Life has been busy! With companies going back to “normal” and work travel picking up, I have had less time to focus on nutrition an new recipes. However, this has also been a blessing because the recipes that I have been creating have been super fast and just as tasty. This has been my go-to for a quick an easy meal or meal prep lately because it doesn’t take a lot of time, it has a great macronutrient ratio for me and it involves one of my favorite flavors…Taco! This recipe creates 3-5 meals depending on how much you want per serving. You can substitute the shrimp with chicken if you prefer. Macros are listed at the bottom!
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Bell Peppers
1 Poblano Pepper
1 White Onion
2 tbsp Taco Seasoning (low sodium)
1 bag of Shrimp (roughly 600-700 grams) – Peeled and Deveined
In a large pot, start water for pasta. Cook pasta until al dente. ~10-11. Don’t overcook because when you mix the pasta in later, it will fall apart since it is made of chickpeas.
Cut onion and peppers Julien style
In a large pot or sauce pan, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Once hot, add peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
Cover and let cook for 5 minutes and add Taco Seasoning and Pepper to taste.
Stir every few minutes until veggies are very soft and then add washed, peeled and deveined shrimp and cook until shrimp are fully cooked and have turned pink.
Drain cooked pasta and add pasta to the pot with veggies and shrimp. Stir and serve or save for your lunch tomorrow!
Bring pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.
In a small bowl, combine vegetable broth with sundried tomatoes and let sit for about 5 minutes.
While sundried tomatoes are soaking, heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add butter and garlic. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about one minute.
Add pepper and shrimp to pan and cook over medium heat until shrimp start to turn pink. Add sundried tomatoes, broth, red pepper flakes and spinach.
Increase heat to medium high and simmer until shrimp are cooked and sauce reduces by 1/2.
Once pasta is done, drain and lightly salt. Add cooked pasta and mix in sauce. Serve immediately and top with cheese (optional)
Sundried Tomato & Spinach Scampi
8 oz Fettuccini ((Gluten Free))
2-3 tbsp Butter ((Plant Based Sub))
¼ cup Sundried Tomatoes ( (Julien Style) )
1 cup Vegetable Broth
2 Garlic Cloves ( (minced or pressed))
2 cup Spinach
1 lb. Shrimp ((Peeled and Tail Off) )
1 tsp Pepper
Salt ((To Taste))
Parmesan Cheese ((Optional – Vegan options sub))
Red Pepper Flakes ((To Taste))
Bring pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.
In a small bowl, combine vegetable broth with sundried tomatoes and let sit for about 5 minutes.
While sundried tomatoes are soaking, heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add butter and garlic. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about one minute.
Add pepper and shrimp to pan and cook over medium heat until shrimp start to turn pink. Add sundried tomatoes, broth, red pepper flakes and spinach.
Increase heat to medium high and simmer until shrimp are cooked and sauce reduces by 1/2.
Once pasta is done, drain and lightly salt. Add cooked pasta and mix in sauce. Serve immediately and top with cheese (optional)
Happy Tuesday Everyone! If you are looking for a simple Asian influenced dinner, consider this Sweet & Spicy Tamari Shrimp using Huy Fong Fresh Chili Garlic Sauce. For those of you that don’t know, Tamari is very similar to Soy Sauce but it is generally a little thicker and has less sodium. It is also Gluten Free, which most Soy Sauce is not. If you can’t find Tamari at your grocery store then you can certainly substitute with Low Sodium Soy Sauce. If you are on a Keto, or low carb diet, you can substitute the rice with Cauliflower Rice.
Instructions
Rinse rice until water is clear and then combine 1 tbsp olive oil with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of basmati rice. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until water is completely gone. The reason we want to rise the rice to ensure that we are rinsing away any debris but also to make it less sticky.
While rice is cooking, combine 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan with minced garlic over low heat. Cook until garlic is fragrant 1-2 minutes. Be sure not to burn the garlic, if the heat is too high you can just remove the pan from the heat for a minute while you are stirring in the garlic.
Stir in chili garlic sauce, honey and tamari sauce and cook over medium until thickened. Feel free to add more chili garlic sauce if you want to spice it up.
Divide sauce in half, keeping half of the sauce in the large frying pan. Add bite size broccoli to the large sauce pan, add a splash of water and cover. Cook on medium for 4-5 minutes.
In a medium sauce pan, combine shrimp, carrot ribbons and remaining sauce over medium high heat. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until shrimp are no longer translucent. To make the carrot ribbons, simply use a peeler and “peel” the carrot until you have a pile of ribbon like carrot strings.
