

This Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta will satisfy your restaurant cravings without all of the calories you might find in Chinese takeout.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 405kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3 tsp garlic minced
• 1/4 cup Fresno peppers diced
• 13 oz whole wheat pasta spaghetti noodles, dry
• 4 cups water
• 1 lb shrimp jumbo, raw and FROZEN, peeled & deveined
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp vinegar rice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt plain, 2%
• 1 tbsp sriracha or other hot sauce
• 1/2 cup green onions

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to saute. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt and heat up. 1 tsp coconut oil
• Next add the garlic and Fresno peppers. Saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant. 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers
• Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange in the Instant Pot. Pour the water over the noodles. 13 oz whole wheat pasta, 4 cups water
• Toss in the frozen shrimp, pepper, rice vinegar, honey, and lime on top of the noodles. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. 1 lb shrimp, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 lime
• Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 3 minutes. Release the pressure using a controlled quick release method. To do this use a utensil to open and close the pressure valve so that only a little pressure releases at a time. This will prevent liquid from sputtering out the top.
• Mix in the Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. Serve while still hot. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp sriracha , 1/2 cup green onions

Stove top:

• Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse in cool water. 13 oz whole wheat pasta
• In a skillet heat to coconut oil on medium high heat. Saute the garlic and Fresno peppers. Add the shrimp, lime juice, and pepper to the skillet. Mix it up and then cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is defrosted. 1 tsp coconut oil, 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers, 1 lb shrimp, 1 lime, 1/4 tsp pepper
• Remove the lid. Mix in the honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and opaque. 1/4 cup honey, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sriracha
• Turn off the heat. Add the noodles to the pan with the shrimp. Mix in the Greek yogurt and green onions. Garnish and serve warm. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup green onions

Slow cooker:

• In the slow cooker insert combine all the ingredients except the Greek yogurt and green onions. 1 tsp coconut oil, 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers, 13 oz whole wheat pasta, 4 cups water, 1 lb shrimp, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 lime, 1 tbsp sriracha
• Add the lid to the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours or high heat for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the lid and stir in the Greek yogurt and green onions. Serve. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup green onions

Video

Notes

Serves 6

21 Day Fix counts for the entire recipe: 6 yellow containers, 4 red containers, 1 tsp, 12 sweetener teaspoons, 1/2G  green container.

Per serving: 1 yellow container, Just over 1/2 red container, negligible teaspoon, 2 sweetener teaspoons, negligible green container.

Weight Watchers: 9 2023 Points | 9 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving using sugar free syrup instead of honey, and fat free Greek yogurt.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg

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The post Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

These flavors come together to form a residual heat full of mouthwatering flavors from all of the healthy and flavorful ingredients.  

This Instant Pot Jambalaya with Quinoa is packed full of bold Cajun flavors and healthy lean protein. If your family is anything like mine, this will become one of your favorite recipes in no time.

This is a great dinner for a busy weeknight and is also perfect for meal prep. It freezes and reheats really well. If you haven’t joined club Instant Pot yet, I also have slow cooker Jambalaya directions here. 

Where’s the recipe?

My readers have varying levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen. To better serve everyone, I include a lot of information in my posts to ensure everyone is successful.

There are cooking tips, diet information, and other helpful information below. If you prefer to skip this, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find the easy to print Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe. 

Ingredients in this easy Jambalaya recipe

• Olive Oil: I prefer the Extra Virgin variety of any oil. This means it is a minimally processed oil and closest to its natural state.  
• Chicken: Chicken breast is one of the most commonly consumed high protein foods in the United States, and for good reason. In addition to its high protein content, it’s also a great source of minerals and B vitamins.
• Onion: To save time I love to grab pre-chopped onions from the freezer section.  
• Celery: Did you know celery was a member of the carrot family? The plant and its seeds provide an abundant source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 
• Garlic: You can also use pre-minced garlic to save time. If you prefer to buy the bulb use a hand grater to cut your chopping time. 
• Chicken Sausage: For this Cajun recipe I prefer an andouille chicken sausage instead of the traditional andouille sausage. I really love the simple ingredients in the Open Nature brand. 
• Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are a staple in every pantry, opt for the low-sodium variety. Using diced tomatoes provides a more authentic flavor than using tomato paste. 
• Thyme: A relative of oregano, thyme has a gentle flavor that blends well with almost everything.  
• Oregano: Oregano is used worldwide. It’s popular in Italian, Mexican, and Mediterranean cooking. Oregano is a versatile herb spawning from the mint family.  
• Basil: Basil adds a bright finish to this recipe. I love to use dried while cooking, and stir in some fresh when I add my shrimp. 
• Red pepper flakes: If you prefer more spice you can add even more red pepper. I love the heat it brings. 
• Tabasco sauce: Any hot sauce will do, add more if you like it hot.  
• Shrimp: If you can’t find raw, peeled, tail off shrimp in your freezer section head over to your grocer’s butcher counter.  Often times they will have them there.  
• Precooked Quinoa: I love using quinoa in place of white rice or brown rice because it is considered a complete protein source, which means that it provides all nine essential amino acids. It’s also a good source of antioxidants and minerals. I typically use white quinoa, but you can choose your favorite variety. If you’re a jambalaya purist cooked regular rice works perfectly.
• Green onion: Green onions are completely optional in this recipe, but give a nice bite at the end that I really enjoy.  

How to make Instant Pot Jambalaya with Quinoa in the Instant Pot

1. Heat your Instant Pot: Turn your pot to the sauté function and add olive oil to the inner pot.
2. Sauté your chicken: Once your olive oil is hot, add the chicken, onions, celery, and garlic to the bottom of the pot.  Cook 3-5 minutes until fragrant, and vegetables begin to soften.
3. Add your sausage: Next, add your chicken sausage, diced tomatoes, and thyme, oregano, basil, red pepper, and tabasco sauce.  Stir everything together. 
4. Pressure Cook: Close and lock the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high pressure) and set the cooking time for 5 minutes.
5. Quick Release: After the cook time is complete, quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid.
6. Add shrimp: Stir in the shrimp, then close the lid for two minutes to allow the shrimp to cook. Do not turn the Instant Pot back on, just let the steam in the pot do the cooking. Shrimp cooks very fast. It’s fully cooked when the flesh turns opaque with orange/pink tones. If they are still translucent, close the lid for another minute or until completely cooked. 
7. Serve: Serve warm over cooked quinoa. Add some fresh basil and top with chopped green onions, and additional Tabasco as desired. 

Recipe Tips

• Buy frozen chopped onions to save time.
• A small hand grater works great to mince cloves of garlic. 
• We’re using precooked quinoa because the cook time for quinoa and the rest of the ingredients aren’t the same.
• If you’d rather use your favorite Cajun or Creole Seasoning in this recipe, replace all spices with 4 teaspoons of it. If you prefer more heat with your sausage jambalaya, feel free to add a *small* amount of cayenne pepper. A little cayenne goes a long way. 
• If you have bell peppers on hand, feel free to chop them and add them to the recipe. A green bell pepper would be perfect for this recipe. Just be sure to recalculate your healthy eating plans. 
• Bay leaves can be added to this recipe, just remember to remove them from the pot before serving!
• If you are gluten free, be sure that your chicken sausage and quinoa are labeled as such.
• This recipe uses no chicken broth, chicken stock, or water, the liquid in the diced tomatoes is enough for the pressure cooker.

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers Points

Per 2 ¼ cup serving

7 2023 Points | 7 Blue Plan Points | 9 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points 

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Jambalaya with Quinoa

Entire recipe: 12 Red Containers, 6 Yellow Containers, 6 Green Containers, and 6 Teaspoons.  

Per serving (2 ¼ cup): 2 Red Containers, 1 Yellow Container, 1 Green Container, and 1 teaspoon. 

