Easy Lemon Garlic Shrimp & Spaghetti

January 22, 2018August 19, 2020 Red Rose & Honey3 Comments

Happy Monday! This weekend flew by and I can’t believe it’s time to start another work week. On the bright side, I have recently began practicing yoga more regularly. Starting my day with yoga definitely makes me feel better {physically and mentally!} Until about a year ago, I was very dedicated to my yoga practice, but it got pushed to the side during house renovations and wedding planning.

Another great way to start the week off on the right food is with meal planning. Today, I am sharing a quick and easy recipe that can be incorporated into busy week nights. Easy recipes like this one make weeknight cooking totally do-able! Just remember to thaw and marinate your shrimp ahead of time {and if you don’t put them in a zip-top bag in a bowl of cool water as you’re prepping}. You can whip up this meal for two in about 35 minutes or cut the time by skipping the spaghetti and adding more veggies.

Ingredients

15 Medium Shrimp, frozen and thawed

1/2 lb. Gluten-Free Spaghetti

1-2 Cups of Chopped Asparagus

1/8 Cup of Pasta Water

1/2 Small Yellow Onion, chopped

2 Cloves of Garlic, zested

1 Lemon, juice and zest

1/8 Tsp Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

For the crunchy topping used 1/4 cup or less of gluten-free panko bread crumbs, grated Parm or Pecorino Romano and a sprinkle of oregano.

Directions

Important Note: You must use an oven safe pan to transfer your dish from stove top to oven broiler.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil for spaghetti. Cook following instructions on box.

Over medium/low heat, add about 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil to the pan and sauté onions until translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Turn heat to low and add garlic. Garlic burns easily, so keep an eye on the pan. You can shut the heat off completely if you’re working to prep the other ingredients on the slow side.

Over medium/low heat add asparagus and cook for about 15 minutes until soft then add lemon zest.

Transfer asparagus mixture to a bowl or push it around the perimeter of the pan to make room for the shrimp. Then place shrimp on each side until they turn from translucent to opaque. It only takes a few minutes per side.

Once shrimp is cooked through toss them with the asparagus, onions, garlic, cooked pasta and lemon juice with about 1/8 cup of water from the pasta pot.

Sprinkle with parmesan and panko bread crumbs then transfer to the broiler for 5 minutes. Finish it off with a sprinkle of oregano.

Easy dinner = DONE!

Healthy Dinner| Zoodles & Chicken Sausage

January 15, 2018 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Working full time sometimes makes cooking dinner tough. When I am researching recipes, it seems as if all of the easy recipes are unhealthy. I am all for comfort meals here and there, but overall I try to cook healthy dinners. In this blog I am sharing an easy and healthy recipe that is perfect for busy nights!

In my house, we love home cooked meals. My husband and I almost always eat dinner together. On the nights that he gets home late I usually don’t cook or go to my parent’s house. Mike is my #1 taste taster and recipe critic. I always joke that his taste buds have come a long way since we started dating in college. These days he will try anything. Today I am sharing one of his hands down favorite and most requested meals.

One of my go-to weeknight dinners is zoodles with chicken sausage and sundried tomatoes. It’s a quick and easy low-carb alternative for pasta. To save time on busy nights, remove the sausage from the casing and slice the tomatoes ahead of time. You can also find pre-made zoodles at the grocery store. I find using the food processor to chop veggies is a great timesaver too. Prep and cook this meal in about 30 minutes, making 2-4 servings.

Ingredients

1 package of organic chicken sausage

5 cups spiraled zucchini (aka zoodles…they shrink, so the more the better!)

1 cup sundried tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 medium yellow onion

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

Remove chicken sausage from casing then brown over medium heat and break sausage into small pieces. I suggest using a sauté pan that is deeper than a regular frying pan.

While sausage is browning, slice sundried tomatoes into thin strips and chop onion. Once sausage is cooked transfer into a bowl. Using the same pan add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil and sauté garlic and onions (5-7 mins) then add the tomatoes (medium/low heat). Sundried tomatoes tend to soak up a lot of oil, so add a bit more to the pan and cook until they soften (5 mins).

Next, add sausage back to the pan to blend flavors together (5-7 mins).

Finally, over medium/low heat add the zoodles to the pan and mix together. I prefer to keep the zoodles on the firm side (they can get very mushy), so I won’t let them cook for more than 10 minutes. If you’re like me and don’t have a very large sauté pan you will probably need to leave the zoodles in a bit longer and may want to add a lid.

Overnight Oats with Almond Butter

January 8, 2018 Red Rose & Honey2 Comments

Until about a year and a half ago, I was a major morning person. I had no trouble waking up early for work or extra early to exercise. Last year when we bought our house my normal routine got pushed to the side and I found my mornings slipping away {along with my yoga practice}. I am really trying to make an effort to get back into a good morning routine. My mornings always run more smoothly when I prep the night before. On an ideal night, I will have my outfit ready and lunch packed which leaves plenty of time for yoga {or extra coffee} in the morning. Another great way to save time in the morning is to prep breakfast ahead of time. Overnight oats are such a time saver! Today I am sharing my favorite overnight oat combo.

Oatmeal is hands down my favorite breakfast food and quite possibly one of my favorite foods of all time. It is very filling because it’s loaded fiber. I usually avoid instant oatmeal packets {except when traveling} because they’re loaded with sugar. Old fashion oats don’t take too long to make and can be jazzed up with tasty, healthy toppings. For a long time I made my oatmeal totally on the stove. I combine 1/4 cup dry oats with 1/2 cup of almond milk and my favorite toppings {sometimes I will make a larger portion and will increase the amount of liquid proportionally}. Then cook over low heat, for about 10-12 minutes, until the oats were soft and all the ingredients were well combined. The key to great oatmeal is measuring the dry oats and milk, the oatmeal isn’t too thick or liquidy.

My breakfast life changed about two years ago when I started making overnight oatmeal. After following the Acid Reflux Diet from The 30 Day Heartburn Solution I learned that soaked oats are easier for the body to digest. Letting oats soak overnight allows them to soak up all of the flavors from the other ingredients too. This method also allows for quick cook time when you’re ready to eat {or you can eat them cold}. My oatmeal always consists of 3 main ingredients – oats, almond milk, cinnamon. I switch up my toppings and occasionally add1 TBSP Flax Seed Meal or Ground Flax Seed. You can make 1 jar at a time or a few so you are ready for the week. My favorite combo is almond butter and banana! Here is what you will need to make my favorite gluten-free overnight oatmeal.

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Ingredients

-1/4 cup Gluten-Free* Dry Oatmeal

-1/2 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

-1/2 TSP Ground Cinnamon (or just a sprinkle)

-1 TBSP Almond Butter

-1/2 Medium Banana, sliced

Directions

In a mason jar combine oats, almond milk, cinnamon sliced banana and flax (optional). Cover with lid and shake the jar. That’s it! Now refrigerate you jar over night for at least 12 hours. (Disclaimer: For a last minute lunch idea, I have made these oats in the morning and let them sit about 4 or 5 hours until lunch. They still taste great, just not quite as good).

When you’re ready to eat your overnight oats top them with almond butter. You can eat them cold, put the jar in the microwave for 1.5 minutes (if you used a microwave safe jar) or pour your oats into a pot and heat on the stove until warm. If I heat them up on the stove, I pour them right back into the mason jar.

MaraNatha is my favorite almond butter of all time!

*Not all oatmeal is gluten-free. Oats that are grown and processed with wheat, barley and rye grains are contaminated with gluten. Be sure to buy oats that are marked gluten-free.

xo Miss Alyss