Newsletter #2 - Fiesta

As the weather starts to turn warmer, I'm itching to throw a fiesta! But now that I'm eating low, the chips, margaritas, and queso aren't going to be on the guest list! By taking the flavors of mexican food but leaving out the carby chips, fatty cheese, and fruity alcoholic drinks, you can still create a fiesta-worthy meal.

To create a festive tablescape, use bright colored serving platters. A bright woven poncho can do double duty as a tablecloth. Pinatas look cute hanging all around and can provide entertainment - you'd be amazed how adults and kids alike get into wacking a pinata!

All my recipes are now at http://www.eatinglow.com/recipes.htm

Shrimp Ceviche Appetizer

If you are brave, try this appetizer! Ceviche uses the citric acid of citrus fruit to "cook" the fish. In this recipe, the shrimp is partially cooked first.

2-3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large diced tomatoes
1 red onion diced
1 bunch diced cilantro
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, diced
Juice of 8 limes
Juice of 8 lemons
Juice of 2 oranges
2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced

Blanche shrimp in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then shock in ice cold water. Strain when cooled. Cut shrimp into 1-inch pieces and add to bowl. Add citrus juice and marinate for 2 hours. Add red onion, tomatoes, chilies and cilantro, marinate for 2 more hours. Add cucumber before serving. If you are on maintenance, you can add diced avocado when you add the cucumber. Serve with zucchini slices or other veggie slices.

Simple Cilantro Lime Salad

Mix together letttuce, diced tomato, peppers (red, yellow, green), and cucumber with some lime juice and a shake of cumin and salt. Top with chopped up cilantro.

Main Course Mexican Fish or Chicken

These two easy main dishes will leave you plenty of time to socialize or show off your salsa dancing skills! Both only require 1 ingredient - the most flavorful, lowest carb salsa you can find!

Mexican Fish - Place any white fish fillets on tinfoil. Spoon salsa over fish and make a packet by sealing up the edges. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Salsa Chicken - Boil chicken breasts for 30 minutes in a pot of water. Shred chicken using two forks. Top with salsa and warm in the microwave. You could also serve this on top of your mexican salad.

Skinny "Sangria"

This will give you the flavor of sangria without the alcohol or carbs of the real thing! Take a bottle of Berry Pomegranate Immunity Crystal Light (it's new so you may have to search for it!). Pour into a glass pitcher filled with ice. Add cut up wedges of limes, oranges, and lemons to the pitcher.