​Even though I love to cook, sometimes it’s extremely difficult to find the time to prep and make full meals for dinner. However I’m not a fan of fast food so my compromise is to have some staple meals that I know I can create in less than 30 minutes that taste great! I’m a lover of seafood and one of my favorite meals to make is shrimp pasta with fresh pesto sauce. So I’m sharing my 20-minute recipe with you here, enjoy!


SHRIMP PASTA WITH PESTO
Basic Ingredients:  2-cups of penne pasta (or your pasta of choice) and 1-dozen shrimp (Medium or Large). Sauce: 2-cups extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil (1-bunch), 1-tablespoon or garlic, 1-cup of fresh parmesan cheese.
Directions

• Heat pot of water until boiling, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoons of salt then add pasta. Cook until desired tenderness.
• In a small electrical chopper combine: extra virgin olive oil, bunch of fresh basil and fresh parmesan. Mix in chopped to completely combine the basil leaves with the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
• Peel, de-vain and season shrimp. To keep my shrimp from getting overcooked or too rubbery, heat up 1 1/2 cups of water in a frying pan. Once the water begins to simmer, place the shrimp in the pan and reduce the heat. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes (until the shrimp are pink opaque).
• Drain the shrimp, add to pasta, then a pesto on the stove top over low heat. Stir continuously for about 1-2 minutes (or until the parmesan has completely melted).

Serve while hot and enjoy!

​What the heck does that mean, you ask? Well, it’s pretty simple: salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic. These are four ingredients which are staples in my kitchen. Now – while I don’t claim to be the perfect eater I do try to eat as cleanly and as consciously as I can (especially with fruits and vegetables). The rule of thumb is “just about anything in its original state is best for your body.”

Anti-inflammatory benefits
Cardiovascular benefits
Digestive health benefits
Decrease risk of heart disease

1. High blood pressure

• Asthma
• Infections

• High cholesterol

• Heart disease

Heart attacks

“EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!”
The American Heart Association suggests that we should be ingesting
Fruits4 servings per day (based on 1,600 calorie diet)
 4-5 per day (based on 2,000 calorie diet)
Vegetables3-4 per day (based on 1,600 calorie diet)
  4-5 per day (based on 2,000 calorie diet)

 

“That’s too much”, you say. “How” you ask?
Simple, as we all know variety is the spice of life so diversity: salads, fresh juices, smoothies and cooked vegetables as meals or snacks (instead of a side dish to your meat). I’m so NOT a morning person so much that oft times my stomach is still sleeping as well. One of my biggest issues and challenges when changing my diet and exercising was I never ate breakfast. And as they say “it’s the most important meal of the day” so I decided to “JUICE IT” instead. This not only helped me lose a significant amount of weight but:

• I felt more nourished
• My system became clear and VERY regulated
• And by incorporating veggies as snacks in between meals had me cutting back on those afternoon and late night snacks.

 “No way”, you say… “It takes too long!”
Nope! But prepping is definitely the key to this process. So here are some pretty quick vegetable recipes that I use with “S.P.O.G”.
Spinach
Mustard or Collard Greens
Brusselsprouts
*Squash Medley
(2 – diced tomatoes, 1 – sliced yellow and 1 – green squash, 1 – sliced red onion)
 
DIRECTIONS:
Heat about 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon a minced garlic (stir occasionally). Once garlic is gold brown, remove from heat. Combine with greens about 2-3 cups (i.e. spinach, mustard, collards or sprouts) in a larger sauce pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir/toss until vegetables are softened to your desire (approx. 5-7 minutes). *With the squash medley you will combine all ingridents with SPO (toss together) then put in the oven on 375 degree. You will bake this for approx. 10-15 minutes (or whenever vegetables are softened).
 
BENEFITS

• Cuts back on midday and late night snacking
• Cuts food prep time when planning meals if already prepared and refrigerated
• Keeps for about 6-7 days
• Healthy, waist and stomach slimming and it’s good for you!

So, EAT YOUR VEGETABLES, as often and much as you can…