So we are well into the New Year, and it’s definitely time to up my game and start smashing my fitness and healthy cooking and eating goals for this year.
I’ve joined a new gym, hired a Personal Trainer and committing to doing Yoga, Pilates, Barre and weight training plus lots of walking at least 4 times a week from now on. I’m also focusing on lower carb eating for a while – cutting out sugar, processed foods, carb loaded foods. And drinking more water, getting more rest and taking my vitamins. The list goes on! Gosh, getting healthy and in shape is not easy.
I decided to make a lighter version of Lemon Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti that’s normally loaded. I swapped out healthy spaghetti squash roasted with olive oil, sea salt and pepper instead of pasta to lighten up the carbs and calories.
Then I simply shredded it into spaghetti strands with a fork…
and sautéed some sliced fresh garlic and shrimp in olive oil, butter, red chile pepper, fresh parsley and a big splash of fresh lemon juice. YUM!
It’s so light and delicious i don’t even miss the pasta or bread (truly!) This lovely dish is also low in calories and high in protein – two staples to losing weight. Not to mention staying full and energized without the sugar highs and lows from eating all those heavy carbs.
You can also add more veggies to the dish if you like..try sautéing some mushrooms, zucchini, cherry tomatoes or bell peppers and adding them to the mix. I absolutely love the possibilities of this dish! Who needs pasta when you have delicious buttery strands of squash instead? Please add your comments below on how you would make or alter the dish – creativity is good!
Hope you enjoy the recipe and here’s to happy and healthy New Year to all of you. xx
Yield: Makes 4-5 cups Spaghetti Squash and approximately 3 cups of Lemon Garlic Shrimp, serving 2.
This light and healthy dish is made with roasted spaghetti squash topped with sautéed shrimp, garlic, olive oil, chile flakes, lemon and parsley. Super easy and tasty and low on the carbs!
Ingredients
Roasted Spaghetti Squash:
1 (3-pound) spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon Garlic Shrimp:
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-20 ct)
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of red pepper chile flakes
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Roasted Spaghetti Squash:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds and inner membranes. Drizzle and rub squash with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the halves, cut side down, in a large baking dish and roast squash for 35-45 minutes until tender.
Remove squash from oven and turn side up, letting it cool for about 10 minutes.
Scrape the inside of the squash with a fork to make spaghetti strands and serve with the Lemon Garlic Shrimp.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp:
Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a skillet until shimmering, then add the sliced garlic and cook while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until shrimp are slightly cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, red pepper flakes and parsley; toss to combine.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve immediately over roasted spaghetti squash.
Garnish with additional fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
They’re a perfect fall dessert, and healthy too! These doughnuts are made with all natural vegan ingredients – red kidney beans, unsweetened soy milk, vanilla extract, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, flour and baking powder – and you wouldn’t believe how good they taste.
They are so delicious (and cute!) and easy to make with the help of my KitchenAid® Diamond Blender and Mini Doughnut Pans – and they bake in only 10 minutes in my Convection Countertop Oven!
The glaze is super easy to make too – made in my KitchenAid Stainless Steel sauce pan with fresh pumpkin puree, coconut cream and coconut sugar and pumpkin pie spice all cooked into a gooey luscious caramel sauce then topped with flaky sea salt – it’s the most lovely combination of Fall flavors in one tiny bite!
ooh…aren’t they lovely and delicious? Oh, and they’re vegan and gluten-free too! Isn’t that wonderful.
Mini Vegan Chocolate Donuts w/ Salted Caramel Pumpkin Spice Glaze
Yield: Makes about 16-18 mini donuts and 1 cup of glaze.
These mini vegan donuts are a perfect fall dessert, and healthy too! Made with all natural vegan ingredients – red kidney beans, unsweetened soy milk, vanilla extract, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, flour and baking powder – and you wouldn’t believe how good they taste.
Ingredients
Donuts:
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or almond milk)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup coconut sugar
1 cup cocoa powder (Guittard Cocoa Rouge)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil (if needed, for dough)
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Spice Glaze:
1 cup coconut sugar
¾ cup coconut cream (top thick layer from full-fat coconut milk), refrigerated
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt
¼ cup pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon), for garnish
Instructions
Donuts:
First, rinse and drain the kidney beans and place them in your KitchenAid Diamond blender along with the soy milk, coconut sugar and cocoa powder, blending them together on Mix (3) setting.
Then, transfer the mixture to your large KitchenAid Ceramic Mixing Bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder and vanilla until the dough comes together smoothly and thoroughly mixed. If it seems a little dry, add a little more soy milk or a tablespoon or two of coconut or vegetable oil.