Combine rice, broccoli and shrimp in a dish and top with sesame seeds.
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Minced Garlic
1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce
1 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Tamari Sauce – Low Sodium
Other Ingredients
2 cups Shrimp/Prawns, deshelled and detailed
2 cups Broccoli, chopped
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 Carrot Ribbons
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cup Water
Sesame Seeds Optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse rice until water is clear and then combine 1 tbsp olive oil with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of basmati rice. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until water is completely gone.
While rice is cooking, combine 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan with minced garlic over low heat. Cook until garlic is fragrant 1-2 minutes.
Stir in chili garlic sauce, honey and tamari sauce and cook over medium until thickened. Feel free to add more Chili garlic sauce if you want to turn up the heat.
Divide sauce in half, keeping half of the sauce in the large frying pan. Add bite size broccoli to the large sauce pan, add a splash of water and cover. Cook on medium for 4-5 minutes.
In a medium sauce pan, combine shrimp, carrot ribbons and remaining sauce over medium high heat. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until shrimp are no longer translucent.
Combine rice, broccoli and shrimp in a dish and top with sesame seeds.
Sweet & Spicy Tamari Shrimp
Sauce
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Minced Garlic
1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce
1 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Tamari Sauce – Low Sodium
Other Ingredients
2 cups Shrimp/Prawns, deshelled and detailed
2 cups Broccoli, chopped
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 Carrot (Ribbons)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cup Water
Sesame Seeds (Optional)
Rinse rice until water is clear and then combine 1 tbsp olive oil with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of basmati rice. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer until water is completely gone.
While rice is cooking, combine 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan with minced garlic over low heat. Cook until garlic is fragrant 1-2 minutes.
Stir in chili garlic sauce, honey and tamari sauce and cook over medium until thickened. Feel free to add more Chili garlic sauce if you want to turn up the heat.
Divide sauce in half, keeping half of the sauce in the large frying pan. Add bite size broccoli to the large sauce pan, add a splash of water and cover. Cook on medium for 4-5 minutes.
In a medium sauce pan, combine shrimp, carrot ribbons and remaining sauce over medium high heat. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until shrimp are no longer translucent.
Combine rice, broccoli and shrimp in a dish and top with sesame seeds.
Looking for a Gluten Free, Dairy free and Soy free dish? Look no more! This bowl is packed with nutrients, flavor and antioxidants. The bulk of this meal is vegetables so you will have no problem hitting your veggie intake goal if you make this. It is also very easy to meal prep or tailor to your diet. Simple skip the shrimp to make it a vegan meal or add some chicken to change the protein.
Due to some health concerns of people really close to me, I have been trying to cook Gluten and Dairy free meals. At first I thought that I would have to sacrifice taste but I was very wrong. I found that when you eat gluten and dairy free, you are often actually eating healthier because you resort to more vegetables to fill the meals. It also forces you to get our of your comfort zone and try new things.
I
INGREDIENTS
½ tsp Ancho Chipotle Powder
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
1 Stalk Broccoli (about 1 cup)
1 Baby Bell Pepper (about ½ cup)
1 Zucchini
1 Poblano Pepper
1 Medium Sweet Potato
½ Red Onion
Olive Oil
15-20 Shrimp Prawns
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven at 425°F.
In a small bowl, combine all spices and set aside.
Wash and dry all produce. Cut Broccoli into bite size pieces, cut zucchini, sweet potato, poblano pepper, bell pepper and onion into ¼in cubes.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil.
Lay flat on a parchment paper lined baking pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Stirring half way through. Note: Depending on how large the sweet potatoes pieces are, you may need a few extra minutes.
While veggies are cooking, detail the prawns, rinse and pat dry.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium high heat and drizzle olive oil in pan. Sauté shrimp with a dash of salt until pink and lightly browned on each side.
Once veggies are done, remove from oven and combine with shrimp. Serve over quinoa, rice or in a wrap.
Chipotle Veggie Shrimp Tacos
½ tsp Ancho Chipotle Powder
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
1 Stalk Broccoli (about 1 cup)
1 Baby Bell Pepper (about ½ cup)
1 Zucchini
1 Poblano Pepper
1 Medium Sweet Potato
½ Red Onion
Olive Oil
15-20 Shrimp Prawns
Preheat oven at 425°F.
In a small bowl, combine all spices and set aside.
Wash and dry all produce. Cut Broccoli into bite size pieces, cut zucchini, sweet potato, poblano pepper, bell pepper and onion into ¼in cubes.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil.
