The accompanying salad uses fennel, a pale green bulb with darker, feathery leaves. It has a similar texture to celery and a very mild licorice flavor.
Shortcut tip: Omit the Celery and Fennel Salad and use a washed, ready-to-eat Italian-style salad instead.
Helpful Hints:
- You can find crushed red pepper in the spice section of the supermarket.
- Buy pre-shelled shrimp.
- Wash mussels under cold water. Tap mussels that are open to see if they will close. Discard any that remain open.
- You can find minced garlic in the produce section of most markets.
- Slice the celery and fennel in a food processor using the thin slicing blade.
- A quick way to chop fennel leaves is to snip them with a scissors.
Countdown
- Place water for pasta on to boil.
- Make salad and let marinate.
- Make spaghetti dish.
Shopping List
To buy: 1 pound fresh mussels, 3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, 1 bottle crushed red pepper, 1 bottle dry white wine, 1 bottle/can low-sodium, low-fat tomato sauce*, 1 package spaghetti, 1 bunch parsley, 1 bunch celery, 1 small fennel bulb.
Staples: olive oil, minced garlic, reduced-fat vinaigrette dressing**, salt, black peppercorns.
Spaghetti Del Pescatore (Fisherman’s Spaghetti)
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
Ingredients- 1 pound fresh mussels
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 cup low-sodium, low-fat tomato sauce*
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ounces spaghetti (1 rounded cup cooked)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Place a large saucepan filled with water on to boil for pasta. Scrub mussels and place in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cover with a lid and cook until shells open, about 2 minutes, shaking pan several times. Remove mussels to a bowl, leaving the juice in the pan. Discard any mussels that are not open. (If juice is sandy, strain through a sieve lined with paper towels.) Add the garlic, crushed red pepper and white wine to the skillet. Boil to reduce liquid for about 1 minute. Lower heat to medium and add shrimp and tomato sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink; remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley and add salt and pepper to taste. Return mussels to skillet and set aside, covered.
Cook spaghetti in boiling water for 8 to 9 minutes. Drain and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a plate and top with shrimp and mussel sauce.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 548 calories, 91 calories from fat, 10.1 g total fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 4.2 g monounsaturated fat, 278 mg cholesterol, 483 mg sodium, 50.3 g carbohydrate, 3.8 g dietary fiber, 8.3 g sugars, 50.8 g protein.
Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1/2 carbohydrate, 6 lean meat.
Celery And Fennel Salad
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
Ingredients
- 2 celery stalks (about 1 cup sliced)
- 1 small fennel bulb (about 2 cups sliced)
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat vinaigrette dressing
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove leaves from celery and fennel. Chop some of the fennel leaves to make about 2 tablespoons chopped leaves. Thinly slice, paper thin if possible, the celery and fennel. Place in a bowl and add the dressing. Toss well. Sprinkle chopped fennel leaves on top
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 46 calories, 11 calories from fat, 1.2 g total fat, 0.1 g saturated fat, 0.4 g monounsaturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 8.5 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g dietary fiber, 1.6 g sugars, 1.5 g protein.
Exchanges: 2 vegetable.
Shop Smart
* Look for low-salt tomato sauce containing per cup (8 ounces): 103 calories, .5 g fat, 21.3 g carbohydrate, 21 mg sodium.
** Look for reduced-fat vinaigrette or oil and vinegar dressing containing per tablespoon: 11 calories, 1.0 g fat, 4 mg sodium.
From “Fast and Flavorful: Great Diabetes Meals from Market to Table” by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association. Gassenheimer’s latest book is “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook,” published by the American Diabetes Association. To order either book call 1-800-232-6733 or at www.shopdiabetes.org.
Copyright 2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