Chicken sausage isn’t found on the food list, so either leave it out and add extra chicken breast instead or, if you choose to use it, I’d watch what you eat that day (be super strict!) and flush with lots of water after.

2B Mindset

This would be a great 2B lunch with additional vegetables as a side. 

More healthy high-protein Instant Pot recipes

• Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Bowls
• Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• High Protein Egg Drop Soup
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Instant Pot Chicken Gyro Bowls

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Instant Pot Jambalaya with Quinoa

This Instant Pot Jambalaya is packed full of bold flavors and healthy protein! If your family is anything like mine it will be come a fast favorite.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword 21 day fix jambalaya, instant pot jambalaya

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 559kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Cutting Board
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast boneless, skinless, cubed
• 1 ½ cups onion chopped
• 1 ½ cups celery chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 lb chicken sausage sliced
• 30 oz diced tomatoes low sodium, 2 15 oz cans
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp crushed red peppers
• 1 tsp tabasco sauce or preferred hot sauce
• 1 lb shrimp raw, peeled, deveined, tail off
• 3 cups quinoa cooked
• 1 green onion diced

Instructions

• Turn your Instant Pot on to Sauté and add olive oil. 2 tbsp olive oil
• Once olive oil is hot, add chicken, onions, celery, and garlic. Cook 3-5 minutes until fragrant and vegetables begin to soften. 1 lb chicken breast 1 ½ cups onion 1 ½ cups celery 4 cloves garlic
• Add your chicken sausage, diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano, basil, red pepper, and hot sauce. Stir everything together. 1 lb chicken sausage 30 oz diced tomatoes 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp basil 1 tsp crushed red peppers 1 tsp tabasco sauce
• Close and lock the lid and turn valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual and set the time for 5 minutes.
• After cooking is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid.
• Stir in shrimp, then close the lid for two minutes to allow shrimp to cook. Do not turn the pressure cooker back on, just let the steam in the pot do the cooking. Shrimp cooks very fast, and you can tell it's cooked when the color turns from translucent to opaque with orange/pink tones. 1 lb shrimp
• If your shrimp don't look done after two minutes, close the pot and allow another minute or two.
• Serve warm over cooked quinoa. Top with chopped green onions, and additional Tabasco if desired. 3 cups quinoa 1 green onion

Notes

Recipe Tips

• Buy frozen chopped onions to save time.
• A small hand grater works wonderfully to mince cloves of garlic. 
• Add salt and black pepper to your tastes before pressure cooking.

Weight Watchers

Per 2 ¼ cup serving

7 2023 Points | 7 Blue Plan Points | 9 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points 

21 Day Fix- Per serving (2 ¼ cup): 2 Red Containers, 1 Yellow Container, 1 Green Container, and 1 teaspoon. 

2B Mindset- This would be a great 2B lunch with additional vegetables as a side. 

Nutrition

Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 292mg | Sodium: 1475mg | Potassium: 791mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 743IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 6mg

The post Instant Pot Jambalaya with Quinoa appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Jambalaya is a classic Creole dish that is typically made with rice, sausage, chicken, shrimp, and a variety of spices. It can be a bit time-consuming to make, but this healthy crockpot version makes it easy to enjoy this delicious dish at home.

This recipe uses quinoa instead of rice, plus poultry sausage, lean chicken and shrimp for protein. It has less fat and calories than traditional Jambalaya but the spices still give it its signature cajun flavor. This crockpot jambalaya is a great option for busy weeknights. It’s easy to make, and is packed with flavor. 

Where’s the Recipe?

I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen and I receive a lot of questions about recipes. To better serve all of my readers, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my recipes.

In this article you will find ingredient information, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip over all of that, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the nutritional information and easy to print healthy Crockpot Jambalaya recipe box.

Ingredients in Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa

I love learning about food, and I’m sharing some fun facts about the ingredients in this easy crockpot shrimp Jambalaya below. To learn more about the food you eat, head over to my YouTube channel.

• Celery: Did you know celery is a member of the carrot family? The plant and its seeds provide an abundant source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Garlic: I use fresh garlic clove but you can also purchase pre-minced garlic to save time. 
• Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this jambalaya. Chicken breasts are a great way to get extra protein into your diet.  One chicken breast has a whopping 54 grams of protein!
• Poultry Sausage: For this Jambalaya recipe I prefer chicken andouille sausage. I really love the simple ingredients in the Open Nature brand.
• Diced tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are a staple in every pantry, be sure to opt for the low-sodium variety.
• Thyme: A relative of oregano, thyme has a gentle flavor that blends well with almost everything.
• Oregano: Oregano is a versatile herb spawning from the mint family and is popular in Italian, Mexican, and Mediterranean cooking.
• Red pepper flakes: If you prefer more spice you can add even more red pepper flakes. I love the heat it brings.
• Tabasco sauce: I love a little kick of heat in my jambalaya, so I typically use tabasco sauce, but any hot sauce will do. 
• Shrimp: I’m not a fan of overcooked shrimp, so I pre-cook my peeled, deveined, tails-off shrimp and then add it to the end for just a long enough time that they heat through.
• Basil: Basil adds a bright finish to this recipe. I love to use dried while cooking, and stir in some fresh when I add my shrimp.
• Quinoa: I love using quinoa in place of white rice or brown rice because it is considered a complete protein source, which means that it provides all nine essential amino acids. It’s also a good source of antioxidants and minerals. I typically use white quinoa, but you can choose your favorite variety. If you’re a jambalaya purist cooked regular rice works perfectly.
• Green onion: Green onions are completely optional in this recipe, but give a nice bite at the end that I really enjoy.

How to Make Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa

Click here if you’re looking for an Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe.

Time needed: 7 hours and 15 minutes.

This recipe is about 2 1/4 cups per serving.

1. Prepare your vegetables: First chop your onions, celery, and garlic.
2. Prepare the chicken and sausage: Next cut the chicken breasts into one-inch squares and then slice your sausage into half inch-thick slices.
3. Combine: Now add the diced onions, celery, garlic, chicken, sausage, diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper, and Tabasco sauce to your crockpot, and stir well.
4. Slow Cook: Cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
5. Cook quinoa: When the cook time is almost complete on your crockpot, cook your quinoa. To start, rinse your quinoa and then add it to a pot of water. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil, and then cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 
   The basic ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid. You will want to have 3 cups of cooked quinoa for this quinoa jambalaya.
6. Add shrimp: Now is time to stir in the shrimp, basil, and cooked quinoa. Cover, and continue cooking until the shrimp and quinoa are heated through.
7. Garnish and serve (or portion individual servings for meal prep): Stir well, and serve topped with freshly chopped green onions.

Recipe Tips

• This Crock Pot recipe is a great meal prep recipe. Just portion out in a single serving airtight container and freeze or refrigerate until ready to eat. Microwave thawed Jambalaya for 1:30-2 minutes.
• Buy frozen chopped onions to save time.
• A small hand grater will mince the garlic in less time than dicing it with a knife.
• If you’d rather use your favorite Cajun Seasoning in this recipe, replace all spices with 4 teaspoons of it.
• Bay leaves can be added to this recipe, just remember to remove them from the pot before serving!
• I don’t add much, if any, salt to my recipes because everyone has different tastes, dietary restrictions, and preferences. Add salt and black pepper to taste before cooking.

Healthy Eating Plans

This Crock Pot Jambalaya is a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional Jambalaya. It fits perfectly into several healthy eating plans.

Weight Watchers Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa

6 Blue Plan Points | 8 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points | 5 Points on the 2023 Plan

21 Day Fix Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa

Entire recipe: 12 Red Containers, 6 Yellow Containers, 6 Green Containers, and 6 Teaspoons

Per serving: 2 Red Containers, 1 Yellow Container, 1 Green Container, and 1 teaspoon

My take on Jambalaya is perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something healthy, and comforting, but you don’t want the work. This Healthy Crock Pot Jambalaya recipe couldn’t be easier.