Spoon a couple tablespoons of dough into the donut pan (fill to the top and smooth). This recipe makes approximately 16-18 donuts so you’ll need at least 2 mini donut pans or make them in 3 batches.
Bake the donuts in your preheated KitchenAid Convection Countertop Oven on 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then let them cool for a couple of minutes in the donut pan, then remove and place them on a cooling rack while you make the Salted Caramel Pumpkin Spice Glaze.
Salted Caramel Pumpkin Spice Glaze:
To make the donut glaze, simply place all your ingredients (coconut sugar, coconut cream, vanilla extract, Himalayan pink sea salt, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice) in your KitchenAid Stainless Steel 3-Qt. Sauce Pan over medium-high heat.
Bring to a rolling boil, and constantly whisk for about 10 minutes until the glaze starts to thicken and caramelize and turns to a dark brown color (be careful to constantly watch and stir, and not let the caramel burn – reducing heat to medium-low if needed). Let the glaze cool to the side for a few minutes after it is done to allow it to thicken a little more.
Spoon the glaze over the donuts on a baking sheet covered in foil or parchment paper and garnish with flaky sea salt. You can also top the donuts with some crushed nuts if you like too (hazelnuts or pecans would be amazing!)
Notes
Glaze can be made ahead of time and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can also be reheated in the microwave or let it come to room temperature before glazing the mini donuts.
Hello Summer! And hello to the season for lighter food and flavors and quality time at the beach and the pool (READ: also time for shorts and sundresses and to lose a few to fit into the bathing suit!)
I’ve been craving pasta lately because i’ve been cutting down on carbs a bit, but I’ve had this cool Veggettinoodle tool in my pantry for a few months and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make some Zucchini Noodles (AKA “zoodles”), and tie in some fresh ingredients from the season such as shrimp and corn and basil.
This dish screams creamy comfort food, but is balanced out with a clean, citrus-y brightness with a Meyer Lemon cream sauce made with mascarpone cheese, Meyer lemon juice and zest, lemongrasschicken broth, whitewine, sweet basil olive oil and garlic. The lightness of these zucchini noodles are also totally amazing, rather than a heavy pasta that will put you to sleep in .02 seconds.
I love Meyer lemons because they are delicate and less sour than regular lemons and almost mimic the flavor of lemon and orange juice mixed together, which you can absolutely do if you can’t find Meyer lemons or they aren’t in season. I ordered mine on Fresh Direct which always has everything in stock and delivers on top of that!
Prep your zucchini noodles with a Veggetti or Spiralizer on a cutting board or over a large mixing bowl. I suggest squeezing out any excess water from them before sauteing (you can let them sit in a colander to extract water for about 15 minutes or so). You might also want to cut the strand piles in half to make them easier to manage and eat. Sauté the noodles in some olive oil with red pepper flakes and garlic for a few minutes and set aside.
Zest and juice one Meyer lemon to add to the cream sauce. Look at that vivid color! LOVE.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the shrimp and sauté in some olive oil for couple minutes until they are pink and set aside. Don’t overcook them though because you will add them back in to the sauce later on and you don’t want tough rubbery shrimp.
Prep ingredients for the Meyer Lemon Cream sauce and add the white wine, chicken broth, Meyer lemon juice and zest to the saute pan with leftover juices from the shrimp. Stir and simmer over medium heat for until the liquid reduces by half.
Add the corn, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until heated through. I used frozen sweet corn but you can use fresh corn too which might take a little longer to cook (or you can precook the fresh corn and add the kernels into the sauce).
Stir in the mascarpone cheese and blend together until it turns into a gorgeous, silky and creamy sauce. Toss in the shrimp and basil. Isn’t that pretty?
Serve over the zucchini noodles with additional basil and lemon zest and get ready to DEVOUR.
Alternatively you can toss the zucchini noodles in to the pan with the sauce and shrimp and corn and mix it all together to serve as a one pot dish. I prefer keeping the noodles separate from the sauce so they don’t get too mushy, personally.
Garnish with some extra basil and lemon zest and serve with a glass of white wine (I particularly like McBride Sisters Truvee Chardonnay who were kind enough to send me a sample which I LOVED), and some crusty bread to mop up that yum sauce, if you wish. Light, bright, healthy and delicious!
This is a super healthy and totally delicious low carb option to pasta. It features sautéed zucchini noodles smothered in a Meyer Lemon cream sauce with shrimp, corn and fresh basil. It's light and bright and the perfect dish for Summer with a glass of white wine and some toasty bread to mop up the sauce.
