I was asked by a regular reader of this column who has dietary restrictions if I could help them out with some healthy recipes. This week I want to honor that request.

I recently enjoyed this nutritious, light and low-carb entree at my brother’s home. We whipped up this dish in under 30 minutes.

This savory skillet wonder can be served with white or brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice. In my opinion, though, just a simple cucumber salad and fresh pineapple spears (chilled or grilled) make excellent, easy sides.

Use jumbo shrimp for this recipe or chicken or tofu can be substituted if you’re not a shrimp fan. And if you don’t have a container of Cajun seasoning in the pantry, I’ve included how to concoct your own. I’m betting you have all these spices on hand, and in making your own blend, you can adjust it to your taste.

Although the apple season in much of the Northeast has not been stellar this year because of that late spring frost, there are still apples to be had. I was thrilled to get a bag of beautiful crisp McIntosh apples at the farmers market and used those along with a couple of Granny Smiths for this low-fat apple crisp recipe.

It’s rare to see a crisp recipe with no butter or refined sugar, but using coconut oil, coconut sugar and almonds makes this a keeper.

I prefer using a variety of apples for my crisps and pies so the finished product isn’t too sweet or too tart. You don’t have to peel the apples but I always do. Adjust the amount of sweetener you use accordingly and consider that you may also need to adjust the baking time depending on the firmness of the apple.

Cajun shrimp and sausage vegetable skillet

1 pound jumbo raw (thawed if frozen) shrimp, peeled and deveined

14 ounces turkey/chicken kielbasa or sausage

2 medium zucchinis

2 medium yellow squash

1/2 bunch medium-sized asparagus spears

2 colored bell peppers

1 yellow onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

Fresh parsley, optional

Cut sausage, zucchinis, squash, bell peppers and onions into 1-inch chunks. Cut asparagus into thirds. Place in a large bowl with the shrimp and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning until coated.

Transfer to a large skillet or wok heated to medium-high, adding a bit more olive oil if needed. Sauté and stir for about 5-10 minutes until the shrimp are pink and the vegetables are tender-crisp.

Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons oregano

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl then store in an airtight (preferably glass) container.

Yield: 10 (1-tablespoon) servings

Healthy apple crisp

5 large (2 pounds) apples, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons maple syrup, honey or agave

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping

1/2 cup almonds, chopped

1 cup blanched almond flour or rolled oats

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut or maple sugar

1/2 cup refined coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, maple syrup, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Place the apple filling (without the topping) in the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.

While the apples are baking, in a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients.

Remove the hot apple filling from the oven and carefully spoon the topping over the apples, pressing down slightly with the back of a spoon. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

If the topping becomes golden brown in less than 10 minutes, cover the baking dish with foil and continue baking until the filling is bubbling.

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

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