2B Mindset

This would be a great 2B lunch with additional vegetables as a side.

Looking for more healthy slow cooker recipes?

• Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
• Crock Pot Egg Drop Soup
• Dairy Free Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
• Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• Homemade Crockpot Chicken Stock
• Healthy Stuffed Bell Peppers Soup 

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Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa

This easy Crockpot Jambalaya recipe is full of flavor! Crock Pot Jambalaya is a healthy crockpot dinner recipe. This recipe uses quinoa instead of rice, poultry sausage, and has less fat and calories than traditional Jambalaya.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Cajun

Keyword 21 Day Fix, 2B Mindset, healthy, jambalaya

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 7 hours hours

Total Time 7 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 490kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Crockpot
• Kitchen Knife
• Strainer

Ingredients

• 1½ cups onion chopped
• 1½ cups celery chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1 lb chicken sausage Low sodium
• 30 oz diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper crushed
• 1 tsp tabasco sauce
• 3 cups quinoa
• 1 lb cooked shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed
• 1 tsp basil

Optional topping: diced green onions

Instructions

• Chop your onions, celery, and garlic. 1½ cups onion, 1½ cups celery, 4 cloves garlic
• Cut chicken breasts into one-inch squares and slice your sausage into half inch-thick slices. 1 lb chicken breast, 1 lb chicken sausage
• Add onions, celery garlic, chicken, sausage, diced tomatoes, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper, and Tabasco sauce to your crockpot, and stir well. 30 oz diced tomatoes, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp red pepper, 1 tsp tabasco sauce
• Cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
• When the cook time is almost complete on your crockpot, cook your quinoa. To start, rinse your quinoa and then add it to a pot of water. Over high heat, bring the water to a boil, and then cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The basic ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid. You will want to have 3 cups of cooked quinoa for this quinoa jambalaya. 3 cups quinoa
• Now is time to stir in the shrimp, basil, and cooked quinoa. Cover, and continue cooking until the shrimp and quinoa are heated through. 1 lb cooked shrimp, 1 tsp basil
• Stir well, and serve topped with freshly chopped green onions.

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans

• Weight Watchers:
  • Blue Plan Points – For every 2 ¼ cup serving or 1/6 of the pot is 6 Blue Plan Points
  • Purple Plan Points – For every 2 ¼ cup serving or 1/6 of the pot is 3 Purple Plan Points
  • Green Plan Points – For every 2 ¼ cup serving or 1/6 of the pot is 8 Green Plan Points
  • 2023 Plan – 5 Points per Serving
• 21 Day Fix: For the entire recipe of 21 Day Fix Jambalaya you have 12 Red Containers, 6 Yellow Containers, 6 Green Containers, and 6 Teaspoons.
  • Per 2 ¼ cup serving: 2 Red Containers, 1 Yellow Container, 1 Green Container, and 1 teaspoon.
• 2B Mindset– This would be a great 2B lunch with additional vegetables as a side.

Recipe Tips

• This recipe is great for meal prep, just freeze in individual serving containers and reheat when ready to eat. 
• Buy frozen chopped onions to save time.
• A small hand grater works wonderfully to “mince” cloves of garlic.
• Add salt and black pepper to your tastes before pressure cooking.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 292mg | Sodium: 1189mg | Potassium: 784mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 668IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 6mg

The post Healthy Crockpot Jambalaya with Quinoa appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

I love this spicy salmon recipe for a quick weeknight meal, but it also works great for entertaining. Grilled salmon with homemade teriyaki is my favorite, and it’s just as delicious when baked in the oven.

The sweet and spicy teriyaki sauce recipe is so much healthier than the stuff from the grocery store, and it tastes great on veggies, rice, even chicken!

Where is the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, our recipes are all written out in detail for ease of cooking.

If you’re needing more detailed instructions, scroll below to read detailed ingredient information, descriptive cooking instructions, and information for Healthy Eating Plans such as 2B Mindset, the 21 Day Fix, and Weight Watchers before you cook this.

If you’d rather get straight to the recipe, scroll down to the printable Spicy Teriyaki Salmon recipe at the bottom of the page for the printable recipe, where you’ll find basic cooking instructions along with nutrition information and links to the supplies needed.

Ingredients in this Spicy Teriyaki Marinade for Salmon:

• Coconut Aminos: A gluten free, lower sodium substitute for soy sauce made from coconut nectar.
• Ginger: Fresh ginger gives any Asian dish a fresh and authentic taste.
• Sesame Oil: Any sesame oil will do, but toasted sesame oil adds an amazing layer of flavor.
• Rice Vinegar: Make sure to purchase the unseasoned version.
• Molasses: This rich syrup is what’s left after sugar is removed from sugar cane or sugar beets. Molasses is also what gives brown sugar its color and flavor.
• Honey: I prefer a local bee honey for the allergy fighting effects.
• Pineapple: This sweet tropical fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and one of my favorite parts of teriyaki sauce.
• Green Onions: Also known as scallions or spring onions, these are a milder flavored onion that compliment Asian dishes. You can skip these if you don’t have them.
• Spices: Garlic, Black Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper. If you’d rather not have the spicy flavor in this sauce, go ahead and leave out the crushed red pepper.
• Salmon: A healthy lean protein loaded with omega 3, 6, and 9’s. I prefer Sockeye Salmon, and you can read more about the difference between traditional and sockeye salmon right here.
• Sesame Seeds to garnish the salmon, if you’d like.

Easy side dishes to make with this salmon

• white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice if you’re looking for a low carb side
• roasted green beans
• bok choy
• fresh vegetables
• sautéed snap peas
• brown rice and quinoa blend
• rosemary smashed potatoes
• oven roasted sweet potatoes
• cauliflower steaks

How to make Spicy Teriyaki Salmon

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: The myWW points have been calculated on the WW website using 4 ounces of raw salmon per serving. For each serving (this recipe makes 8 servings for WW), count 6 Blue Plan Points | 6 Green Plan Points | 6 Purple Plan Points | 2023 Points: 1

Because the teriyaki sauce is a marinade and most is thrown away, we don’t count it quite like a “normal” recipe.

21 Day Fix/Portion Fix:

• For each 3/4 cup serving of salmon, count one red container.
• For the sauce, the entire recipe counts as: 6 Teaspoons, 14 Sweetener Teaspoons, and 1/4 Purple Container.
• Per serving (there are 8) of sauce: count 3/4 Teaspoon, 1 3/4 Sweetener Teaspoons (if you count these), and a small amount of Purple Containers (I do not count this).

2B Mindset: Salmon fits perfectly into your 2B meals as a protein. For lunch, be sure to use half of your plate for vegetables, 1/4 for protein, and 1/4 for an FFC. For dinner, this salmon is perfect as 25% of your plate, and fill the remaining 75% with vegetables.