Lay flat on a parchment paper lined baking pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Stirring half way through. Note: Depending on how large the sweet potatoes pieces are, you may need a few extra minutes.
While veggies are cooking, detail the prawns, rinse and pat dry.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium high heat and drizzle olive oil in pan. Sauté shrimp with a dash of salt until pink and lightly browned on each side.
Once veggies are done, remove from oven and combine with shrimp. Serve over quinoa, rice or in a wrap.
Drain and rinse chickpeas and then pat dry. It is important to make sure they’re totally dry before you toss them with the olive oil – damp chickpeas won’t crisp up in the oven.
Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and season with taco seasoning.
Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes, shaking half way through. You want them crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Once done, remove and let cool!
Shrimp
Remove tails and skin from the Shrimp, rinse and pat dry. Season with your seasoning of choice. I personally love The Spice Lab Seasoning, Spicy Seafood. You can get this at your local Publix if you are in the Florida area.
In a medium-large pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until completely pink and slightly browned on edges.
Dressing
Combine ranch, cilantro, avocado and water into a processor or blender and blend until smooth. You can make your own ranch if desired. The Kitchen Girl has a great recipe. However, I find it is easier to do it with premade ranch and the grocery store does have some great healthy options. I choose to add avocado to incorporate a healthy fat and to increase the creaminess of the dressing.
Assembly
In a large bowl, mix the lettuce/spring mix with the dressing so that it is lightly covered.
Top with all the veggies and chickpeas and then place shrimp on top. If you would like to use Corn Riblets to add some aesthetics, try my recipe here.
Garnish with cilantro if desired!
INGREDIENTS
Salad and Toppings
¼ cup Bell Peppers, Diced
4 cup Spring Mix
¼ cup Tomato, Diced
¼ cup Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
¼ cup Red Onion, Diced
¼ cup Corn
Roasted Chickpeas
16 oz Chickpeas, rinsed
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Taco Seasoning
Shrimp
15-20 Shrimp Prawns, no tails
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Spicy Seafood Seasoning, Taco Seasoning or Salt and Pepper
Dressing
2-3 tbsp Ranch Dressing
1 tbsp Cilantro
½ Avocado
2 tbsp Water
INSTRUCTIONS
Chickpeas
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Drain and rinse chickpeas and then pat dry. It is important to make sure they’re totally dry before you toss them with the olive oil – damp chickpeas won’t crisp up in the oven.
Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and season with taco seasoning.
Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes, shaking half way through. You want them crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Once done, remove and let cool
Shrimp
Remove tails and skin from the shirmp, rinse and pat dry. Season with your seasoning of choice.
In a medium-large pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until completely pink and slightly browned on edges.
Dressing
Combine ranch, cilantro, avocado and water into a processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Assembly
In a large bowl, mix the lettuce/spring mix with the dressing so that it is lightly covered.
Top with all the veggies and chickpeas and then place shrimp on top.
Garnish with cilantro if desired!
Tex Mex Shrimp Salad
Salad and Toppings
¼ cup Bell Peppers, Diced
4 cup Spring Mix
¼ cup Tomato, Diced
¼ cup Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
¼ cup Red Onion, Diced
¼ cup Corn
Roasted Chickpeas
16 oz Chickpeas, rinsed
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Taco Seasoning
Shrimp
15-20 Shrimp Prawns, no tails
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Spicy Seafood Seasoning, Taco Seasoning or Salt and Pepper
Dressing
2-3 tbsp Ranch Dressing
1 tbsp Cilantro
½ Avocado
2 tbsp Water
Chickpeas
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Drain and rinse chickpeas and then pat dry. It is important to make sure they’re totally dry before you toss them with the olive oil – damp chickpeas won’t crisp up in the oven.
Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle olive oil and season with taco seasoning.
Bake on middle rack for 20 minutes, shaking half way through. You want them crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Once done, remove and let cool
Shrimp
Remove tails and skin from the shirmp, rinse and pat dry. Season with your seasoning of choice.
In a medium-large pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until completely pink and slightly browned on edges.
Dressing
Combine ranch, cilantro, avocado and water into a processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Assembly
In a large bowl, mix the lettuce/spring mix with the dressing so that it is lightly covered.
Top with all the veggies and chickpeas and then place shrimp on top.
Rinse and pat dry shrimp. In a large bowl, combine sliced veggies, shrimp, olive oil and seasoning and mix well. NOTE: You can substitute the Fajita seasoning with Cumin or Taco.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray lightly and spread veggies and shrimp out evenly.
