Healthy and Easy Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp and Asparagus Buckwheat Pasta

I know, I know, you're asking yourself where I've been.  OK, maybe not, but the truth is ever since I decided to get AFAA Personal Trainer certified, everything else in my life came to a stand still.  In life, we must zero in on our goals, define our steps of action to achieve them, and keep our eye on the prize.  Now, with that out of the way, I have re-dedicated myself to some things that have been pushed aside, my food blog being one of them.  So, let's get going!

I have said it before and I'll say it again: I WILL NEVER STOP EATING PASTA!!!  Alright, perhaps that was more of a shouting, but I'm Italian, and I only have one volume.  The reality is, people who say you shouldn't eat carbs, or that they avoid pasta at all cost, are just eating the wrong carbs or the wrong pasta.  My all time favorite pastas to use are Organic Soba noodles.  Often found in the Asian isle in your grocery store, Soba noodles are made with buckwheat, are extremely thin, and cook in about 4 minutes.  Talk about healthy and easy!  They even come in three individual bundles so you can choose your serving size!

Shrimp and Asparagus Buckwheat Pasta

2 Pre-portioned bundles of Soba noodles

1/2 lb. Medium Shrimp Cooked, de-veined

8 Stalks Asparagus, ends removed

2 Vine Ripe Tomatoes, diced

3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1/2 c. Sliced Mushrooms

1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Prepare Soba noodles to package directions.

2. Cut asparagus stalks into three even pieces, at a bias (at an angle).

3.  Heat olive oil on medium in a saute pan, and add asparagus.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4.  Add the mushrooms and saute for two minutes.

5.  Add tomatoes and garlic, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  

6.  Add the shrimp (I take the tails off of mine because I can't stand working for my food once it's placed in front of me), and the drained Soba noodles, and heat through.  

7.  Top each potion with a small amount of Parmesan cheese.  

I break this amount of pasta into four different servings.  I'm not huge on calorie counting so I apologize to anyone who wants to know calories, carbs, proteins, etc.  I eat whole foods, control potion sizes and workout like a maniac.  Depending on how my metabolism feels that day, I may eat more or less.  

What I LOVE about this recipe is how quickly it all comes together.  I buy pre-cooked shrimp, boil my pasta while I'm chopping everything else, toss ingredients in while I'm waiting for my pasta to be done, and by the time it's drained, I'm throwing my last couple of ingredients in, and heating the whole dish through.  Super easy, super healthy!  Enjoy!

Remember, pasta is good.  People who tell you that is not, are bad! <3 

Seafood Salad Pockets with Homemade Potato Chips

I was lucky enough to come across some free jumbo shrimp, and lobster tail, and wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it.  As much as I enjoy both seafood options by themselves, I wanted to make it a whole meal, as opposed to something that my husband and I picked at sitting at the dinner table.  With summer in the air, I decided that it would be a nice treat to have a nice seafood pocket with some potato chips.  *GASP* Potato chips???  Yes, potato is not bad for you, and chips are not bad for you, if you don't go dropping the chips in a giant fryer.  

Although I typically substitute Fat-free Greek yogurt for mayo, every once in a while I have to feed my husband textures and tastes of "real food" in order to satiate his sandwich needs.  *GASP*  Mayonnaise???  Yes, given the right mayo, (I use an Olive Oil based mayo), in a small quantity, it can give you the flavors and textures you crave, without all the crap that's in your typical full-fat mayonnaise.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp, cooked, shelled and de-veined
1 Lobster tail, cooked, and shelled
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Olive oil based Mayonnaise
1 Celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Dill
1 Russet potato, thinly sliced
Non-stick Olive Oil spray
1 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 c. Baby spinach
2 Whole-wheat pockets

To prepare the seafood salad, place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until you reach a desired consistency.  I like mine small because I keep the lobster chopped into larger chunks, in order to keep the lobster the main texture of the sandwich.  In a medium bowl, place the shrimp, chunked lobster, salt, pepper, mayo, celery, lemon juice and dill and mix.  Season to your liking.  Cut your pocket in half, place your spinach leaves, and spoon in however much seafood salad you would like.  I made a sandwich for both my husband and I, and still had some left over to eat on a regular salad the next day.

To prepare the potato chips, preheat oven on 350 degrees, and thoroughly wash the potato.  When the potato has dried, cut off a small part of one end, take a mandoline slicer set at 1/8" slice, and slice your potato.  Watch your fingers!  If you don't have a mandoline, you can always slice them with a sharp knife, however, unless you're a trained chef (which I am not) getting the slices thin enough for them to bake like real chips is very, very difficult.  

In a bowl, toss the potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place them on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow to cook for 12 minutes.  Turn the slices over, and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, checking on them periodically to see if they have browned.  If you want them nice and crispy, you'll want to see them really browned, otherwise the chips will be soggy and chewy.   Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve with your seafood salad pocket, or the sandwich of your choice.  

You can also use this chip recipe with sweet potatoes, if you want an even healthier version.  I just so happened to have used my sweet potato the day before for grilled wedges, so I went with regular potatoes, which was nice because it felt like a day at the beach eating this sandwich with these chips.  

