Friday is here.

You know what has changed when you work for yourself and barely get out of your pajamas?  The days of the week do not matter as much.  I find myself not getting as pumped up for Friday like I used to.  Strange but true.

Lately, I have been getting lots of email requests of even just requests on the “street” about doing some traditional dishes but making them healthy.  I guess I kind of take this for granted in the kitchen and literally just cook with what I have on hand, whether it be heavy cream vs skim milk or vice versa.

But today will be easy and healthy.

And only a few ingredients.  I am actually going to use cauliflower to make the cream sauce for the pasta.  Fun isn’t it?

Ingredients ( Serves 4-6)

• Linguine, uncooked
• Shrimp, deveined and peeled
• 2 Cups Cauliflower
• 1 Cup Skim milk
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• Parsley
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and line a sheet with parchment.  Toss cauliflower in 1/2 the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes
2. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Cook the linguine according to directions and stay on target with the timing ( Don’t over cook)
4. In a large saute pan add olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 cup of the cauliflower.  Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Take the remaining cauliflower, half the Parmesan and place in a blender with the milk and blend until creamy. Pour into a sauce pot and begin to heat on low-medium for 3 minutes.
6. Drain pasta and set aside in colander, ( reserving a little bit of the pasta water)
7. Add the shrimp into the pan and cook quickly, ensuring not to over cook the shrimp ( about 2 minutes)
8. Add the creamed sauce to the pan, stirring to coat the shrimp, garlic and cauliflower.
9. Add the cooked linguine and remaining Parmesan cheese ( if the sauce is too thick you can add a little bit of the reserved pasta water)
10. Top with fresh parsley
11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  You could substitute skim milk for almond milk, coconut milk or even soy milk depending on your tastes and or allergies.

I didn’t want to overload the tip section but you can easily make this vegetarian by trying tofu in place of the shrimp or maybe even going with tempeh.  The options are endless.  I really just wanted to share with you on how to make the traditional heavy cream sauce into a lighter and healthier option.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.  I will see you on Monday.

Take care

zesty

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Thursday has arrived.  What a day yesterday!  Work was busier than a New York City subway station and on top of that I was so excited about the giveaway post.  So far there has been a really good response to the book giveaway and I am really looking forward to reading more comments.  Thanks so much everyone.

Ever crave pasta but you are so hungry that you dread waiting to make the cream sauce, the toppings and the pasta so you break down and not bother making it.  Well that has happened to me many times, but with this dish – it no longer happens.

This is a staple dish is zesty’s kitchen with often a variation of vegetable, pasta or meat.  This really is a 15 minute dish that requires two pots/pan to make.  Your kind of dish if you are in a rush and starving.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pasta (your choice)
• 2 Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
• 1 Cup Broccoli
• 1 Tbsp. Basil Paste or 1 Tsp. Dried Basil
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 Can of Skim Milk

Method

1. Cook Pasta according to directions ( 10 pasta cooking tips ).
2. Prepare chicken and slice into strips.
3. Peel and chop garlic.



4. Add Tbsp. Olive Oil to medium-hot sauce pan.



5. Stir fry chicken and garlic until opaque.



6. Add Basil Paste.



7. Continue cooking until chicken begins to brown, then add the cream of mushroom soup and milk Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.





8. Bring back up to a gentle boil and add broccoli for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.



9. Drain pasta, add pasta to sauce, stir gently, and serve.
10. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.



11. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  When making cream sauces always be cautious of turning the burner on too high – anything with dairy in it will boil and burn very quickly.  To thicken the cream sauce however, you can use a slurry technique which combines a teaspoon of cornstarch or flour with cold water (to avoid lumps) into the sauce and bring to a gentle boil.

Now that was easy!  A no nonsense kind of meal that is hearty, tasty and appealing.  I like it!  If broccoli is not your favorite, I have often made it with spinach, mushrooms or even frozen peas.  Gotta get the greens in there somehow!

I hope you have a great day… the weekend is almost here.  If you have not already done so… visit the giveaway and make sure you get your comment submitted.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Growing up as a child, my mom used to prepare a tuna casserole that was one of my favorites to see at the dinner table. Chunky white tuna, crunchy green peas, a rich cream sauce and my favorite, fresh regular potato chips. Sounds a little strange I know but when you try it you’ll know what I mean. The texture combined with the flavors make this classic a must have in the family cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 Can Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup of Milk
• 1 8 oz Can of Chunk White Tuna
• 1 Cup Crushed Potato Chips
• 1 Cup of Peas

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 Degrees.  Mix above ingredients in greased casserole in the order listed. Top with 1/4 cup of crushed Potatoe Chips.  Bake 25-30 minutes.

As you can tell by the simplistic recipe and ingredients, this tuna casserole is very economical and can easily feed a crowd. This is a great potluck dish or can even be used in a pinch when you are at the end of your grocery cycle.

A couple of tips:

• I find frozen peas work best unless you have access to garden peas(stay away from canned peas)
• For the potato chips, I like to use ruffles (something thick for more texture)
•  A great addition to this recipe is a short pasta of your choice. (i tend to use macaroni, penne, rotini or fusilli)

Drink recommendation:

To top of this classic, a large glass of milk is a great companion.

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty