Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Pasta

Omg omg omg I'm in love! This turned out sooooo much better than I expected! I think next time I might add some extra red pepper for more kick, add the shrimp in later (as I reflect in the recipe below) so to not over cook it, and definitely add more baby spinach. This was a hit with everyone but Birdie (who is slowly becoming an undeclared vegetarian boooooo).

And sorry for the craptastic pic but I wasn't planning on making this a Forktacular recipe until it turned out so freaking awesome!! And it was Awesome ... and now I want more ... like right now.

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Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Pasta

2 cups small pre-cooked/shelled shrimp, thawed

Marinade:
6 cloves of garlic, pressed/minced
Juice from 2 lemons
1/4 red onion diced
1/8 c. EVOO
1 tsp. coriander
1 tbsp. sweet basil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. agave

2-4 servings of whole grain spaghetti or pasta of choice
1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach

Put all the marinade ingredients in the processor or blender and mix well. Pour over shrimp and let set 2-24 hours.

Remove shrimp from marinade. Place marinade, pasta and a cup of water in pan and cook until pasta is almost done. Add in shrimp and cook until done. Add spinach and cook until warmed and limp. Serve. Add Parmesan for some extra flavor.

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By now, I would think y'all who read my recipe ramblings understand I like combining steps when possible; like adding the pasta directly to the marinade to cook! Not only does it save a pan and a step, but it flavors the pasta, which I love.

This time I cooked the shrimp from the beginning ... Not the best move as I overcooked the shrimp ... But it was still yummy! Next time: doing it this way AND adding more red pepper for sure!


Challenge Friendly: NO. Shrimp are bottom feeders so definitely not for Cleanse. As a healthy-eating meal, yes, this is a good alternative. A friend suggestion chicken today and I say go for it! Keep your pasta serving in check!

Greek Chicken and Veggies

I originally posted this recipe during my first 24-Day Challenge and this chicken in now one of our FAVORITE meals. Dave gets way excited about the kalamata olives. Try it. You like it! It's evil. It's flavorful. Just MAKE IT. I usually make garlic quinoa to go with it. I'll include that recipe below, too.

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Greek Chicken

1 tbsp of EVOO
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic

Heat and saute in a pan. Set onions aside

2-4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Pepper
Dash of sea salt
oregano to taste
Minced garlic

In same onion pan, rub and season the chicken. Sear on each side for about 2 minutes per side.

Place Chicken in a glass baking dish.

1 lemon
zest from 1 lemon
Handful of kalamata olives
handful of grape tomatoes
oregano to taste

(Optional: Sprinkling of feta)

Pour juice and zest over chicken. Place onions, kalamata Olives (halved), and grape tomatoes (halved) over chicken. Cover and bake in 425 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

Optional Time-Saver: Add your veggies into the dish when you cook the chicken and flavor everything at once. 

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Garlic Quinoa

1 c. Quinoa
2 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onions
1-2 cloves of garlic - minced or pressed
Squeeze of lemon
1/8 c. kalamata olives

1 roma tomato diced

1/2 fresh spinach (I like to hand shred mine into the pot)

Place everything in pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Let set 5.

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This is one of our favorite protein leftovers for salads since the chicken is super moist and easy to break up. The Greek salad dressing recipe can be found here. I'm salivating all over my keyboard just thinking about this cooking here in a little bit!

Challenge Friendly: YES (No Feta!!!)

Greek Style Salad and Dressing

This is a repost from my Challenge blog. I used this dressing for Meal #2 from that chicken I made to last for 4 meals.

So I took the salad greens I had and made the base. Added cucumber, chopped tomatoes, red onion slices and extra kalamata olives all cut up (add peppers for extra flavor). Chicken on top. And this dressing was pretty darn good. (Not Challenge friendly option: top with a sprinkle of feta cheese!)

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Greek Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
Squeeze of Lemon juice

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Challenge Friendly: YES