Skillet Cheesy Pasta and Sauce

It's a rainy, stormy day and I'm in the mood to just stay in and watch the thunderstorms with Rocky while munching on some comfort food.  I wanted something simple and quick - and to be very honest, this is the ultimate in lazy girl meals.  The whole recipes takes less than a half hour total from start to clean-up and I'm sure would be fabulous with a salad and some crusty bread if you had some sort of last minute hostessing crisis or whatever. 

In the future, I would like to use my own sauce instead of going prepackaged - maybe something with ground turkey to up the protein content a bit.  I used Dreamfields pasta - anything else will probably alter the nutritional content and skyrocket the carbs a bit.  I used all lowfat/skim cheeses - however I'm sure anything a little more full-body will up the awesomeness factor.  All in all, the end result of this particular recipe is an incredibly creamy, gooey, tasty pasta dish that has definitely satisfied my craving for comfort foods on this rainy day.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (6 servings - about a cup/pp):

• 6 oz. elbow macaroni (I used Dreamfields)
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (I used a jarred four cheese sauce)
• 14.5 oz. drained diced tomatoes (Italian)
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 cup skim ricotta
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 1 large onion
• 1 red/orange bell pepper
• fresh basil leaves (I used about 5)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Boil pasta according to instructions and set aside.
2. Dice the onion and pepper and sautee in a large skillet until tender and somewhat translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, chopped basil leaves.
5. Stir well and allow to thicken for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the pasta and mix well.
7. Add the 3 cheeses and mix well until melted and evenly distributed.
8. Serve immediately and enjoy :)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 192
• Carbs: 26g
• Fat: 6g
• Protein: 10g

Shrimp and Quinoa Caprese Salad

I have been on a huge caprese kick lately.  Maybe it's the summer weather, maybe it's my need to try something new, or maybe it's just so awesome being able to use home grown tomatoes and basil rather than go to the supermarket.  Who knows.  Either way, I've been playing around and incorporating caprese into meals at least a couple of times a week - from sandwiches to bruschetta to pasta, I am officially obsessed.

Since I had some extra shrimp and quinoa left over from last night's dinner, I decided on trying a caprese-themed shrimp and quinoa cold salad.  I have to say, I'm really happy with the way it came out.  I used grape tomatoes since they're a bit sweeter than other varieties, have less/smaller seeds, and are generally less goopy.  I also added red onion for a bit of extra flavor.  The tomatoes, onion, and mozzarella get marinaded in balsamic vinegar and then added to the salad instead of being poured directly in which ensures that you don't end up with a soggy quinoa mess.  All in all, very light, flavorful, and a perfect dish for summer.

Ingredients (6 servings):

• 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (about 0.5 cup dry)
• 1 cup grape tomato sliced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 10 basil leaves
• 8 oz buffalo mozzarella
• 4 oz cooked shrimp
• 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package.  Typically thats done by bringing a 2:1 ratio of water and quinoa to a boil and then allowing it to simmer until the water has been absorbed.
2. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. While the quinoa is cooling, slice the tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella and combine with the balsamic vinegar.
4. Slice the basil leaves into thin strips.  
5. I suggest using pre-cooked shrimp for the easiness factor but if you prefer not to - peel and devein the shrimp and sautee until pink.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Drain the excess vinegar from the bowl used to hold the tomatoes, onion, and mozzarella and combine with the cooled quinoa and shrimp.  Add the basil and olive oil and toss well.
7. Serve and enjoy :)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving: 

• Calories: 238
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fat: 15g
• Protein: 14g