You’ve probably figured out by reading our blog that we love our home cooked meals. After all, our website wouldn’t be packed with thousands of recipes if we didn’t!  As registered dietitian nutritionists and personal trainers, we love the flavor we create and how good we feel while we eat them—and how great we feel after—completely satisfied, yet light and energized.  And there’s an added sense of happiness and satisfaction knowing that our recipes meet our nutritious, waistline friendly standards and we know exactly what is going in them. What’s probably not so obvious is that as much as we love cooking, there are many times when we’d rather not bother with the meal prep that is required.  Yup, sometimes, we’d like our yummy, wholesome meals without having to do a thing except assemble the ingredients.  In fact, many of our clients have asked for just that, our meals in delivery kits dropped off right at their doorstep. And that’s why we’re so excited to share with you the launch of 3 of our meals that you can fully enjoy in the comfort of your own home, knowing that they meet all of our nutrition criteria to keep you fueled, beach-ready and completely satisfied.

An added bonus-

Prunes (We used California prunes because we find them to be the sweetest and juiciest):

Our mom always kept a jar of stewed prunes in the fridge when we we’re growing up and anytime we were craving something sweet, we’d reach for them.  They’re the best way to bust a sugar craving!  Who knew we were also getting these benefits:

• Research shows that eating 5-6 prunes a day may help support healthy bones and help maintain good digestive health.
• Prunes are packed with antioxidants called polyphenols, which help keep many parts of your body healthy– ranging from your heart to your eyes to your memory and your immune system.
•  California Prune growers provide the highest quality prunes in the world.
• A serving has 3 grams of fiber and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol at just 100 calories.

Moroccan Spiced Shrimp Skewers with Toasted Chickpeas, and California Prunes & Quinoa Salad

 

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This simple dish is packed with flavor thanks to all the Moroccan-inspired spices! Smoked paprika, cumin, and a hint of cinnamon spice up the shrimp skewers, which are so quick to cook. The quinoa salad still takes on traditional flavors thanks to the combination of spices, dried fruit, parsley, and lemon, but we added a few fun twists! Traditional Moroccan cuisine uses a lot of couscous and dates, but we swapped those ingredients out for gluten-free, high-protein quinoa and fiber rich California prunes. This dish is filling, flavorful, and unbelievably easy - perfect for any weeknight! EQUIPMENT: -- Rimmed sheet pan -- Small sauce pot with lid -- Medium bowl -- Strainer -- 2 Small bowls -- aluminum foil --4 bamboo skewers

Author: NutritionTwins.com

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS:
• Olive oil (in a spray container)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 shallot
• 1½ oz Matchstick carrots
• 1 oz Red quinoa
• 2 oz White quinoa
• 2 tsp Smoked paprika
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• ½t sp Ground cinnamon
• 12 Jumbo shrimp
• 1 Lemon
• 2 oz California prunes
• ¼ can Chickpeas
• ½ oz Fresh parsley
• ¼ oz Fresh basil
• ¼ oz Fresh cilantro
• 1 Garlic clove

Instructions

1. STEP ONE
2. Preheat the broiler to high.
3. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil.
4. Finely chop the shallot and chop the carrots into ⅛-inch pieces.
5. In a small sauce pot with lid, heat 1 teaspoons of olive oil for 1 minute. Add the shallot and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water and ONLY 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Pat dry shrimp with paper towels.
7. Cut the lemon in half. Add the juice of HALF a lemon to a medium bowl, discarding any seeds.
8. Rinse and pat dry produce prior to use.
9. STEP TWO
10. Recommendations for salt and pepper are optional. Please season to taste.
11. Add remaining paprika, cumin, and cinnamon, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to the medium bowl. Stir to make a loose paste. Add the shrimp; toss well.
12. Cut the prunes into¼-inch pieces; set aside.
13. Drain ONLY half the can of chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels. Store remaining chickpeas in a separate container for personal use.
14. Remove and discard stems from parsley. Finely chop the leaves and place HALF of the leaves in a small bowl. Set aside remaining leaves for step 3.
15. Remove and discard the stems from the basil and cilantro. Finely chop the herbs and add to the bowl. Add garlic, juice of remaining lemon, discarding any seeds, and 1 teaspoons of olive oil and a pinch each salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
16. STEP THREE
17. In a small bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Place chickpeas onto the prepared baking sheet and broil for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside for plating.
18. Thread 3 shrimp each per skewer and wrap the ends of each skewer with a small piece of foil. Place on the same sheet pan and broil for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir prunes and remaining parsley into the quinoa.
19. (FDA recommends cooking shrimp to a minimum 145°F)
20. STEP FOUR
21. Divide the quinoa between two plates.
22. Top with the toasted chickpeas and lay the shrimp skewers on top.
23. Serve with the herb sauce on the side.
24. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 servings Calories: 460 Fat: 9 g Sodium: 290 mg Protein: 32 g

3.5.3229

We are honored to have partnered with Chef’d and California prunes to create these meals!