Grilled Arctic Char Tzatziki with Grilled Asparagus

This dish was inspired by a dinner that my husband and I had at Fishbones restaurant in Chelmsford a few weeks ago.  Although salmon is our main superfood, I was intrigued to try something different, and seeing as it is a cross in texture and flavor of salmon, and lake trout, I knew I would love it.  Here, I merely recreated what I saw on a plate, and the flavors that had come out of the sauce when I ate the dish.  

Tzatziki is sauce made with strained yogurt, lemon, garlic, and herbs.  It can contain several different types of herbs and here, I used dill in order to replicate the sauce that I had for dinner.  I love the combination of the sauce with the Arctic Char, particularly because the fish is a lot lighter in texture and flavor than salmon, and therefore, tastes so extravagant with a fancy sauce on top.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Arctic Char, grilled
Non-stick spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. of Fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tbsp. Lemon zest
1 tbsp. Dill, dried or fresh
1/2 Cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 lb. Asparagus, washed and stemmed and grilled


To prepare your Tzatziki sauce mix the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, cucumber, and salt and pepper to taste, in a bowl.  Allow flavors to marinate together for at least 20 minutes, refrigerated.  Make sure you taste the sauce, and season to your liking, because yogurt can be extremely tangy, especially mixed with lemon zest and juice.  You need to find the balance that works for your palate.

Preheat your grill to medium-high, and take the asparagus, tossed with some Olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, and place it directly on the grill.  The asparagus needs to be watched closely, because it will not take longer than 5-7 minutes to grill directly on the grate, and needs to be turned continuously.  Take the stalks off as the appear to be done.

At the same time, place a large piece of aluminum foil on the grill, generously sprayed with non-stick spray.  Place the Arctic Char, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, and place it skin down onto the aluminum foil.   Like salmon, Arctic Char will not take long to cook, and really doesn't need to be on each side for longer than 4-5 minutes.  I would suggest using a spatula to turn, as tongs will just break the fish apart.  When both sides have been cooked, remove the fish from the grill, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Take your Tzatziki sauce out of the fridge, and place a generous amount over the fish, and plate with your asparagus.  You'll find that the flavors of the fish, with the sauce, are very complimentary, and light, especially paired with a nice light vegetable like asparagus.

A couple of notes on preparing the fish.  You could always place the fish directly on the grill, but I have found, that if the grate is at all sticky, the fish will just break apart.  So, with this approach, you get almost an indirect heat, but still retain the flavor of the charcoal.  If you're not able to grill, you can always pan-sear the fish, and oven roast the asparagus.  I personally don't eat the skin of the fish, but if you enjoy it, more power to you.  You can either leave it on and eat around it, or peel it off when you take it off of the grill.

Find your closest fish store with a variety of fish, and try something new today.  And, be inspired by the dishes you order when you go out.  Think about something you'd like to recreate when you get home, instead of something you can make at home, but are too lazy to create.    

Grilled Sea Scallops

When my husband and I fire up the grill, WE GRILL!  The scallops stumbled onto our grill because we were planning on doing Bison burgers, and I stopped at the Fish Market to get Arctic Char, so we figured, why not some grilled Sea Scallops?  Super easy, and although some people consider scallops a fatty seafood, they are a very good source of nutrients that promote cardio-vascular health with vitamin B-12, Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and potassium.  That's all the information I need to convince me to eat grilled scallops.  SOLD!

Ingredients:

8 Sea Scallops
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1/2 Lemon rind
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Garlic clove, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Always make sure to rinse and soak your scallops for at least 10 minutes, if you don't, you end up with seafood that tastes like pee.  No joke.  I made seafood chowder once, forgot to do this, threw them in the chowder, and my husband and I were choking it down.  

Mix the lemon, lemon rind, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl.  If you get jumbo sea scallops, you won't need to skewer them, so lay them on a plate, and brush them with the olive oil and lemon marinade.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I love the flavor of fresh seafood, so I find it unnecessary to marinate them, and instead let the natural flavor be the dominate taste, and use the other seasonings to enhance the flavor.  

Place the scallops on a grill heated to medium-high.  Let them sit on the grate for about 4-5 minutes before turning them.  Flip, and let them cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Too many people overcook scallops, and then end up with a rubbery texture.  Let them get nice and seared, but don't cook them all the way through, unless you prefer them that way.  

Mediterranean Tilapia Sandwiches

Ahh Giada, how I love your ability to provide recipes that I can so easily transform into a clean sandwich.  The original recipe for this sandwich uses halibut instead of tilapia, but as I was in a fish store, and forgot what type of fish I needed to execute the dish, I went with tilapia, came home, looked up the recipe, and realized it was halibut.  What is a girl to do except try it with a different fish?  And so, substituting tilapia for halibut, and removing the mayonnaise and replacing it with Fat Free Greek yogurt, I put my mixing bowls and saute pan to work, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.   What was created was yet another dish that my husband and I sat eating, and with every bite just made moaning noises about how exceptional the sandwich was.  Might I add, nothing compares to toasting bread brushed with Olive Oil, and then rubbed with fresh cut garlic.  It will change your sandwich eating world forever!

