YA SCAMP!

LASDI©

Life As She Does It is a quadrant of talents that can be used to make life easier.  One of the quarter pieces is being a boutique caterer.  It even makes my own life easier!

I had a business lunch meeting, which to me means business would be discussed at a meeting where we ate (obs), but I would be in charge of the LUNCH!  It only made sense! It’s a way I control the ingredients AND get to show off a little cooking prowess!

I wanted something hearty-yet-light, delicious, and EASY!  I went with shrimp scampi pasta, and it was truly all of those things!  It was also a nod to the goodbye to February with the gorgeous red-hued shrimp that when paired with another makes the shape of a heart, and hello to March with the green of the broccli gems I added!  

I  had a lot to do to prepare for the meeting itself, so this had to be as simple as possible to put together, but taste complex as though a michelin star chef had prepared it!  

I'm sharing it with you because this would make a great brunch, lunch, dinner, or snack!  Ya scamp!

SHRIMP SCAMPI PASTA

1 box spaghetti (I use low-glycemic pasta for the low-carb effect!)

1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

high-heat oil (hho), like avocado

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, (tails on for that classic scampi feel!)

1-750 ml bottle of sauvignon blanc (see notes)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 sticks butter

sea salt, to taste

course black pepper, to taste

1 tbs paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

parsley, minced

Cook pasta according to instructions (see notes).  During the last minute of cooking, add your broccoli.  Strain and rinse all with cool water to stop the cooking process.  Leave in the strainer, and heat a heavy skillet (I use my cast iron!) on high heat for about two minutes or until slightly smoking.  Add enough hho to just barely cover the bottom.  Add your shimp (see notes) and cook for about one minute on each side.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In the same pan you made your shrimp over medium-high heat, add the wine.  Let it reduce to about half, add the lemon juice and bring to a simmer.  Add your butter, one pat at a time, whisking whilst  you work until it's all melted and the sauce seems thickened and slightly frothy.  Add your seasonings and let simmer for another thirty seconds or so, and remove from heat.  Place pasta / broccoli mix into a large bowl, add your shrimp and pour scampi sauce over.  Mix gently with tongs until pasta, shrimp, and broccoli are coated.  Sprinkle with parsley and you're ready to eat!

NOTES: Buy two bottles of the sauvignon blanc...one for cooking, one for drinking!  You can use any white wine you like, but there is something about sauvignon blanc that lends a crisp, light taste. Be sure you salt your pasta water BUT GOOD!  It will not only flavor the pasta, but in this case, the broccoli as well!

THE IMPASTA

Photos by: Adrian Garcia (LASDI©)

I was cooking for seven families.  Not seven people.  Seven families.  Well, Framilies.  You know what framily is, right?  When you have really good friends you consider to be more like family.  So let me correct myself - I was cooking a meal for seven Framilies!  

We were celebrating being together because our Framily from Hungary (they're missionaries there) were home in The States for a visit and we just wanted to be together and laugh and play games like we do every time they come.

So what does one cook that is inexpensive but delicious, and will stretch among all those people?  PASTA!  Oh, Y'all.  There were so many different kinds of pasta!  For the white "sawse" lovers, I made chicken alredo with the most beautiful rainbow pasta I've ever seen (I bought it at Trader Joe's).  For the meat-lovers, I made lasagna with pasta sheets from scratch and TONS of Italian sausage, ground turkey, and ground sirloin.  But then there's me.  The low-carb girl.  Who happens to LOVE pasta.  But I'm not the girl who can eat even a small plate of it and not gain ten pounds, which is why I'm low-carb in the first place!  So guess what?  I made IMPASTA.  Yep!  I made the most incredible fettucine out of almond flour!  And the best part is: It is only THREE INGREDIENTS!!

With this recipe (made very simlarly to Fathead Dough), I made a primavera with so many gorgeous veggies that it looked almost too pretty to eat!  I also made a simple garlic-butter-Parmesan fettuccine which may have actually been the star of the show! So I have provided the Impasta recipe below for those of you interested in low-carb deliciousness that will knock your noodle-lovin' socks off!

PS - I also made a salad.  You know, for balance.

IMPASTA

2 tsp almond flour

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 egg yolk

(No, seriously.  That's it.)

Melt almond flour and cheese in the microwave for one minute (or a minute-and-a-half if cheese is not fully melted).  Wait about 30 seconds for the cheese to cool just a little bit and then add an egg yolk.  With a spoonula, press and fold the yolk into the melted cheese until it's completely mixed into the cheese, and gives a yellow appearance.  Reheat the cheese for 10-15 seconds.  Spray two pieces of parchment paper with cooking spray for rolling the dough out.  Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick, using one piece of parchment on the bottom, and the other piece of parchment paper on top to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or your work space. Don't roll it out too thin.  

