Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms and Spinach

oh boy i needed this yesterday, i tried out the new Extreme Shed & Shred DVD from Jillian Michaels i decided to be a badass (as Jillian put it) and do the whole 1 hour workout level 1 and 2 i love it my core strength is amazing, i wouldn't have been able to do any of the workout a few months ago! I found this recipe from Eclectic Recipes,  i loved that there was spinach and mushrooms in it of course you can add any kind of veggies or meat even seafood to this dish its lower in calories to make it yourself also. 

Calories 296,Fat 2,Protein 19,Fiber 3,Carbs 51, WW plus points 8

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup milk (i use 0%)

1 8 oz package cream cheese  

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 lb fresh spinach 

1 cup mushrooms

1 tablespoon oil olive

1 package of fettuccine 

1.preheat skillet drizzle with olive oil sauté mushrooms till soft.

2. cook pasta according to package. Drain well.

3. Add spinach and garlic to mushrooms cook till the spinach is wilted. Add milk and cream cheese. bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until cream cheese has melted in the milk and sauce is creamy.

4. Add Parmesan then add pasta simmer for 2 or 3 mins toss to incorporate sauce into pasta.  

Pasta Primavera

Well here is the last recipe of the month i cant believe its the end of November. Deployment will be over soon and my husband will be back! I've done a couple other primaveras before i love to have fresh veggies in my pasta i always have a bunch on hand you can always add your own veggies i added carrots,red peppers,onions and asparagus.

Calories 250,Carbs 42,Fat 5,Protein 13

Linguine

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 cup chopped organic carrots

Asparagus 

1/2 cup water

1 organic small red bell pepper,julienned 

1 cup sliced  mushrooms

1 cup organic low sodium vegetable broth

2 teaspoon organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder 

1/4 cup organic half and half

1/4 cup Parmesan 

Cook the pasta according the package.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. add the onion and saute for 3 mins or until soft. add the black pepper.

Add the carrot and asparagus to the pan and saute to coat with seasonings. add the water,cover and allow the veggies to steam for 4 mins or until carrots begin to soften.

Add the red bell pepper and mushrooms and stir. add the broth to the pan. whisk the cornstarch into the half and half, and add to the pan. cook for 4 mins or until the sauce thickens up toss in the pasta stir to coat.

add the Parmesan cheese to the mix and toss well.

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Creamy Seafood Linguine

Happy November everyone its been a few days since i posted a recipe I'm just hoping this month goes by fast deployment is coming to a end finally! I made this dish tonight and as i was making it i thought it was going to a total flop the sauce didn't come out the colour i was hoping but i sat down and took a bite its amazing i haven't had scallops in forever i actually found some in the frozen food aisle, Being from FL I'm used to fresh seafood but that will have to do for now. This dish is meant to be low calorie since all of those creamy seafood dishes are crazy high in calories.

Calories 129,Carbs 17,Protein 12,Sugar 2,Fiber 1,Fat 1, WW points 2, WW points Plus 3

6 oz linguine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup half and half 

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves,minced

1/2 teaspoon basil

1 can chopped clams with juice 

Raw bay scallops

Raw shrimp

green onions 

Cook the pasta according to the package set aside.

Combine the chicken broth,half and half, and cornstarch set aside.

In a large pan,heat the oil over medium heat. add the onion and cook for 2 mins. Add garlic and basil and cook for 3 more mins. stir in clams,scallops and shrimp.

Add the broth mixture and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins or until sauce is thick. 

serve the seafood mixture on top of the pasta and garnish with green onions.

Chicken Fajita Pasta

This dish was amazing and very colourful! i haven't done a fajita recipe in a long time this is a lower calorie way to enjoy chicken fajitas without all those toppings you can pile onto them and no tortillas, fajitas in restaurants can run up to 1,000 calories! 

Calories 330, Sugars 7,Protein 30,Fiber 6,Sodium 510, Fat 5. WW points 6, WW point plus 8

6 oz penne or fettuccine pasta

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 white onion, sliced into strips

1 Green bell pepper,sliced into strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

chicken breast sliced into thick strips

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese (optional, i forgot to add it)

Cook the pasta according to the package while preparing the sauce.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over med heat. Add the onion and pepper for 3 mins, or until softened. Add garlic and chicken and sauté for 3 mins or until chicken is mostly cooked. Sprinkle the cumin,oregano,salt, and pepper over chicken.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch. Pour over the chicken and veggies and cook for 2 more mins, or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Add the cooked pasta,chopped tomato to the pan. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Edamame Lo Mein

This is not the greasy Lo Mein from Chinese take-out, it tastes even better and is healthier for you. and you get plenty of nutrients with the addition of edamame, a great vegetarian protein source. if you haven't had edamame you should try it! i love the get them in their pods and put sea salt on them cold. you can usually find it in the frozen food section by the vegetarian frozen meals or veggie burgers. 