More healthy grilling recipes

• Lemon Rosemary Salmon
• Grilled Artichokes
• Grilled Chipotle Chicken Recipe
• Mushroom Fajitas
• Baked Beans with Ground Turkey
• Steak Fajitas with Zoodles Recipe
• Avocado Stuffed Chicken
• Chimichurri Cauliflower Steaks

Print

Spicy Teriyaki Salmon Recipe (oven or on the grill)

This easy recipe is perfect for dressing up frozen salmon or other seafood. Homemade teriyaki sauce, fresh pineapples, and a spicy sauce everyone will love!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Grilled Salmon, Salmon, seafood

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 28 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 236kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Kitchen Knife
• Coconut Aminos
• Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut aminos
• ¼ cup ginger root minced
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper more if you like it hot, less for a milder flavor
• 2 tsp molasses
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup diced pineapple fresh or canned
• 2 lbs salmon
• ½ cup green onions chopped, whites and greens

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375º or grill to medium-high heat.
• Add coconut aminos, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, black pepper, crushed red pepper, molasses, honey, and diced pineapple to a bowl and mix together with a fork or whisk. This makes up your spicy homemade teriyaki sauce. 1 cup coconut aminos ¼ cup ginger root 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp garlic 2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp crushed red pepper 2 tsp molasses ¼ cup honey ¼ cup diced pineapple
• Place salmon in a single layer in a foil pan or baking dish, skin side down. If using a baking sheet or dish to cook, line it with aluminum foil.
• Pour sauce over the salmon. Save about 1/2 cup of sauce for after your salmon is cooked. If you have extra sauce, go ahead and put it in the fridge or freezer for next time. 2 lbs salmon
• Grill or bake your salmon 15-18 minutes for frozen or 10-12 for thawed. This time will change based on how thick your salmon filets are. Cooked salmon is 145º and flakes easily with a fork. 
• Remove salmon from the grill or oven. Serve with your favorite veggie.

  Top with extra teriyaki sauce or chopped green onions. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. ½ cup green onions

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• You can use low-sodium soy sauce in place of coconut aminos.
• I prefer the flavor of fresh ginger, but you can substitute 1 tsp of powdered if you don’t have fresh.
• Use a foil pan or baking dish lined with foil for easy cleanup.
• Homemade teriyaki sauce will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. I love to have it on hand for vegetables and stir fry.
• If using teriyaki as a dipping sauce, add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until the sauce thickens and slightly reduces.
• This marinade can be used on any type of fish–definitely not just salmon. 
• Use this salmon as your main course or as an ingredient in teriyaki salmon bowls or even lettuce wraps with rice and salmon wrapped up in fresh lettuce.
• I know some people prefer to use room temperature salmon, but I use it straight out of the refrigerator or freezer.
• Salmon skin is edible–you can leave it on or scrape it off with a fork.

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: The myWW points have been calculated on the WW website using 4 ounces of raw salmon per serving. For each serving (this recipe makes 8 servings for WW), count 6 Blue Plan Points | 6 Green Plan Points|6 Purple Plan Points | 2023 points: 1

Because the teriyaki sauce is a marinade and most is thrown away, we don’t count it quite like a “normal” recipe.

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: 

• For each 3/4 cup serving of salmon, count one red container.
• For the sauce, the entire recipe counts as: 6 Teaspoons, 14 Sweetener Teaspoons, and 1/4 Purple Container.
• Per serving (there are 8) of sauce: count 3/4 Teaspoon, 1 3/4 Sweetener Teaspoons (if you count these), and a small amount of Purple Containers (I do not count this).

2B Mindset: Salmon fits perfectly into your 2B meals as a protein. For lunch, be sure to use half of your plate for vegetables, 1/4 for protein, and 1/4 for an FFC. For dinner, this salmon is perfect as 25% of your plate, and fill the remaining 75% with vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 262IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Spicy Teriyaki Salmon Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

With whole grain noodles, homemade cream of mushroom soup (you can use canned too, if that’s all you have!), and veggies, this is a filling, whole grain meal.

My whole family requests this healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole every week. We love making a double batch so that we have leftovers, and it even freezes and reheats well, making it a great meal prep recipe.

This recipe was created from my parents’ traditional tuna casserole that I remember eating as a kid. I created a homemade cream of mushroom soup for it and replaced the regular pasta with whole wheat pasta, but everything else is the same.

Where’s the recipe?

I write recipes that anyone can cook. This recipe for my health version of Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole is one of the first recipes I learned to cook and one of the first that I taught my sons to cook. My goal is to write every recipe so that a cook of any skill lever can follow it.

If you appreciate the details and ingredient and substitution information, read the post below where I give you a ton of tips and information before heading down to the printable recipe. If you simply want the recipe, scroll straight down to the printable recipe where you’ll find the ingredient amounts, recipe instructions, and nutrition information for this skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole recipe.

Ingredients in this Tuna Noodle Casserole

• Chunk white tuna in water:
• Mushrooms: I love mushrooms, so I always add fresh to this recipe, but you can skip this is you’re not a huge fan.
• Whole Grain Pasta: I prefer using whole wheat egg noodles, but they’re not the easiest to find. Any whole grain pasta will work for this recipe!
• Cream of Mushroom soup: This is definitely the healthiest way to make this recipe. You can use canned soup
• as well, though.
• Mixed vegetables: I typically use the frozen peas and carrot mix.
• Salt and black pepper to taste: I typically add this after cooking.

Optional additions to add on top of the casserole:

• Breadcrumbs with a few tablespoons of butter on top
• Parmesan Cheese
• Crushed potato chips
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Extra veggies like cauliflower rice or diced zucchini.

Instant Pot Directions

This is a great method of cooking to get this meal on the dinner table in under 30 minutes. You’ll want to add 3 cups of water to this recipe before cooking.

1. Spray the bottom of the pot with olive oil to avoid food sticking.
2. Drain and break up each can of tuna and put it on the bottom of the pot.
3. On top of the tuna, add the mushrooms if you’re including them.
4. Add 4 cups of pasta on top of the mushrooms and tuna, but don’t stir. Add the cream of mushroom soup on top.
5. You can add the frozen vegetables at the top if you’d like, or if you like them a little crunchy, cook them in the microwave and add them after the tuna casserole is cooked.
6. Add 3 cups of water on top of the pasta and close the lid. Set the Valve to Sealing and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
7. As soon as the pot is done cooking, release the pressure manually. This means switch the valve to Venting and allow the steam to shoot out.
8. Remove the lid and stir the recipe. Add the cooked vegetables now if they’re not in the pot already.

Stovetop/Oven Directions

1. In a large pot, cook one package of noodles according to package instructions until tender, strain. Sometimes I’ll leave them a little al dente to make sure they don’t overcook.
2. Stir in vegetables, homemade soup, and tuna.
3. Allow the “casserole” to cook on medium heat until heated through, about 15 minutes. Add almond milk if you notice it drying out at all.
4. If you’d like to bake this instead of cooking on the stove, add all ingredients in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Once it’s all done you can serve it right from the casserole dish!

Recipe Tips

• The great thing about this super easy and healthy tuna casserole is it’s made with some ingredients that are easy to pull together. My homemade cream of mushroom soup is so much better for us and I like that it’s cooked right here in my kitchen where I can see everything that goes into it.
• I often freeze this recipe in an airtight container. If it dries out a little in the freezer, just add some almond milk or more homemade cream of mushroom soup. I reheat the frozen tuna casserole by sticking it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Stir, then put it in again for 30 seconds at a time.
• If using canned cream of mushroom soup, I typically add two small cans to the recipe.
• Regular pasta will have a different cook time than whole wheat noodles or gluten free pasta noodles.
• I prefer Wild Planet albacore tuna for this recipe.

Healthy Eating Plans

This is a healthy recipe for weight loss because it’s packed with protein and whole grains to keep you full for longer.

Weight Watchers:

3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 1 Purple Plan Point | 7 Points on the 2023 Plan when using homemade Cream of Mushroom soup. 

Portion Fix/21 Day Fix:

On the Fix, this is a side dish–this recipe makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each. Remove the carrots and peas and double the mushrooms. For the entire recipe, the count and breakdown is:

• Noodles: 8 yellow containers
• Homemade Soup: 1.5 tsp and 1/3 green containers (canned soup isn’t something that I’d eat on the Fix)
• Mushrooms: 1 green container
• Tuna: 2 red containers

For one serving: I’d count 1 yellow, 1/4 red container, and a negligible amount of a teaspoon and green container (I wouldn’t count those).

