Lemon Garlic Shrimp + Zoodles

Delicious, low carb, clean & keto friendly! 

• INGREDIENTS 
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole medium/large zucchinis (spiralized)
• 1 small/medium lemon (juiced with seeds removed)
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt (more to taste if desired)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan (if desired)
• 20 Cooked, peeled tail off shrimp (amount optional, I prefer a LOT of shrimp!)

ZOODLES DIRECTIONS

You can either buy zoodles premise or purchase a spiralizer & make them yourself with zucchini squash. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan and add garlic, stirring and heating for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Add zoodles and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until noodles are softened, about 3-5 minutes. Gently sprinkle in salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes then toss to combine. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

SHRIMP DIRECTIONS

I like to take shortcuts when I can so I get the Costco cooked, peeled tail off shrimp. I defrost them overnight the night before in the fridge or just run them through water (although the bag directions discourage this... but if I forget to defrost prior to, oh well). Then I cook them in a skillet for just a few minutes for flavor and to heat them up while making the zoom does as well. I use a little olive oil (1tsp), oregano, basil & garlic as I do with the zoodles. 

When both are done, top the zoodles with the shrimp & ENJOY 

Link for the spiralizer I use

Spiralizer Ultimate on Amazon 

Includes 7 different blades + 4 recipes books 

10 Minute Meals: Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich & Veggies

Ok so when I started 10 Minute Meals, I knew that most would be homemade BUT some would be SEMI-homemade because, let's get real, life gets busy! This is one of those "semi-homemade" meals that I make as a quickie lunch when the kids are STARVING or when they get home from school and want a quick snack!

The sandwich is ready made. I just buy it and heat it up from Costco! THEN I add cheese and heat it up a little longer and add pickles (at the kids' request) too!

While this is happening, I steam the Normandy veggies.  I then add them to the plate and sometimes I also melt some cheese on top of it for them.  Super easy, healthy, clean and MUCH better than a McDonald's drive thru!

Below is the nutritional information for the sandwich.  At 280 calories (including the yummy bun) and 15 grams of protein, it's a great choice for kids, who tend to lack protein in their diets because many are carbivores! They LOVE bread, crackers and pasta but aren't big fans of meat, fish or poultry.

Healthy Version of Alfredo Sauce

Who says Alfredo sauce can’t be healthy? It absolutely can! And if you replace the pasta noodles with spaghetti squash it’s even better

Try the alfredo sauce recipe below & let me know howyou like it!

Makes enough for about 4 people. Takes about 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook so it’s easy to make anytime!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup broth vegetable or chicken
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup non fat plain greek yogurt room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Instructions
(1) Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
(2) Sprinkle with cornstarch and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
(3) While whisking, slowly add in broth and milk.
(4) Continue whisking to combine until smooth.
(5) Raise heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a simmer.
(6) Once simmering, simmer for about 2 minutes, until it starts to thickened, again, whisking constantly.
(7) Remove from heat and little by little, whisk in greek yogurt.
(8) Once combined, place back on the heat (medium) and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
(9) Bring to a simmer and simmer for an additional 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
(10) Serve over pasta OR baked spaghetti squash (directions for spaghetti squash below) immediately. If you let it cool, it will thicken up a bit
If not using immediately, store in airtight container in the fridge.

Notes
Nutritional information is for 1/4th of the entire sauce recipe.
*This makes enough sauce for about 1/2 - 1 pound of pasta/ spaghetti squash depending on how saucy you like your pasta!

Baked Spaghetti Squash

(1) Preheat oven to 400. Bake spaghetti squash for about 10-15 min to make it easier to cut.
(2) Split/Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove the seeds
(3) Drizzle the center of each half of split and seeded spaghetti squash with 1/2 tsp olive oil or use olive oil spray. Using your fingers, rub oil evenly into squash. Season with your favorite no salt seasoning.
(4) Place spaghetti squash in a large baking dish center down, and bake for 1 hour. Spray the baking dish or pan so it doesn’t stick
(5) About 30 minutes into baking, begin your sauce (directions above)
(6) When spaghetti squash is finished (center should be tender and come apart when scraped lightly with a fork), use a fork to scrape out the insides. They will come out looking just like spaghetti.
When the sauce is done, either transfer the squash "noodles" to your sauce and toss to coat the squash thoroughly or pour it over the squash.
When ready, serve and top with fresh parsley for garnish.

