352 Day Nutritional Challenge - Recipe #1: Shrimp "Zing" Linguini

 

Now you've committed to take the challenge. You're ready, knives and forks a-blazing. Here we go, today you're going to make Shrimp "Zing" Linguini. First, you're going to probably say, "Ah, Michelle that's (e-gads) pasta! THAT's what you're recommend to start the lifestyle change? A carb!? So, I'm always going to remind you this ISN'T a diet, it's a food choice change. Okay, so now we've got that out of the way... 

I want to first reassure you from experience that this dish isn't going to cause weight gain. It's simply a healthy dish prepared with fresh foods. If you are hoping to lose weight just know you've committed to a long-term lifestyle change that weight loss (over time) will be the byproduct. BUT, the even better news: you get to eat fantastic food -- and this dish is yummy! 

Part of this blog (and ultimately book) is to create a discussion around food. I'm the kind of cook who improvises on recipes and transforms them to what I want to taste and eat. This dish was originally a shrimp  with spinach recipe. I'm not a big spinach fan (only raw spinach), plus, I try to use fresh foods I already have in the fridge. That's an interesting way to switch up ingredients by sticking to what you have on hand. 

Another tidbit about me. I never know what I'm in the mood to eat from day to day. Some people just decide, "I'm going to eat X" for dinner. I ask my inner "food mood," what does "it" want? Then I look up recipes that will satiate my mood. 

So back to Shrimp "Zing" Linguini. The zing in the title comes from the edgy red peppers and additional black pepper I added to it -- that and a healthy addition of lemon juice. So, are you ready zing? Here we go...

Ingredients

Linguini Pasta

Olive Oil and Butter

Garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

Large Shrimp (mine were medium)

Salt and Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Asparagus (thin)

Lemon Juice 

I feel confident you all know how to cook pasta. You can determine based on the number of people eating how much pasta to use to create enough servings. (Remember, timing in cooking is critical to success so don't start the pasta boiling until you've started preparing the rest of the meal). 

1. Chop up 4 cloves of garlic, heat up olive oil, and add garlic and red pepper flakes into a saute pan. Add 2 TBSP of butter. Saute for about 3 minutes or less. Watch your garlic and when it's cooked you're done.

2. Now take your shrimp, add more olive oil to your saute, and add the shrimp. The olive oil is going to be your "sauce" and stay with your dish (not be poured out). 

3. As the shrimp cooks, add lemon juice (I added about 2 splashes of it). 

4. Add Italian Seasoning to the shrimp and mix it in. Add black pepper to the mix (I prefer fresh ground pepper). Add the pepper to taste. I like more than less.

5. Add the asparagus and a little more Italian Seasoning. I like my asparagus firm and crispy so I time the cooking to ensure it doesn't get soggy. You might like it less firm, so add it sooner than later to achieve those results.

6. Cook for about 4-5 minutes.

7. Once pasta is al dente, pour it through a strainer.

8. Grab your plates, place the pasta at the bottom, add the shrimp and asparagus and pour the olive oil/lemon mixture over the top. 

9. Grab a fresh lemon, and squeeze the juice over the top of the dish! A little extra zing.

Bon Appetite