2B Mindset:

Double the veggies and you’ve got a great 2B Mindset lunch. I’d personally double the tuna as well to get some more protein into my day. You could add diced onions if you like them and are looking for an easy way to bulk up the vegetables.

This is an easy recipe to meal prep. If you are on 2B Mindset and need lunch recipes, definitely make a batch of this for the week. You’ll be impressed by how well it holds up in the refrigerator throughout the week, having something healthy on hand will make meal times a breeze too!

More Healthy Recipes

• Healthy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Greek Yogurt
• Instant Pot Brown Rice Risotto
• Whole Wheat Flour Banana Bread
• Healthy Veggie Quesadillas
• Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Print

Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole: Instant Pot and Stovetop Instructions

This healthy tuna noodle casserole uses homemade cream of mushroom soup and whole grain noodles–perfect comfort food for the days you need it most. This is the recipe that my family loves most, and can be adapted for your family as well!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy, Tuna Casserole

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 376kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Stock Pot
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

• 12 oz whole grain egg noodles
• 5 large mushrooms sliced
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables diced carrots and peas
• 1 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup homemade or canned low sodium (2 small cans)
• 2 cans chunk white tuna in water with no salt added, broken up with a fork (I like Wild Planet brand)

Instructions

Oven Instructions:

• Boil noodles (about 3C dry, maybe a little over) until tender (according to package directions), strain. 12 oz whole grain egg noodles
• Stir in vegetables, homemade soup, and tuna. 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, 5 large mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup, 2 cans chunk white tuna in water
• Allow the "casserole" to cook on medium heat until heated through, about 15 minutes. Add almond milk if you notice it drying out at all.
• If yo'ud like to bake this instead of allowing it to heat on the stove, add the recipe to a baking dish and cover with foil. Baje for 25 minutes at 350º.

Instant Pot Instructions:

• Spray the bottom of the pot with olive oil to avoid food sticking.
• Drain and break up each can of tuna and put it on the bottom of the pot. 2 cans chunk white tuna in water
• On top of the tuna, add the mushrooms if you're including them. 5 large mushrooms
• Add 4 cups of pasta on top of the mushrooms and tuna, but don't stir. Add the cream of mushroom soup on top. 12 oz whole grain egg noodles, 1 1/2 cups cream of mushroom soup
• You can add the frozen vegetables at the top if you'd like, or if you like them a little crunchy, cook them in the microwave and add them after the tuna casserole is cooked. 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• Add 3 cups of water on top of the pasta and close the lid. Set the Valve to Sealing and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
• As soon as the pot is done cooking, release the pressure manually. This means switch the valve to Venting and allow the steam to shoot out.
• Remove the lid and stir the recipe. Add the cooked vegetables now if they're not in the pot already and stir again.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve!

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans

This is a healthy recipe for weight loss because it’s packed with protein and whole grains to keep you full for longer.

Weight Watchers: This is a side dish, 1/2 cup serving. 

3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 1 Purple Plan Point | 7 Points on the 2023 Plan when using homemade Cream of Mushroom soup. 

Portion Fix/21 Day Fix:

On the Fix, this is a side dish–this recipe makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each. Remove the carrots and peas and double the mushrooms. For the entire recipe, the count and breakdown is:

• Noodles: 8 yellow containers
• Homemade Soup: 1.5 tsp and 1/3 green containers (canned soup isn’t something that I’d eat on the Fix)
• Mushrooms: 1 green container
• Tuna: 2 red containers

For one serving: I’d count 1 yellow, 1/4 red container, and a negligible amount of a teaspoon and green container (I wouldn’t count those).

 

2B Mindset:

Double the veggies and you’ve got a great 2B Mindset lunch. I’d personally double the tuna as well to get some more protein into my day. You could add diced onions if you like them and are looking for an easy way to bulk up the vegetables.

This is an easy recipe to meal prep. If you are on 2B Mindset and need lunch recipes, definitely make a batch of this for the week. You’ll be impressed by how well it holds up in the refrigerator throughout the week, having something healthy on hand will make meal times a breeze too!

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 568mg | Potassium: 666mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2331IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Making compound butter is easier than it may seem, and it’s a great way to impress dinner guests. Compound butter is really just a fancy way of saying “herb butter”. Mix together herbs plus softened butter and you’re ready to go!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we like to write our recipes so that any level cook can follow them. In this article you’ll find ingredient information, recipe tips and tricks, and nutrition & healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip past that you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print Rosemary & Dill Compound Butter for Salmon recipe card.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter is ideal so you can control the level of sodium to your taste. It’s important that the butter is soft and at room temperature, so it’s easier to mix.
• Herbs: If you have an herb garden, now is the time to use it! You can use any herbs of your choice, but for this recipe I used fresh dill and fresh rosemary.

How to make Dill & Rosemary Compound Butter Balls:

1. Soften your butter: Allow your butter to come to room temperature by placing it on the counter for about 30 minutes or so.
2. Prep your herbs: Dice up your herbs (as fine as you prefer) and set aside.
3. Mix it up: Add your chopped dill and rosemary to the soft butter. Use a fork to stir the butter and herbs together well.
4. Scoop into balls: Using a spoon or cookie scoop, roll the herb butter into 1 tablespoon balls and place into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer.
5. Freeze: Freeze for 15 minutes and then transfer the butter balls to a plastic freezer bag or freezer safe storage container.
6. Repeat: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all of your butter is frozen.

Recipe Tips

• You can store compound butter in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months (or for longer depending on what is in them).
• I don’t thaw these before using – just place them on top of the fish that you’re cooking and enjoy!
• I prefer making butter balls but you can also make a compound butter log, if you would like. To make this recipe in to an herbed butter log, just transfer the mixed butter onto a piece of parchment paper, form it into a log and wrap it well, then refrigerate until firm. If you plan to keep it for more than 5 days, you’ll want to store it in the freezer. Then slice it whenever you are ready to add it to a dish.
• There are SO many different flavor combinations you can make with compound butter. Some other ideas are rosemary & garlic clove with lemon juice, or you can go a sweeter route with honey and cinnamon.
• Savory herbed butter balls are a delicious addition to steak, chicken, fish, or even mashed or roasted potatoes.
• When adding this recipe to salmon fillets, I place the salmon – skin side down – on a baking sheet, or in an aluminum disposable pan, and top with a ball or two of the frozen compound butter. If you want more detailed instructions you can read this post on Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter. If you’re loving this idea but not the flavors, you might love my Chive and Dill Compound Butter recipe.

Healthy eating plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix

Each portion of herb butter is about 1 tablespoon, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers

1 tablespoon is 5 Weight Watchers SmartPoints.

Looking for more easy recipes?

• Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Spicy Teriyaki Salmon Recipe
• Southwest Egg Roll in a Bowl {with Chipotle Ranch Dressing}
• Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
• Buttery Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings
• Copycat Starbucks Bacon Egg Bites

Print

Dill & Rosemary Compound Butter for Fish

This easy compound butter recipe is full of flavor! I love using the fresh herbs in my herb garden – like fresh dill and fresh rosemary – to mix into softened butter. This compound butter for fish is so delicious on top of salmon fillets or even grilled steak.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword compound butter

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 204kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 1 pound unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup fresh dill
• 3/4 cup fresh rosemary

Instructions

• Soften your butter: Allow your butter to come to room temperature by placing it on the counter for about 30 minutes. 1 pound unsalted butter
• Prep your herbs: Dice your herbs and set aside. 3/4 cup fresh dill 3/4 cup fresh rosemary
• Mix it up: Add your chopped dill and rosemary to the soft butter. Use a fork to stir the butter and herbs together.
• Scoop: Using a spoon or scoop, roll the herb butter into 1 tablespoon balls and place into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer.
• Freeze: Freeze for 15 minutes and then transfer the butter balls to a plastic freezer bag.
• Repeat: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all of your butter is frozen.