Ingredients:

Fish:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 (12-ounce) or 2 (6-ounce) center-cut tilapia fillets, skinned
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

Bread:

• 1 loaf whole grain ciabatta bread, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Filling:

• 3 heaping tablespoons Fat Free Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach

To cook the fish, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about four minutes on each side in a saute pan pre-heated to medium.  Allow the fish to cool for about ten to fifteen minutes.  

For the bread: Preheat a grill pan or a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove some of the dough from the top half of the bread. Brush the cut-sides of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, and rub the cooked surface with the cut side of the garlic.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, capers,lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

Using a fork, flake the cooked fish and add to the filling. Mix until incorporated. Place the filling on the bottom half of the bread. Top with arugula. Add the top half of the bread and cut into 4 equal-sized sandwiches.

Salmon Melts

I like to melt cheese on anything, therefore being able to eat salmon, a Powerfood, and then melt some cheese on it, made it me a happy little cook.  The original recipe in The Best of Clean Eating states that the recipe yields 6 sandwiches.  I'm not sure what 3 year old is eating these sandwiches, but there is no way this amount of meat yields six servings. I will say you can get four good servings out of this dish, and remember, when you get your fish, it's weighed with the skin on, so get a little over half a pound.  

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Salmon fillet

1 large Carrot, peeled and shredded

2 Celery Stalks, trimmed and diced

1 Medium yellow onion, finely diced

6 oz. nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3/4tsp dried dill

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp. Spanish paprika

Seas salt and fresh ground black pepper

8 slices of Food for Life Sprouted 7 Grains Bread

1 Roma tomatoes, sliced

4 Slices low-fat Provolone cheese

Cook your salmon fillet in a non-stick skillet on medium, meat side down, for two minutes.  Flip and cook skin side down for two minutes (you can do longer if you prefer your meat cooked all the way through).  Remove the fillet from the skillet, let the meat cool, and remove the skin and discard.  

In a large bowl, use a fork to flake the salmon.  Add the carrot, celery and onion to the salmon.  Stir to combine.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard, dill, lemon zest and juice and paprika.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour yogurt mixture over salmon-vegetable mixture and stir until well-combined.  

Toast your bread in the toaster, and preheat your broiler to high.

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet, and divide the tomato slices evenly among the bread slices.  Top eat slice with the salmon-vegetable mixture, dividing evenly.  Place the cheese slices on top of the salmon mixture.  Broil on high for three minutes.  Remove from heat, top with four remaining slices of toast and serve immediately.  

When I used the left over meat for these sandwiches, I actually saved it in a tupperware, and then repeated the prep and broiling process before I ate it again.  I would suggest this approach if you think you're going to reuse your left overs in this fashion, because it will keep your bread from getting soggy and mushy.  The meat itself is fantastic should you decide to have a sandwich one day, and then place it on top of a salad the next.  

Seafood Corn Chowder

On to another one of husband's favorite dishes, and one that he asks for whenever he's craving a nice creamy, seafood dish, the Clean Eating Magazine's Seafood Corn Chowder.  If you're looking for great, fresh recipes, with less fat, and more Powerfoods, this is a magazine that is a must in your household!  I'm a recipe hoarder, where I cut out the recipes in the magazine, and put them into my Food Book Organizer that my friend Rachel got me for Christmas one year.  Seek one out, and start cutting out your favorite recipes and food ideas.  You'll be happy you have something easy to access when you want to try something different and new.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 White onion, chopped

2 Large carrots, chopped

2 Celery stalks, chopped

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

3/4 tsp. Dried thyme

1 lb. Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 c. Frozen corn kernels

1 c. Non-fat milk

3/4 lb. Sea scallops

1/2 lb. Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 Scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium.  Add onion, carrots and celery; season with salt and black pepper and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add jalapeno, paprika and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Add 3 cups water, increase heat and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and reduce to a simmer until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes.  Add corn and milk; season with salt and black pepper, and simmer for 3 more minutes.  Remove from heat.

Pour 3 cups corn mixture into a blender, covering opining loosely with a kitchen towel to prevent splatters, and puree.  Transfer puree back to pot, stir to combine and return to medium heat; bring to a simmer.

Add scallops to pot and simmer for 3 minutes (time should begin when liquid returns to simmer).  Add shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes or until shellfish are opaque in center.  Remove from heat and taste for seasoning.  Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with scallions, dividing evenly, and serve.

A couple of warnings and notes about this recipe.  First off, when adding the jalapeno, you can choose to remove the membranes and seeds, which will decrease the heat of the chowder.  Should you choose to leave them in, be warned that this is spicy, and you may be wishing you could actually taste the seafood. If it's your first time trying this recipe, choose to do it without, and then decide if you would like more heat in your bowl.   Secondly, you'll notice that I did not garnish my seafood chowder with scallions, and this is because my husband has an allergy to raw onion, and anything that contains an onion like juice flavor, but don't be fooled, the chowder is still quite delicious, with or without the garnish.