Delicious, healthy seafood, on a shoestring

Franklin Becker has been cooking since he was a little boy at his mother's feet.

He started working in professional kitchens at the age of 14, and has since served as executive chef at several New York City hotspots, including Local, Capitale, the Tribeca Grand Hotel, and Brasserie.

He's now executive chef at top Manhattan eatery Abe & Arthur's, and has another restaurant opening in Manhattan, in May, to be called Lexington Brass.

Diagnosed with type-2 diabetes at age 27, Franklin had to transform his cooking style, and now makes dishes that are as healthy as they are flavorful.

As "Chef on a Shoestring" on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," Franklin attempted to prepare a scrumptious, three-course meal for four on our skimpy budget of $40.

On the menu: Grilled Shrimp Salad, Baked Cod with Sauteed Spinach, and for dessert, Rosemary-Lime Granita with Macerated Strawberries.

All our "Shoestring" chefs are automatically entered in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition, in which the "Shoestringer" whose ingredients cost the least is invited back to whip up our year-end holiday feast.

Viewers also have a "Shoestring" role, choosing the main course each chef makes, via online voting. Just click here to let us know which dish you want featured next week.

Vote on Next Week's "Shoestring" Main Course
"Early Show" Recipes Galore!

FOOD FACTS

Fennel: There are two main types of this aromatic plant, both with pale green, celerylike stems and bright green, feathery foliage. Florence fennel, also called finocchio, is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and in the United States. It has a broad, bulbous base that's treated like a vegetable. Both the base and stems can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in a variety of methods such as braising, sauteing or in soups. Common fennel is the variety from which the oval, greenish-brown fennel seeds come. Fennel is available from fall through spring. Fennel is rich in vitamin A and contains a fair amount of calcium, phosphorus and potassium. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Shallot: The name of this onion-family member (Allium ascalonicum ) comes from Ascalon, an ancient Palestinian city where the shallot is thought to have originated. Shallots are formed more like garlic than onions, with a head composed of multiple cloves, each covered with a thin, papery skin. Fresh green shallots are available in the spring, but as with garlic and onions, dry shallots (i.e., with dry skins and moist flesh) are available year-round. Shallots are favored for their mild onion flavor and can be used in the same manner as onions. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Granita: An icy, granular frozen dessert (Italian in origin) (Source: foodnetwork.com)

Macerate: Soften or break up (something, esp. food) by soaking in a liquid. (Source: dictionary.com)

RECIPES

Grilled Shrimp Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, sliced in half
• 1 bunch scallions, grilled
• 1 bulb fennel, sliced thin on mandolin
• 1 orange, segmented and juiced
• 1 bunch mint, picked
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Season shrimp with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Grill for 1 minute on each side and allow to rest. Grill the scallions.

Mix the sliced fennel, grilled scallions, orange segments and mint and toss with the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Season and serve.

Baked Cod with Sauteed spinach

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound Cod filet, cut into four portions
• 1 small box, Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 pound butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pounds spinach

METHOD:

On a greased piece of tin foil, place the fish down and season with salt and pepper. Top with crushed ritz crackers mixed with half the garlic, parsley, shallots, melted butter and lemon. Bake in a 400 degrees F oven for 7-10 minutes. Serve atop sauteed spinach. For the spinach, heat a pan, add the remaining garlic and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Rosemary-Lime Granita with Macerated Strawberries

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch rosemary
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 limes, freshly squeezed and zested
• 2 cups water
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced

METHOD:

Bring water and sugar to boil with rosemary. Strain and cool. Add lime juice and freeze, scraping the ice as it forms with a fork. Add the 1/4 cup sugar to the strawberries with the juice of 1 lemon and allow to macerate for an hour.

So, how did Franklin do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?

Shrimp Salad

• shrimp $5.75
• scallions $.99
• fennel $2.99
• orange $.50
• mint $1.99
• lemon $.40
• jalapeno $.16

total $12.78

Baked Cod

• cod $7.99
• crackers $2.99
• parsley $.99
• garlic $.66
• shallot $.18
• lemon $.40
• spinach $4.98

total $18.19

Rosemary-Lime Granita

• rosemary $1.29
• limes $1.98
• strawberries $2.99
• lemon $.40

total $6.66

Grand total: $37.63

That's good enough to land on our Leaders Board:

1.Marco Canora $36.33

Hearth

2. Michael Lomonaco $36.82

Porter House

3.Franklin Becker $37.63

Abe & Arthur's