Poached Eggs! On Toast & So Much More!

Poached eggs seem to be the topic of conversation in my groups lately! One of the motivating women in it keeps sharing her yummy pics of poached egg breakfasts & it has us all drooling over them

If you haven't tried it, you may want to. I haven't yet, if you can believe that, but I'm shopping & meal prepping again soon & this is on my list

Here's a How To Poach an Egg with a modified recipe via TheKitchn.com

INGREDIENTS

Water

1 large egg

1 tablespoon rice vinegar or other mild-tasting vinegar

EQUIPMENT

Small saucepan

Small measuring cup

Timer

Slotted spoon

Paper towel

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill the saucepan about 2/3 full w/ water & bring to a boil

Turn heat down & let the water relax into a brisk simmer. You should see bubbles coming up to the surface, but it won't be rolling. (It's easier and quicker to control the simmer if you bring it to a boil first, then reduce the heat rather than trying to get it to the perfect simmer from the get-go.)

Crack the egg into a small measuring cup, preferably one w/ a long handle. This will help you ease the egg into the water

Add vinegar to the water: This step is optional, but many people like to add it to the boiling water because it helps the loose, billowy white cohere to itself & cook into a more compact shape. Taste isn't noticeable, although you might notice a firmer, more "squeaky" texture to the white

Use the measuring cup to carefully lower the egg into the water, then tip it out into the water. Make sure the water is at a bare simmer

The final cooking time for a poached egg is very much up to you. It depends on how well you like your eggs done and how hot the water is. But 4 minutes, give or take, in lightly simmering water, will give you a firm white & a gooey but still runny yolk

Use a slotted spoon to remove the egg from the water

Pat the egg dry: This is optional

Place the egg on toast, salad, lean protein & enjoy. Season as desired

If you want to poach multiple eggs at once, make sure your pan is big enough to accommodate all your eggs without crowding them or poach in batches if necessary. Crack each egg into its own measuring cup before you start & slip them into the water one after the next. Add 30 seconds for each extra egg 

Food Swaps: Shrimp Scampi Pasta vs Shrimp Scampi Zoodles

Food Swaps! They’re so important to learn when it comes to getting HEALTHY and this Shrimp Scsmpi comparison is one of my faves!

Low Carb vs High Carb! Comparing Zucchini Noodles & Pasta - Shrimp Scampi recipe included also ⬇

A simple swap can make ALL the difference in your carbs! I love pasta but rarely do I just have it. Most typical pasta plates look like the right pic (around 2 cups pasta) and 88+ grams carbs

On the left is what I usually do! There's around 6 oz of zoodles (about 3+ cups) which is only 10 grams of carbs. This means more volume for less cals.  It's important to remember though that carbs are NOT bad - You NEED them! Just be mindful of portion sizes when meal planning depending on your goals AND the types of carbs you eat! Pasta tends to be very heavy, causes bloat and raises insulin leading to cravings

Quick Shrimp Scampi
3-4 zucchini squash
2 bags raw peeled shrimp (about 400 g each)
1-2 cloves of garlic (preference)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp butter OR 1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

Use a vegetti or similar to spiralize the noodles. Put zucchini noodles into a colander and salt liberally let sit for 20 minutes (very important!) After 20 minutes, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel
Melt butter/oil and the 1-2 garlic cloves in a skillet or saute pan. Saute noodles over med-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Sautee shrimp in butter/oil then add spices + lemon juice and simmer until cooked through (usually no more than 5 mins). Add on top of zoodles. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese if desired and ENJOY 😋

21 Day Fix & 80 Day Obsession Approved Enchiladas

These just might be my new favorite go to meal!!! 💕 Kids love them too!
21 Day Fix Chicken Enchiladas
1-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded. It all depends on the size of the breast but it should equal 4 red containers.
1 can of black beans rinsed and dried.
1 can of diced tomatoes (and optional green chilies)
3/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp of southwestern seasoning (or taco seasoning)
Corn Tortillas
Enchilada Sauce
Shredded cheese
Combine the chicken, seasoning, beans, diced tomatoes (and green chili’s) and Greek yogurt. Spoon the mixture into the tortillas, roll them and place them seam side down. Top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese! Throw it in the oven on 350 for 30 minutes and BAM! 💥
You get 2 enchiladas for one serving! Which equals ❤️ 1 red, 💚 1 green, 💛 2 yellow, and 💙 blue per serving