Cook at 450°F for 10 minutes, stir and then cook for an additional 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and minced cilantro with a splash of water to make crème.
Place veggie and shrimp fajita mix on a warm tortilla and top with diced jalapeños, cilantro crème, avocado and cheese if desired!
Rinse and pat dry shrimp. In a large bowl, combine sliced veggies, shrimp, olive oil and seasoning and mix well. NOTE: You can substitute the Fajita seasoning with Cumin or Taco.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray lightly and spread veggies and shrimp out evenly.
Cook at 450°F for 10 minutes, stir and then cook for an additional 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and minced cilantro with a splash of water to make crème.
Place veggie and shrimp fajita mix on a warm tortilla and top with diced jalapeños, cilantro crème, avocado and cheese if desired!
Seasoning: My go-to seasoning is from The Spice Lab. Their Spicy Seafood seasoning is amazing and award winning (literally). A good alternative is the Blackened Seasoning as well. If you don’t like heat, you can go with a simple salt and pepper as well.
Feta: I don’t think you can go wrong with Feta in most cases. However, the best Feta I have had is the Garlic and Herb Feta from Athenos. The additional flavor it has from the seasoning adds to this dish perfectly. Sometimes I will add a little to the cauliflower while it is cooking to have a more creamy texture.
Riced Cauliflower: I like to take the easy route here and buy this premade from Green Giant, I find it easier to cook when I am in a rush and the taste is consistent. However, if you want to make it homemade, the Minimalist Baker has a quick and easy recipe here.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Riced Cauliflower
5 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
1 Cup Spinach
Salt and Pepper to taste
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Mediterranean Seasoning Italian seasoning works as well
⅛-¼ Cup Feta
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ tbsp Spicy Seafood Seasoning or Blacked Seasoning
8-10 Shrimp
8 oz Chickpeas
Paprika and Cayenne Pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 400°F.
Drain chickpeas and rinse, pat dry with paper towel and place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with paprika and cayenne pepper (optional). Once oven is heated, place in oven for 15 minutes, shaking half way through.
Heat medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Add riced cauliflower, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Mediterranean seasoning and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring consistently.
Add spinach and cherry tomatoes and cook until spinach is wilted.
Heat 1tbs olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Season deshelled shrimp with spicy seafood seasoning or blackened seasoning and sauté in pan for 2-3 minutes per side, until shrimp are cooked through.
In a bowl, pour riced cauliflower on the bottom, top with roasted chickpeas, feta and shrimp.
Enjoy!
Mediterranean Shrimp Cauliflower Bowl
Nutrient packed bowl with Cauliflower Rice, Cherry Tomatoes, Spinach, Feta, Chickpeas and Shrimp.
1 Cup Riced Cauliflower
5 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
1 Cup Spinach
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Mediterranean Seasoning (Italian seasoning works as well)
⅛-¼ Cup Feta
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ tbsp Spicy Seafood Seasoning or Blacked Seasoning
8-10 Shrimp
8 oz Chickpeas
Paprika and Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
Heat oven to 400°F.
Drain chickpeas and rinse, pat dry with paper towel and place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with paprika and cayenne pepper (optional). Once oven is heated, place in oven for 15 minutes, shaking half way through.
Heat medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Add riced cauliflower, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Mediterranean seasoning and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring consistently.
Add spinach and cherry tomatoes and cook until spinach is wilted.
Heat 1tbs olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Season deshelled shrimp with spicy seafood seasoning or blackened seasoning and sauté in pan for 2-3 minutes per side, until shrimp are cooked through.
In a bowl, pour riced cauliflower on the bottom, top with roasted chickpeas, feta and shrimp.
If you are like me, you probably didn’t like spaghetti squash and preferred the real thing. This dish opened my mind to spaghetti squash and now I prefer eating it over pasta (most of the time). Try pairing this dish with my cheese garlic bomb bread if you aren’t carb conscious.
There are so many benefits to eating spaghetti squash over pasta, I encourage you to try it! I made this dish when I tried the keto diet because I was trying to reduce my carb intake, but now it’s a dish that I’ll make on any diet but first, how do we cook a spaghetti squash?
Cooking Spaghetti Squash
First, you will want to cut it in half lengthwise. Then, scoop out the seeds. To cut this, choose a large knife that is really sharp and start in the center of the squash. It is easier to cut this like you would a pumpkin.