Notes

Recipe Tips

• I don’t thaw these before using – just place them on top of the fish that you’re cooking and enjoy!
• I prefer making butter balls but if you want to make a compound butter log, just transfer the mixed butter to a piece of parchment paper, form it into a log and wrap it well, then refrigerate until firm.
• There are SO many different flavor combinations you can make with compound butter. Some other ideas are rosemary & garlic clove with lemon juice, or you can go a sweeter route with honey and cinnamon. 
• When adding this recipe to salmon, I place the salmon – skin side down – on a baking sheet, and top with a ball or two of the frozen compound butter. If you want more detailed instructions you can read this post on Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter.

Healthy eating plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix 

Each portion of herb butter is about 1 tablespoon, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers

1 tablespoon is 5 Weight Watchers SmartPoints.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 22.4g | Saturated Fat: 14.2g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0mg

The post Dill and Rosemary Compound Butter for Fish appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Using whole foods like sweet potatoes to make this healthy crab cake recipe was a total ‘a-ha’ moment. The textures and consistency of sweet potato crab cakes just makes sense.

I’m always so glad when a healthier recipe turns out to be delicious; now I can serve these for dinner parties, family meals, and no one will realize that they’re eating something lighter!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we write recipes that anyone can follow. In the article below, you’ll find cooking tips, information about ingredients, and even special diet plan information.

If you don’t need any of that extra information, please scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find the printable version of this easy recipe for Sweet Potato Crab Cakes.

I think making healthier versions of my favorite recipes has become a bit of an addiction–like these easy crab cakes. The trick is to find a recipe that you really like, then pair it with flavors and textures in whole foods.

Ingredients in Sweet Potato Crab Cakes

• Cooked crab: I prefer to use jumbo lump crab meat when I can find it.
• Cooked and mashed sweet potato: If you have an Instant Pot, I recommend using it to cook the sweet potato.
• red bell pepper
• green onion
• egg (optional)
• garlic
• parsley
• lemon juice
• creole seasoning (like Old Bay seasoning)
• black pepper
• panko bread crumbs
• coconut oil, if you’d like to fry these

How to make these Sweet Potato Crab Cakes

This recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

1. Stir together all ingredients except for the oil and breadcrumbs.
2. Shape into 3″ patties (about 1/3 cup), then coat in breadcrumbs.
3. Grease a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or fry with coconut oil:
4. Heat half the coconut oil on medium heat. Cook crab cakes 2-3 minutes per side.
5. When refilling skillet it’s best to wipe with paper towel and then add more oil.
6. This recipe usually makes two batches to cook in my skillet.

Recipe tips

• Instead of an egg, you can use chia seeds and water to make a gel-like substitute. I use 2 tsp chia seeds to 3 tbsp water in this recipe. Mix them together and let them form a gel, then add to the recipe.
• If you have an air fryer, line the bottom with foil and cook these for 5-7 minutes on 350º.
• If you don’t have coconut oil, olive oil will do. So will avocado oil!
• I prefer to use lump crab meat instead of artificial crab meat, if you can find it.
• Looking for a delicious topping? Hot sauce and Dijon mustard are both delicious!

Healthy Eating Plans

For the 21 Day Fix or Ultimate Portion Fix: The entire recipe is 3 red containers, 3 yellow containers, .5 green containers, and 9 teaspoons of oil (if frying). I give you the counts for the entire recipe so it’s easier to recalculate if you change any of the ingredients.

If you make 12 crab cakes, your container counts for two cakes will be 1/2 red container, 1/2 yellow container, a negligible amount of green, and 1 1/2 teaspoon.

Weight Watchers This recipe is 6 Points on the 2023 Plan | 6 Blue Plan Points | 7 Green Plan Points | 5 Purple Plan Points per serving. 

2B Mindset: This recipe is perfect for lunch–just add some protein and veggies!

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Healthy Sweet Potato Crab Cakes

These healthy Sweet potato Crab Cakes are easy and delicious! Perfect for meal prep or an easy dinner recipe.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Sweet Potato Crab Cakes

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 218kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Food processor

Ingredients

• 12 oz cooked crab
• ½ cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
• ¼ cup red bell pepper , chopped
• ¼ cup green onion , thinly sliced
• 1 egg , lightly beaten
• 1 tsp garlic , minced or chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley , chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp creole seasoning
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

• Stir together all ingredients except for the oil and breadcrumbs.  12 oz cooked crab, ½ cup cooked and mashed sweet potato, ¼ cup red bell pepper, ¼ cup green onion, 1 egg, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp creole seasoning, ⅛ tsp pepper
• Shape into 3" patties (1/3 cup), then coat in breadcrumbs. 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• Heat half the coconut oil on medium heat. 3 tbsp coconut oil
• Cook crab cakes 2-3 minutes per side.
• When refilling skillet, it's best to wipe with paper towel and then add more oil.

Notes

 

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.4g | Protein: 15.3g | Fat: 9.6g | Saturated Fat: 6.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 2.7g | Vitamin A: 850IU | Vitamin C: 27.2mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2.2mg

The post Healthy Sweet Potato Crab Cakes appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

One of my favorite ways to spend a summer afternoon is grilling dinner. This Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter is one of our favorite new recipes–and I’m excited to be sharing it with you today!

I’m also sharing some of my knowledge about choosing fish at the grocery store. If you’ve been here for a bit you know that I love sharing recipes, but my true passion is behind the recipes–what food we choose to put into our bodies. Store bought fish is a topic I’m passionate about!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, I love sharing recipe wins–those recipes that you find online and the directions help you make the exact same meal that you see here, whatever your cooking experience is.

Because of this, I share a ton of information about ingredients, recipe tips, and detailed instructions in my post. If you’d like to skip over all of that and get straight to the recipe, scroll right down to the printable recipe for this Grilled Salmon with Herb Butter at the bottom of the post.

Why Open Nature®?

Open Nature brand is sustainably sourced–that means wild caught and contains zero preservatives. It used to be difficult to find store bought seafood that is wild caught, but the Open Nature brand is sold right in your local Albertsons Companies stores.

Alberstons stores partners with FishWise in its efforts to offer responsibly and sustainably sourced seafood–this is important to me to see when I’m buying seafood.

For this meal, I shopped at Safeway, but you can also find Open Nature seafood at Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb, and Vons. Safeway also offers Grocery Delivery and Drive Up & Go for convenient ways to shop!

Sockeye Salmon vs Traditional Salmon:

Sockeye Salmon has a deep red flesh and is high in omega-3. It has a stronger “fish” flavor than traditional salmon, but grills well. The color of sockeye salmon has to do with their diet.

Traditional Salmon has a bit more fat than Sockeye, and tends to be not as dry.

The type of salmon you like is a personal preference, and both have great nutritional properties.

Ingredients:

• Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon Fillets You can also use regular salmon, or any other fish. This recipe is super versatile!
• Butter I used unsalted Irish butter because it’s a bit richer and creamier than traditional butter.
• Fresh Rosemary You can use dried, but trust me on this one and go grab some fresh.
• Fresh Sage Same as the rosemary–you’ll be thankful you bought fresh!
• Fresh Lemon Just one!
• Foil or a foil pan I explain which one I use and why below!
• Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

Recipe Tips:

• If you’re in a hurry to make your butter, preheat your grill to 425º and set your butter next to the grill on a glass plate. It’ll warm in no time.
• You can slice your lemon after you zest it and place some slices on top of your salmon and in your foil pan. You can also save them to squeeze lemon juice on the salmon after it’s cooked.

