Healthy: Shrimp Roll

Lobster rolls are delicious but take a naturally healthy ingredient (lobster) and make it really unhealthy with lots of butter, mayo and carbs. Some of the finer flavors of lobster are lost in the lobster salad mix that goes into those delicious sandwiches. This healthy version of the lobster roll makes two big slashes against the traditional lobster roll. First, it replaces the lobster with shrimp, which makes the recipe much cheaper. Yeah, it's no longer a lobster roll anymore -- hence the name shrimp roll -- but it's also a lot cheaper and you're not paying for an expensive ingredient prepared in a way usually reserved for cheaper ingredients. Second, it cuts down on the overall calories while maintaining good flavor.

Servings: 4, 400 calories per serving

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked, deveined shrimp (shell on or off, your choice)
2 stalks of celery
1/4 red onion
2 tbsp dried or fresh chopped chives
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp Low fat mayo
1 tsp hot sauce (can use either Franks/Louisiana hot sauce or sriracha)
Juice of 1 lemon (can use bottled lemon juice)
4 hot dog buns

Equipment:

Knife and cutting board
Stove
Pot with lid
Bowl

Step 1: Cook shrimp in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Cool and remove tails and shells. Cut into small pieces, at least cutting into half horizontally (not lengthwise).

Step 2: Dice red onion and celery -- can do this while shrimp are cooking.

Step 3: Mix all ingredients except the buns. Salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Add 1/4 of mixture to a hot dog bun. Can toast the bun in a toaster or under a broiler if you prefer.

That's it. Very simple recipe and the shrimp salad will last in the fridge for about a week.

You can also keep the water you boiled the shrimp in and add the shells and tails back in and simmer it with some seasoning to create a nice seafood stock. I do this as a base for chowders and other seafood-based soups. Some bay seasoning (not to be confused with bay leaves) is enough seasoning to make a slightly spicy but flavorful stock. Discard the shells and tails once you are happy with the flavor. Stock will freeze well. You can always boil it down to a stronger flavor than you prefer for more efficient storage and dilute with water before use.