Next, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don’t over salt though because the salt will draw some of the water out and cause it to be soggy. Most people that I have met that don’t like spaghetti squash, don’t like it because they have had it when it was very soggy and it is more like mashed potatoes.
Line a pan with some parchment paper and turn squash upside down so that the inside is facing down and then, poke some holes in the top of the squash and pop in a preheated oven at 400°F.
The size of the squash will determine how long you should cook it. I prefer to undercook my squash so that it can be re-heated or baked. If you over cook it from the start it doesn’t hold it’s texture very well and becomes mushy.
A good rule of thumb is to cook it for 30 minutes and check it. You should be able to pierce the top pretty easily when it is done. I almost never cook more than 40 minutes, even if it is a really large squash.
Once it is done, take it out of the oven and turn squash over to cool down. Once cool, scrape the insides with a fork to create the “spaghetti” like texture.
Now that you know how to cook the Spaghetti, let’s get to the sauce!
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic Pressed
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Tomato Sauce
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
Red Pepper Flakes, Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Spaghetti Squash
20 medium Shrimp Pealed and tail off
INSTRUCTIONS
Spaghetti Squash
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and ribbing. Drizzle the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. NOTE: go light on the salt.
Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet and use a fork to poke holes.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside, fork tender, but still firm. The time will vary depending on the size of your squash so check after 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and flip the squash so that it’s cut side up. When cool to the touch, use a fork to scrape and fluff the strands from the sides of the squash.
Sauce & Shrimp
While squash is cooking, put olive oil and pressed garlic in non-stick skillet on medium heat and stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Pour in cream, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and season with a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Bring all ingredients to a boil stirring constantly and then reduce to low and simmer. Note: the pepper flakes get spicier the longer you simmer so you may want to leave them out and just top the meal with them later.
While sauce is simmering, peel shrimp, rinse and pat dry. Season shrimp with salt and pepper or spicy seafood seasoning if you want to turn up the heat.
Heat a medium non-stick pan over medium high heat with a tbsp. of olive oil. Once pan is hot, place shrimp in pan.
Once they start to change color and turn pink on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes, quickly flip them over. Finish cooking until the pieces are pink, opaque, and loosely curled, another 1 to 2 minutes/
Stir cooked shrimp into the thickened sauce and turn heat all the way down until spaghettis squash is done.
Once spaghettis squash is done cooking, let it cool for 5 minutes and then scrape spaghetti squash out on plate, top with sauce and serve hot.
NOTES
For the Tomato Sauce, you can used basic tomato sauce found in the can or you can use tomato pasta sauce. I personally like to use Ragu Simply Traditional Pasta Sauce with no sugar added.
Tomato-Cream Spaghetti Squash With Shrimp
This is my go to spaghetti squash recipe that will add more veggies to your diet while feeling like you had a cheat meal. Feel free to substitute shrimp with chicken or tofu to meet your dietary needs.
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic (Pressed)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Tomato Sauce
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
Red Pepper Flakes, Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1 Spaghetti Squash
20 medium Shrimp (Pealed and tail off)
Spaghetti Squash
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and ribbing. Drizzle the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. NOTE: go light on the salt.
Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the baking sheet and use a fork to poke holes.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside, fork tender, but still firm. The time will vary depending on the size of your squash so check after 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and flip the squash so that it’s cut side up. When cool to the touch, use a fork to scrape and fluff the strands from the sides of the squash.
Sauce & Shrimp
While squash is cooking, put olive oil and pressed garlic in non-stick skillet on medium heat and stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Pour in cream, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and season with a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Bring all ingredients to a boil stirring constantly and then reduce to low and simmer. Note: the pepper flakes get spicier the longer you simmer so you may want to leave them out and just top the meal with them later.
While sauce is simmering, peel shrimp, rinse and pat dry. Season shrimp with salt and pepper or spicy seafood seasoning if you want to turn up the heat.
Heat a medium non-stick pan over medium high heat with a tbsp. of olive oil. Once pan is hot, place shrimp in pan.
Once they start to change color and turn pink on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes, quickly flip them over. Finish cooking until the pieces are pink, opaque, and loosely curled, another 1 to 2 minutes/
Stir cooked shrimp into the thickened sauce and turn heat all the way down until spaghettis squash is done.
Once spaghettis squash is done cooking, let it cool for 5 minutes and then scrape spaghetti squash out on plate, top with sauce and serve hot.
For the Tomato Sauce, you can used basic tomato sauce found in the can or you can use tomato pasta sauce. I personally like to use Ragu Simply Traditional Pasta Sauce with no sugar added.
thefoodiefloridian 