Instructions:

How to grill salmon with skin

No need to stress about cooking fish with the skin on! The skin softens as it cooks, so you’ll be able to serve portions as is (with skin on) and as you eat the salmon, you’ll break off pieces with your fork and the skin will separate easily.

You can also flip the salmon pieces over after they’re cooked and remove the skin, but I find it much easier if everyone removes their own as they’re eating.

How to make compound herb butter:

Once you make this lemon rosemary herb butter, you’ll always keep some in your freezer–it’s that good!

• Allow your butter to come to room temperature. It’ll be easier to mix this way.
• My food processor couldn’t get the fresh herbs small enough, so I used a kitchen knife to dice the rosemary and sage.
• Add lemon zest, butter, and herbs to your food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, just mix them up really well.
• Your butter is ready to use now, but if you have some time or if you made extra, use a teaspoon to scrape it into balls and stick them in the freezer. Mini cupcake tins work great for holding butter balls!
• Looking for flavor ideas? Try my Chive & Dill Compound Butter or Dill & Rosemary Compound Butter.

Foil packet vs foil pan?

By far, I prefer using foil pans or tins. They are sturdy, and I don’t have to worry about them bending the wrong way and leaking like homemade foil packs can. They also come with lids so I can easily use them to meal prep!

I love grilling seafood, and I love how easy it is to grill with foil pans. Easy clean up is important for me, and I love that I’m not stressing about the fish sticking to the grill grates.

There are so many ways you can marinate and season seafood–another favorite for us is using coconut aminos to make a homemade teriyaki sauce (reduced sodium soy sauce works too!).

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: For each 3/4 cup serving, count one red container. Each portion of herb butter is about 1 1/2 tsp, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers: For 3 oz salmon and 1 1/2 tsp butter, count 3 Green Plan Points | 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset: Salmon fits perfectly into your 2B meals as a protein. For lunch, be sure to use half of your plate for vegetables, 1/4 for protein, and 1/4 for an FFC. For dinner, this salmon is perfect as 25% of your plate and fill the remaining 75% with vegetables.

Need a delicious side dish for this salmon recipe?

• Brown Rice and Quinoa
• Garlic Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
• Brown Rice
• Cauliflower Steaks
• White Rice
• Turnip Fries

To make the carrots pictured above, peel them and add to foil tray. Add 1 cup of water and place them on the grill as you’re prepping the salmon filets. Allow to cook for 30-40 minutes.

Print

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter

This easy grilled salmon with homemade herb butter will be your go-to summer grilling recipe!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Grilled Salmon, Homemade Herb Butter, Salmon

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 190kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Foil Pans
• Food processor
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter I prefer unsalted, you can use more butter if you'd like to make extra to freeze
• .75 oz fresh rosemary
• .75 oz fresh sage
• 1 lemon
• 12 oz Sockeye Salmon Look for wild caught

Instructions

• Allow the butter to melt to room temperature. Pull the leaves off of half of the rosemary and sage and either add them to your food processor or dice them super small. 2 tbsp butter, .75 oz fresh rosemary, .75 oz fresh sage
• Zest the lemon and add zest to the food processor. Save remaining lemon to garnish salmon in the pan or squeeze over cooked salmon. 1 lemon
• Add the butter (and the herbs if they're not in it already) to your food processor and allow them to blend together. You can also mix this by hand if you'd like.
• If you'd like to be fancy, use a teaspoon to scrape the butter and roll it into balls. Place each ball on a small plate and put them in the freezer. Freezing the butter isn't necessary for the recipe. 
• Preheat your grill to medium-high or 425º. 

  You can grill these right on your grill grates, but I like to use searing plates on my grill because it cooks so evenly when I use them. 
• Spray the bottom of a foil pan with nonstick cooking oil. Place your salmon in the foil pan, skin down. 
• If you'd like to make a foil pouch for your salmon, place a 12 inch long piece of foil and note where the 6 inch mark is. Spray the bottom half of the foil and place your salmon on the foil. Fold the top over to close your pouch. 12 oz Sockeye Salmon 
• Top with the remaining herbs and garlic butter. I like to use 2 teaspoons of herb butter for each piece of salmon.
• Grill your salmon for 15-20 minutes if thawed, checking the temperature regularly. 

  If your salmon is frozen, no problem! You'll want to cook it at the same temperature for 30-40 minutes. 
• Your salmon is finished cooking when it reaches (and sustains) 145º. 

Notes

Recipe Tips: 

• If you’re in a hurry to make your butter, preheat your grill to 425º and set your butter next to the grill on a glass plate. It’ll warm in no time.
• You can slice your lemon after you zest it and place some slices on top of your salmon and in your foil pan. You can also save them to squeeze lemon juice on the salmon after it’s cooked.

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: For each 3/4 cup serving, count one red container. Each portion of herb butter is about 1 1/2 tsp, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers: For 3 oz salmon and 1 1/2 tsp butter, count 3 Green Plan Points | 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset: Salmon fits perfectly into your 2B meals as a protein. For lunch, be sure to use half of your plate for vegetables, 1/4 for protein, and 1/4 for an FFC. For dinner, this salmon is perfect as 25% of your plate and fill the remaining 75% with vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 367IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Compound Butter appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This creamy and delicious recipe will have all of your guests coming back for more! Pasta Salad with Tuna is great for parties and these flavors pair nicely with all of your grilled meat flavors. You can also make this ahead of time if you are planning to attend a party or celebration and don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen that morning.

Keep this recipe in mind when you are trying to figure out what to do with leftover Easter eggs or leftover hard boiled eggs in general! Use this tutorial and your Instant Pot to have those hard boiled eggs ready in no time.

My family has been making this tuna macaroni salad since I was little. It’s a great recipe to bring along to barbecues because it’s the perfect side dish to go along with whatever is on the grill. We often eat this for lunch leftovers and it keeps in the fridge for a few days after it’s made.  

Macaroni Salad with Tuna Recipe

Note: The recipe calls for 1 cup of mayo but only put in 1/2 until you see how it tastes. Different pastas will require a bit more moisture and you can add in small amounts until you reach the desired taste and texture. Also, after refrigerating this recipe for a bit, the mayo will be sucked into the cooked pasta. You’ll need to add a bit more before serving. 

Ingredients for Macaroni Salad with Tuna:

• celery, chopped
• cucumber, skinned and chopped
• red pepper, chopped
• red onions, chopped
• shredded or chopped carrots
• hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped (use the Instant Pot if you have one)!
• elbow pasta or salad macaroni
• tuna (optional)
• mustard
• mayo, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredients: 

• pickle relish
• spicy peppers
• zucchini

How to make tuna macaroni salad: 

1. Boil pasta (cook according to package instructions) in salted water and let cool. Al dente directions are usually perfect. I add ice to my colander after it’s cooked and allow it to sit while I’m making the rest of the salad.

2. Chop your celery, onion, pepper, cucumber, carrots and eggs while pasta is cooling.

3. Mash up the tuna into smaller chunks with a fork before adding to pasta salad. 

4. Add pasta, mustard and 1/2C mayo to a large bowl. Mix together some of the mayo, pasta, veggies, and eggs. This tuna pasta salad salad tastes best when allowed to sit overnight before serving. You’ll probably need to add mayo to salad before serving.

Can I use Miracle Whip instead of Mayo? 

You could, but I have never used Miracle Whip. While mayo is made from fairly decent ingredients, Miracle Whip has a few ingredients that I don’t care to use, like high fructose corn syrup and other “flavorings.” 

Is macaroni salad healthy? 

While this isn’t something I’d eat every day, I do make a few changes to make this recipe healthier. I always use the least amount of mayo as possible for starters. I use whole wheat noodles, and often double or triple the vegetables–this macaroni salad is a classic recipe that can easily be made a bit healthier. 

