With long legs and antennae it has traveled around the world’s cuisines to take part of many dishes; Tom yum goong, Paella de Marisco, Cacciucco, Caldeirada, Jambalaya and Curry Curry are some of its primary signatures… Scientists and doctors fought with it for many years labeling it as a hypercholesterolemic food… Recent studies and I are here today to prove it wrong and show the benefits of this food staple, suggesting a new scrumptious recipe!That will be very Shrimp-y!

Shrimps are an excellent source of selenium and proteins. A good source of vitamin D, vitamin B12, Omega-3,Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and other important minerals.

Shrimps are low in calories; each 120g provides 112 calories. They are low in fat and saturated fat.However each 12 large shrimps contain 200mg of cholesterol and that doesn’t imply that they will directly affect the blood cholesterol levels on the contrary,in a study where 300g of shrimps were consumed on a daily basis,  blood test results after a while showed an increase in the LDL levels by 7%, in the HDL levels by 12% and a decrease in the Triglyceride levels by 13%.

In fact, saturated fats found in animal sources such as red meat, have been shown to have a higher effect on the increase of the total blood cholesterol than cholesterol found in foods!

Now back to the culinary  world, i’ve been working on the development of some new recipes lately and i wanted to share this easy yet delicious one with you!

Ingredients:

1 Kg of fresh shrimps

Sesame oil

Soy sauce light

Fresh ginger

Fresh coriander

1 clove of garlic

lemon juice

Method of preparation:

Remove the shell of the shrimps, devein them and rinse them with water and white vinegar.

In a large bowl combine 3 tbsp of sesame oil with 6 tbsp of soy sauce light, a handful of chopped fresh coriander, 3 tbsp of grated fresh ginger, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2 juice of a lemon. Add the shrimps and let it marinate overnight.

Soak the bamboo skewers in water.  It is critical to soak the skewers in water, for at least an hour or so to avoid burning them while grilling the shrimps.Thread the marinated shrimps into the bamboo skewers and grill over hot coals…

And if you’re wondering what salad to prepare with this delicacy, i’d recommend a crab salad… Since it is hard to always find fresh crab, going occasionally for the imitated ones isn’t a big deal… After all moderation counts more!

In my salad bowl i’ve mixed the crab sticks with fresh chopped coriander, fresh grated ginger, shredded cucumbers, lettuce, sesame oil,soy sauce light and lemon juice …

I really enjoyed my lunch! I hope that you would also enjoy yours!

Bon Appetit!

Dietitian Nicole Maftoum