Shrimp Fettuccini with Vodka Sauce

We are HUGE pasta lovers in my house, as I'm sure most households are. I always look for healthier alternatives to pasta, so it can taste delicious but not leave me feeling guilty. Don't get me wrong, I am ALL about having "treat" days and making sure that you allow yourself indulges every now and then, but with pasta I would FOR SURE go overboard lol So, here is a healthy alternative that I found that was amazing and under 400 calories, PLUS I got to use vodka sooooo, SCORE!!!





Here is what you will need:

The recipe called for 9 ounces of fresh linguine, but I used Butternut Squash Fettuccini

3/4 pound of large shrimp (the store I went to only has small shrimp so I used a pound)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup Vodka

1 1/2 Cups reduced sodium marinara sauce (I spiced mine up a bit with red pepper to give it a little kick)

1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

1. Cook pasta as directed

 

2. Heat 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to skillet on a single layer, undisturbed for 1 minute.  Flip and add garlic and saute one more minute and transfer to plate.

 

3. Carefully add vodka to the pan and cook for 1 minute.  Add marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.  Add drained pasta, reserved shrimp and juices, basil, and 3-4 tbsp of water.  Toss well to combine and heat through.  Divide among 4 serving bowls and garnish with extra basil if desired.

 

4. ENJOY!!!!

 

This is SUPER easy and took me less than 15 minutes to make :)

 

NUTRITION FACTS (estimate):

349 Calories, 26g of protein, 41g Carbs, 7g Fat, 3g Fiber



 

 

 

 

Brown Sugar Pork Chops

Yesterday I had quite the dilemma.  Brown sugar pork chops or parmesan crusted pork chops?  Both sounded amazing and I knew that either way, I was going to try them both.  With that said, due to sheer laziness I went for the brown sugar ones bc they are easier to make and all I had to go to the store for was the pork chops then.  Let me tell you, these things were delish and so juicy. Not to mention, INCREDIBLY easy to make.  Make sure that you cover them when you bake them so they stay moist and I always line the bottom of the pan with water.  It keeps them from drying out and mixed with the sugar to make a nice glaze to bake it in.  I served mine with baby red skin potatoes mixed with broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans.

 

INGREDIENTS: (this is for 2 pork chops.  I doubled the messurements for 4 chops)2 pork chops (I used boneless)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
minced/chopped garlic

 

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, and garlic powder in a bowl.
3. Rub the mixture onto both sides of the pork chop, coating it really well.
4. Transfer to a shallow oven safe pan. Add a little garlic on top of the pork chop and put into the oven. Let them roast in the oven until the internal temperature registers at 140-145 degrees. Depending on how thick they are will determine the cook time.  Mine tok about 25 min

5. ENJOY

 

 

Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard

I found this recipe on eatingwell.com and I just had to try it.  I have my own version of chicken nuggets that I made for Mya a while back and these looked too good to pass up.  Plus, I was intreged by the Blackberry Mustard.  Here is my opinion about the meal.  I really, really enjoyed it.  Adam liked it better than I did, however, he is a blackberry fan and I am not.  Blackberries are just too sour for me.  The recipe says that you can do it with raspberries and I think next time I'm going to do that and I know I will be absolutely in love.  For the first time ever making it I just wanted to follow the recipe exactly.  It's a different way to eat chicken nuggets and I will definitely be making it again :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut in half crosswise (see Tip)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 

Preparation

1. Mash blackberries (or raspberries), mustard and honey in a small bowl until it looks like a chunky sauce.
2. Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place cornmeal in a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat (discard any leftover cornmeal).
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken, turning once or twice, until browned and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total (thinner nuggets will cook faster than thicker ones). Serve the chicken nuggets with the berry mustard.

Tips & Notes

• Chicken tenders are the lean strips of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of chicken breasts. They can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken nuggets.”

Nutrition

Per serving: 184 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono);67 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 2 g fiber; 452 mg sodium; 70 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 4 lean meat, 1 fat