The carbs and calories are high in this, but it’s pasta salad–so we expect that. Saturated fat is fairly low, and I’d cut sodium where I could. 

How can I add more veggies? 

When baking, you shouldn’t swap ingredients without a bit of experience. When cooking, however, swap away. Keep your pasta, mayo and other seasonings, but feel free to swap the veggies I use or change the amounts on them. You can leave the eggs out of this recipe if you prefer, and you can absolutely leave the tuna out as well. 

I don’t care for tuna most of the time, but this recipe is different. It adds something delicious to the salad, as well as providing a bit of protein. 

What kind of tuna should I use? 

I prefer the Wild Planet brand of tuna–you can get a great deal on it at Costco. I always choose white tuna in water and try to avoid the added salt. 

Print

Macaroni Salad with Tuna | Pasta Salad with Tuna

This macaroni salad with tuna is a delicious BBQ side dish that everyone will love. We've been making this tuna macaroni salad since I was a kid and it's always requested at pot lucks!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta salad

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Chill time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 17 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 490kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Ingredients

Ingredients for BBQ Pasta Salad with Tuna:

• 1 box macaroni
• 1 cup celery chopped
• 1.5 cup cucumber skinned and chopped
• 1 cup red pepper chopped
• .5 cup carrots shredded
• 6 hard boiled eggs shelled and chopped
• 1 can tuna
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 C mayo Adjust to taste

Optional: salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Directions for making Macaroni Salad with Tuna:

• Boil pasta and let cool. I add ice to the colander after it's cooked, while I'm making the rest of the salad. 1 box macaroni
• Chop your veggies and eggs while pasta is cooling. 1 cup celery, 1.5 cup cucumber, 1 cup red pepper, .5 cup carrots, 6 hard boiled eggs
• Mash up the tuna into smaller chunks 1 can tuna
• Add pasta, mustard and 1/2C mayo to bowl. Add tuna, veggies, and eggs. Add mayo in 1/4C increments until you're satisfied with the consistency. This salad tastes best when allowed to sit overnight before serving. You'll probably need to add mayo to salad before serving. 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 C mayo

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2220IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Macaroni Salad with Tuna | Pasta Salad with Tuna appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Ingredients in Shrimp Cakes

• Red Pepper
• Green Onions
• Garlic
• Salad Shrimp: There are usually about 80 per pound of shrimp. These are tiny and often very tender.
• Almond Flour: Made from blanching and grinding raw almonds.
• Flax Meal: Ground flax seeds.
• Egg
• Creole Mustard: Spicy brown mustard is easily found in the grocery aisle.
• Creole Seasoning: I like to use Tony’s Cajun seasoning. Try to find one that doesn’t contain MSG.
• Olive Oil: You can also use coconut oil.
• Greek Yogurt: Grab a plain yogurt that is 2% fat.
• Paprika
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Oregano
• Onion Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Thyme

Recipe Tips

• If you’d prefer to make salmon cakes or crab cakes you can swap out equal amounts for this recipe.
• I don’t add much salt when I’m cooking, so add salt to your individual taste.
• You can find salad shrimp in the canned foods, or frozen. I prefer frozen.
• You can use a food processor to chop your shrimp.
• A burger press makes perfectly uniform patties.
• If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a tablespoon or two of almond milk.

How to make Shrimp Cakes

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 2 cakes

1. Cook your vegetable Spray a skillet with cooking oil and heat over medium high. Once the pan is hot add bell peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until soft. It will take about 5 minutes. Once they are soft transfer them to a medium sized bowl. While your vegetables cook finely chop your shrimp.
2. Make your cakes Add your chopped shrimp, almond meal, flax meal, egg, creole mustard, and creole seasoning to your cooked vegetables. Use your hands to combine the mixture. Pat out 8 equally sized patties.
3. Fry Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to your skillet and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (it will start to ripple) add 4 patties to the pan and cook them for 3 minutes per side. Move the patties to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and repeat with the last 4 patties.
4. Make your sauce In a small bowl combine Greek yogurt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and thyme and stir well. Serve 2 Shrimp cakes with 3 tablespoons of sauce and top with freshly chopped parsley.

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers: When using fat free yogurt for the sauce the points are: 7 Blue Plan Points | 9 Green Plan Points | 7 Purple Plan Points   

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: For the entire recipe: 1 Green Container, 6 Red Containers, 4 Blue Containers, 4 Orange Containers, 6 Teaspoons. Per Serving (2 Cakes & 3 tbsp sauce): ¼ Green Container, 1 ½ Red Container, 1 Blue Container, 1 Orange Container, 1 ½ Teaspoon.

2B Mindset: Fill your plate with 50% vegetables for a complete lunch.

Looking for more delicious recipes?

I have lots of great 21 Day Fix, Weight Watchers, and 2B Mindset recipes here for you to try. If you love these shrimp cakes you will definitely want to try these sweet potato crab cakes.

• 21 Day Fix Recipes
• Weight Watchers Recipes
• 2B Mindset Recipes

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Easy Shrimp Cakes

These Shrimp Cakes are an easy Cajun dish. They work great as an appetizer, or as a meal. The spice level is easy to adjust so you can make it milder or turn up the heat if you like it hot.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Shrimp

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 493kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Enameled Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

• 1 cup red bell pepper diced
• 4 green onions thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 24 oz salad shrimp cooked, peeled, tail off
• ½ cup almond flour
• ½ cup ground flax
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp Creole mustard
• 2 tsp Creole seasoning
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Creole Sauce

• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt plain, 2%
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano dried
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1.8 tsp thyme dried

Optional: salt to taste

Instructions

• Spray a skillet with cooking oil and heat over medium high. Once the pan is hot add bell peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until soft. It will take about 5 minutes. Once they are soft transfer them to a medium sized bowl. While your vegetables cook, finely chop your shrimp. 1 cup red bell pepper 4 green onions 1 clove garlic 24 oz salad shrimp
• Add your chopped shrimp, almond meal, flax meal, egg, creole mustard, and creole seasoning to your cooked vegetables. Use your hands to combine the mixture. Pat out 8 equally sized patties. ½ cup almond flour ½ cup ground flax 1 egg 1 tbsp Creole mustard 2 tsp Creole seasoning
• Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to your skillet and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (it will start to ripple) add 4 patties to the pan and cook them for 3 minutes per side. Move the patties to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and repeat with the last 4 patties. 2 tbsp olive oil
• In a small bowl combine Greek yogurt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and thyme and stir well. Serve 2 Shrimp cakes with 3 tablespoons of sauce and top with freshly chopped parsley. 3/4 cup Greek yogurt 1 tsp paprika 3/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp oregano 1/8 tsp onion powder 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1.8 tsp thyme

Notes

Recipe Tips

• If you’d prefer to make salmon cakes or crab cakes you can swap out equal amounts. 
• Add salt to taste.
• You can find salad shrimp in the canned foods, or frozen. I prefer frozen.
• You can use a food processor to chop your shrimp. 
• A burger press makes perfectly uniform patties. 
• If you prefer a thinner sauce you can add a tablespoon or two of almond milk.

Weight Watchers: When using fat free yogurt for the sauce the points are: 

7 Blue Plan Points : 9 Green Plan Points : 7 Purple Plan Points   

Ultimate Portion Fix: For the entire recipe: 1 Green Containers, 6 Red Containers, 4 Blue Containers, 4 Orange Containers, 6 Teaspoons. Per Serving (2 Cakes & 3 tbsp sauce): ¼ Green Container, 1 ½ Red Container, 1 Blue Container, 1 Orange Container, 1 ½ Teaspoon.   

2B Mindset: Fill your plate with 50% vegetables for a complete lunch.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Cakes | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 472mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1802IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 400mg | Iron: 6mg

The post Easy Shrimp Cakes Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.