Slice fettuccine strips and let dry in the fridge for about four hours.  Bring a pot of water to a boil, cook for one minute, and then strain with a colandar, making sure you immediately pour cold water over the pasta, so the noodles don't stick to each other too much.

Reheat with any "sawse" you prefer together in a pan, or reheat in your microwave with a little butter for about 20 seconds.

NOTES:  What do you call a fake noodle?  (Oh, come on.  You get it!)

PASTA LOVE

SHE2016©

It is a Leap Year so we got an extra day in February!  So because this was the last Sunday in February I had to make sure it was a Sunday Supper of Love to remember!  I decided - even as the Low-Carb Girl in the house - to go all out and make The Hubster home-made pasta!  I topped it with chicken Parmesan and made a side of squash stacks of eggplant, yellow squash, and zucchini, and some lovely garlic knots.  I finished it off with almond-liquor raspberry-topped cheesecake and a Bishop Burgundy cocktail.  It was nothing short of amazing, but was still pretty easy!  Who would you like to show some love to?  The way to the heart is through the stomach, no?  

SHE2016©

FAST & EASY HOME-MADE PASTA

3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
a pinch of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup flour

Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and olive oil to a food processor fit with the blade attachment, and pulse two or three times.  Add half the flour, and pulse until it is absorbed into the eggs and you have a bit of a paste. Add the rest of the flour, and continue to run the blade until you see a ball-shaped mass of flour and eggs bouncing around the processor. If the dough is still too sticky to the touch, add an extra tablespoon of flour. If it's a bit dry, then add a little water as needed.  Take the pasta dough out and roll/shape according to what you're looking to accomplish with your dish.  For us this time around, it was fettuccine-shaped with marinara sauce.  I cooked it in the sauce for about five minutes, as fresh pasta takes a lot less time to cook.  And it was incredible.

NOTES: Carbs doesn't mean unclean in my house.  I still use organic ingredients, including the flour and olive oil.  I really do believe in this particular case, it makes for a better-tasting pasta.  Happy eating! 

RAGU YOU!

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

Like most of America, I love spaghetti and "the sawse".  But sometimes I like to put my own spin on things because I get all hum-drummed out.  So I made some ragu with ground turkey and for The Hubster, used some organic rotini pasta, and tofu shirataki noodles for me, being the Low-Carb Girl that I am.  Add some fresh basil and you've got a beautiful meal that tastes authentic Italian......and DELICIOSO!

GROUND TURKEY RAGU

1 pkg ground turkey

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

sea salt

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tbs ground sage

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cans tomato paste

1 small can diced tomatoes

2 tbs fresh oregano

6 basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade

shredded mozzarella or Parmesan, for garnish

In a heavy pot, sprinkle enough evoo to cover about 1/2 of the bottom and heat on medium heat for about a minute  Add ground turkey, and add all seasoning, onion, and garlic.  Brown the turkey, using a wooden spoon or silicone spoonula to break it up as it cooks.  Once it is cooked through, bring to low heat, and add tomato paste, diced tomatoes and oregano.  Cook on low for about ten minutes or until heated through.  Serve over pasta of your choice and sprinkle with fresh basil chiffonade.  Add cheese of your choice and mangia!

NOTES: When cooking the ground turkey, be careful not to stir too much or break it up until it starts to cook or it can get tough and dry.  I suggest using a wooden or silicone utensil to break it up so you don't scratch or scrape up your pot  Do not sprinkle with the chiffonade (rolled up and sliced fine) until the end, or it could turn black instead of looking and tasting fresh.  This is a great meal for the end of summer because it just tastes so fresh.

Creamy Dreamy (Leftovers?)

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

I had leftover pasta from sausage ragu night.  I had leftover roasted chicken from Sunday Supper.  I had leftover salad I had used as a side.  I loathe waste so I can't throw it all away!  What's a girl to do?  Simple!  Throw it all into a bowl and smother it in a creamy, dreamy sauce and give it a name everyone is familiar with, like Pasta Chicken Salad, and voila!    No more leftovers!

CREAMY PASTA CHICKEN SALAD

leftover pasta (or just make some!)

leftover roasted chicken, de-boned and shredded (or some store-bought rotisserie)

leftover salad, consisting of spinach, lettuce, carrots, celery, green onion and cucumber (or cut up these veggies or any veggies you like!)

Toss this all together in a bowl.  Await dressing.

CREAMY DREAMY DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 tbs prepared horse radish

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

slight squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Put all ingredients into a jar with lid and shake or place in a bowl and whip with a whisk.  Pour over pasta chicken salad and eat.  Close your eyes, let out a slight moan of deliciousness.  Repeat.

NOTES: Carb-free or low-carb?  Prepare the chicken and salad with dressing first and set some aside.   Add pasta for everyone else and mix!