1/2-3/4 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Garlic salt and Pepper, to taste
Meyer Lemon Cream Sauce:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Zest and juice of 1 Meyer Lemon
1/2 cup white wine (Truvee Chardonnay)
1/2 cup chicken broth (Pacific Foods Lemongrass Bone Both)
2/3 cup Mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup sweet corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fresh Basil, for garnish
Additional lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
Make the Zucchini Noodles:
Using a Veggeti or Spiralizer vegetable cutter, cut both zucchini into medium large noodles over a cutting board or large bowl.
Form the vegetable pasta into two piles and cut each in half to create shorter, easy to manage strands.
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic for a minute or so, being careful not to burn.
Add the zucchini noodles, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes to your desired consistency.
Remove noodles from the heat into a medium bowl and set aside while you cook the shrimp.
Prepare the Shrimp:
In the same sauce pan, heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Sprinkle some garlic salt and pepper on to the shrimp, and add shrimp to the pan cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring often so they cook evenly.
Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and transfer to a small bowl while you make the Meyer Lemon cream sauce.
Meyer Lemon Cream Sauce:
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in the same large sauce pan over medium heat.
Add the additional garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, zest, chicken broth and wine and let simmer down until reduced, about 3 minutes.
Add the corn kernels, salt and pepper and heat through another minute or two, then stir in the Mascarpone cheese until you get a silky, creamy sauce.
Add the cooked shrimp, zucchini noodles and basil; toss to coat. (You can also keep the zucchini noodles separate from the shrimp, corn and basil with Meyer Lemon sauce and spoon it over the noodles in bowls which keeps the noodles from getting mushy in the sauce which is how i prefer serving them.)
Serve with additional basil and lemon zest, and a glass of Chardonnay or dry Italian wine and some crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Notes
This would also be a delicious sauce over any pasta, and if you're a vegetarian you could substitute the shrimp for another vegetable or legumes for some protein.
If you can't find Meyer lemons or they aren't in season, simply mix some orange juice into the lemon juice to give it a similar flavor.
Note: I received a sample of McBride Sisters Truvee Chardonnay for tasting which inspired me to create this recipe and share with my readers. All opinions of the product are my own and I was not compensated for this post.
I love Spring because it’s the perfect excuse to eat more fresh fruits and veggies and eat lighter now that the sun is out and all the gorgeous fresh produce is beaming at the farmers markets.
I recently was challenged to make some Homemade Fruit Leather with KitchenAid’s new Torrent Blender and quickly accepted the task at hand!
Melissa’s Produce sent me some gorgeous fruits and veggies and herbs, and I decided to make some fun twists and flavor combinations with them.
I made two flavors of the Fruit Leather: Strawberry-Jalapeño Lime, and Blackberry Vanilla Thyme. So easy, so healthy and totally delicious!
Check out how I made it and get my recipe on the KitchenAid blog here!!
So it’s Friday. And a lovely Spring day. I was in the mood to make something lovely to eat, preferably with a sweet and savory twist. I’ve also been on a baking kick lately, not sure why but I’m loving experimenting with different flavors and textures of pizzas and tarts and pies.
I decided to make a delicious rustic pizza made with some redgrapes, shallots, sharp white cheddar and mozzarellacheese, and some thin cut Italianham. I simply rolled out some refrigerated pizza dough and then topped it off with some olive oil, all the pizza ingredients, and some fresh thyme.
I popped it into a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes until all the cheese and crust was bubbly and golden brown, then finished this beauty off with some sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, some fresh basil and drizzles of honey.
This is the best thing I have ever tasted in my life. Seriously. The contrast of the sweet grapes, shallots and honey with the sharp and tangy cheddar cheese and salty, crispy ham are like a true love affair…in Paris.
I’m thinking the only thing better than this would be an actual trip to Paris..on the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset. With a chocolate croissant and cafe au lait in hand. With a really cute French guy. Ooh La La.
Aaah – a girl can dream, can’t she? (Happy Friday!)
Rustic Pizza with Ham, Grapes, Shallots, Cheese, Honey & Thyme
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6-8
Serving Size: 1 slice/wedge
Ingredients
1 package of refrigerated pizza dough (or homemade if you prefer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, sliced thin
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp White Cheddar cheese
4-6 thin slices Italian ham or prosciutto
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh thyme
Fresh basil leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Honey for drizzling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Spray a pizza sheet with oil and stretch out pizza dough to the edges making a thin crust.
Drizzle the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the shredded Mozzarella cheese. Add the sliced shallots, ham, grapes and White cheddar cheese on to the dough evenly. Top with some fresh thyme leaves and red pepper flakes.
Bake for about 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Top with fresh basil, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and drizzle with honey.
Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Notes
You can also substitute prosciutto or bacon for the ham, and top with some fresh ricotta cheese if desired.