• 8 ounces brown rice spaghetti
• 2 cups frozen edamame, (shelled soybeans)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fish sauce 
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons bragg liquid amino's
• 2 teaspoons sugar ( I use truvia)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium organic carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 small organic red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and edamame and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, whisk scallions, fish sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add carrots and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pasta and edamame. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is crispy in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sauce and stir to combine.

410 calories-carbs-53-fat-18-protein-15-sugar-1-fiber-10

Pesto Penne Primavera

this is an amazing dinner! i was totally shocked how fresh pesto can make something taste so good. i finally got to make my own now that i have a food processor/blender. this dish can be made with any veggies you like. i added zucchini and red pepper. i would of loved to add aspragus,roasted red peppers and greek olives with feta maybe! 
i linked this recipe up with eat at home she has a post about fresh herbs which i love and i'm going to start growing my own again.

Basil-

1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups mini penne pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup sliced zucchini

1/2 cup red pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the basil, garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until well combined and has the texture of fresh pesto; set aside.

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until cooked yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil over the pasta and toss to coat; set aside.

1. Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Roast the pine nuts in the skillet until lightly browned; remove to a plate and set aside. Add the zucchini and red pepper to the skillet; cook and stir until hot, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir the pine nuts into the vegetable mixture. Add the pasta and about 1/4 cup of the pesto, or more to your liking, to the skillet and toss to combine. 

Jalapeño Shrimp Pasta

i found this yummy healthy seafood dish on sisters café i love their blog they have tons of yummy recipes! this isnt a saucy pasta dish which i love! 

12 oz frozen, uncooked shrimp in shells
6 – 8 oz dried pasta (i used smart taste)
2 Tb olive oil
1 or 2 fresh jalapeño chili peppers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 c. chopped ripe tomatoes
½ c. finely shredded parmesan cheese

Thaw shrimp, if frozen, according to package directions. Peel and devein shrimp.  Cook pasta. In large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add jalapeños, garlic, salt, and pepper; cook and stir one minute. Add shrimp; cook about 3 minutes more or until shrimp turns opaque. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. (Add a little more salt to taste.) Drain linguine; toss with shrimp mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.
Variation: Add 3 Tb chopped fresh basil instead of the chili peppers. 

Fried Zucchini Spaghetti

this past week i found this nifty site called stumbleupon! i know i've seen it before but never tried it. i am in love it just set it on food/cooking and i get a bunch of different recipe sites and ideas. i found this one which is from Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook called My Father's Daughter. 

i loved this dish since its not to heavy its a light parmesean olive oil sauce. of course i forgot to save a little bit of pasta water! i just used regular water instead.

1 box spaghetti

kosher salt

3 zucchini, sliced thick rounds ( i did zucchini ribbons)

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup pasta water

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil

1. Cook the spaghetti in heavily salted water until just al dente. While it is cooking, toss the zucchini rounds with the flour in a large bowl. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and add the zucchini in batches so that they fit in one single layer. Cook the zucchini, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the zucchini is browned and crispy. Remove the zucchini to a large plate and sprinkle with a large pinch of kosher salt.

2. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the Parmesan and remaining olive oil. Then add 1/4 cup of the pasta water to thin it out into a smooth, creamy sauce. Drain the spaghetti and toss it with the sauce, fried zucchini and basil. Top it with some extra cracked pepper and serve.

Artichoke and Lemon Pasta Sauce

ok so i was browsing the williams and sonoma website finding all kinds of wonderful things! i was looking at the sauces and found artichoke and lemon pasta sauce there is noway i'm paying 15 buck plus 5 for shipping for something i can make myself! so i did and this came out! we loved it! my husband loves anything with artichokes so i knew he would love it.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon parsley






Cook oil, butter, flour and chicken broth until it thickens.
Add garlic, artichoke hearts (chopped), lemon juice and cheese.
Continue cooking until flavors blend, about 5 minutes.
Add capers and parsley. and just add it to any pasta you like. i also put olives on top and lemon pepper.