When I shop for meat at the supermarket, I normally go straight to the chicken and ground turkey – my goals are always cheap and versatile. However, when Tina Haupert, the writer behind one of my favorite Boston food blogs, Carrots ‘N Cake, as well as a NuVal employee, asked if I would be interested in devoting a blog on NuVal scores, my meat-buying-abilities immediately broadened. NuVal is a company dedicated to making nutrition easy by rating certain foods with “scores.” Their website has more information, but NuVal basically rates foods on a scale from 1 to 100, 100 having the most nutritional value. Price Chopper has NuVal scores listed right underneath the product, but I went by the scores right on their website.
On their website, I went straight to the meat section, and noticed that boneless chicken breast only scored a 39, while turkey breast was a 31. I then perused the seafood section, and most of the scores were closer to the 70 to 80 range! Shrimp, for instance, got a 75. When it came to veggies, Aunt Nellie's Ruby Red Sweet & Sour Harvard Beets received an 8, while regular red tomatoes scored a 96. Easy decision: toss up same-old chicken and vegetables for some fresh shrimp and tomatoes. The catch: shrimp usually isn’t cheap.
I stopped into my local, trustworthy Hannaford last night and did some serious bargain shopping. The fresh shrimp was obviously expensive, especially if it was already peeled and deveined. However, I was surprised at how expensive frozen shrimp was; even the Hannaford brand was close to $10-12. After some more digging, I found it: a five-serving bag of frozen, medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined, for a mere $4.99. Hello, dinner.
I knew I was going out for nachos and beer for “dessert,” so I made my pre-meal a light one. However, although this dish was delicious as is, I also recommend serving it over rice or pasta – it’s spicy, full of flavor, and the shrimp are perfectly plump and juicy.
Spicy Shrimp & Tomatoes
Yields: two servings
-30 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (frozen, with tails still on)
-1 medium red tomato, chopped
-1/2 tbsp. minced garlic, jarred
-1 1/2 tsp. butter
-Juice from half a lemon
-1 tsp. crushed red pepper
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Parsley, for garnish (optional)
Directions: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add shrimp (cut off tails if desired). Season with a little salt (very little amount if using salted butter), black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice, then add garlic and tomatoes. Allow shrimp to cook for 4 to 5 minutes total, or until they can be pierced with a fork. Serve over rice, pasta, or in a bowl as is. Garnish with parsley. (If you have white wine, adding a splash of that would add even more flavor/cut some more of the heaviness from the butter).
Recap of NuVal scores:
Shrimp: 75
Red tomato: 96
*If I had made my usual chicken with broccoli, the scores only would have been:
Boneless chicken breast: 39
Fresh broccoli florettes: 100
How have you used NuVal scores to change up your routine meals/a certain recipe?
sounds good
ReplyDeleteI've had many changes now that NuVal is in my local grocery stores. Most recently, I've changed brands of cottage cheese. It was a very easy decision once I read the NuVal score on the shelf.
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