Shrimp

If you’ve never had real pad Thai, it will change your life when you do. It’s a perfect example of Asian kitchen alchemy. The texture of the rice noodles against the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter taste of the almost seventeen ingredients (in the original) is the thesis for every Asian fusion dish to come out of an American chef’s kitchen since the 1980s. “Complex,” “layered,” and “dynamic” are words that come to mind—and every bite is different. All that comes with a price, though! The original can tip the scales at 2,000 calories per serving. This made-over version comes in at a fraction of the calories and a fraction of the work, and it tastes great. Fish sauce is derived from fermented fish and can be found in many Southeast Asian dishes. It is available in the ethnic or Asian aisle of most major supermarkets.

Grits, butter, and cheese have a highly symbiotic relationship. Similar to polenta, grits are simply ground dried corn that is rehydrated and reheated with milk, water, or broth and flavored with cheese, butter, salt, and pepper—and sometimes some other very good things. While I’ve been known to serve grits with black truffles, the traditional additions can pile up the fat and calories fast. Using low-fat cheese and extra-lean turkey bacon and omitting the butter reduced the fat grams from 46.7 to 7.4 and cut the calories by half.

This Cajun dish is so associated with good times that Hank Williams named a song after it. The original isn’t so good for you, though. I made a few changes to the classic to make it easier to prepare—and much healthier. White rice has been replaced with brown, and much less fat is used to cook the vegetables and meat. Feel free to improvise by adding chicken, fish, or vegetables.

Po’ boys are a kind of sub sandwich from the sultry state of Louisiana, consisting of fried meat or fish served on a crispy French-style baguette. Traditionally they are made with fried shrimp or oysters, though soft-shell crabs, catfish, crawfish, Louisiana hot sausage, and roast beef have been known to make an appearance. Served hot, the shellfish, fish, or meat is dressed with some combination of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, pickles, onions, and mustard or a spicy mayo. In this version the fat and calories are reduced to a fraction of the original by faux frying the shrimp, using low-fat mayonnaise, and replacing the traditional white-flour baguette with sprouted-grain bread.

A healthy amount of celery gives this traditionally rich seafood salad a good bit of crunch. The lightened-up lemony mayonnaise dressing would be delicious with any cold, steamed, or poached seafood, including crab, scallops, and lobster.

At almost 1,200 calories and 33 grams of fat (for an appetizer!), the original version of this favorite starter is incredibly naughty—and, admittedly, incredibly tasty. With apologies to Monty Python, these coconut shrimp have lost their naughty bits but are none the worse for having done so.

This jumble is a lot like jambalaya, so I call it a Jumble-laya. This is one of those flexible recipes. You can substitute turkey or tender cuts of pork and beef for the chicken. Go all seafood by bumping up the amount of shrimp and adding crabmeat at the end to just heat it through. Andouille sausage is a spicy, smoky sausage with a flavor that packs a punch. It is used in Cajun-style food and is a staple in gumbo and jambalaya. Is okra not your thing? Substitute frozen defrosted French-cut green beans.

This burger and the side that follows are fancy enough to entertain with and much more affordable than steaks and lobster for your crew!

This recipe requires no cooking and is served cold, so it makes a perfect low-carb on-the-go lunch, or a picnic for the park as well! Pack the dressing with an ice pack to keep it chilled out. If you think you don’t like anchovies, try them in this dressing. They just taste salty and yummy!

A lower-carb alternative to pot stickers and other dumplings.

This dish is so good that if you ever share it with friends they’ll each be calling you the next week for home delivery. Ask for a generous tip.

Why roast the carrots? Well let me tell you, a roasted carrot will kick a boiled carrot’s you know what, any day. That’s why.