With proper planning and a little prep work, Creamy Creole Shrimp and Pasta is a pretty simple dinner to pull off.  My sweet friend, Cheryl, emailed this recipe to me and said it was one of her family's all time favorite dinners.  I changed it up just a bit to match what I had on hand.  At first, I worried the kiddos would find it too spicy, so I chose a can of MILD diced tomatoes with green chilies and left out the Tabasco sauce.  That was a good choice.  The kids gobbled up their dinners faster than I could photograph my plate and sit down.

I asked my dear friends to taste test this recipe with me.  John and Kim frequently travel through Louisiana to visit family and they KNOW good Cajun and Creole food.  They found this to be an excellent dinner!  Kim recognized right away it did not have the heavy cream sauce or spicy heat traditional in Creole cooking, but she truly preferred the lighter sauce.  As for the spicy heat, next time I'll set the Tabasco bottle on the table and let the grown ups dash to their heart's content.

HERE'S WHAT IT TAKES

• 1 (8 oz) package linguine

• 1/2 cup or 1 stick salted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with Mild green chilies, drained
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• 1 (2 lb.) bag frozen shrimp, medium size, peeled/deveined, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups Half-n-half
• a few dashes of Tabasco sauce (optional)

• Parmesan cheese, shredded
• fresh chopped parsley, garnish

PREP

Wash and chop all the vegetables, place in a medium bowl and set aside.  Make sure to have shrimp thawed, peeled and deveined; set aside and ready.

Heat chicken broth in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes in a 2 cup container.  Then, add the drained diced tomatoes with green chilies, Creole seasoning, dried parsley and pepper.  Set aside.

Begin large pot of water to boil to cook linguine according to package directions.

COOK

Melt butter in heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add flour and cook for up to 5 minutes until mixture is a caramel color.  Stir frequently.

Add the bowl of finely chopped vegetables, cook 5 to 8 minutes or until soften. Stir frequently.

- - - This is a good time to add linguine to cooking pot of boiling water.

Add hot chicken broth with spices. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in as many dashes of  hot sauce as you can muster, if desired.

Stir in shrimp and half-n-half, cook 10 minutes.  Inside this time, the pasta should be cooked and ready to drain.
Add drained linguine to creamy shrimp mixture.   Stir until pasta is well coated.

Top individual servings with shredded Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley if you like it that much.

Just so you know...

I heated up the chicken broth beforehand to keep the cooking temperature consistent.  I didn't have to wait to bring the mixture back up to a simmer before going onto the next step.

I didn't mention it above, but I warmed up the half-n-half, too.  I popped it in the microwave for 1 minute, just long enough to knock off the cold.  I didn't want it to bring down the temperature when I needed a full 10 minutes of medium heat to cook the shrimp.

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This recipe has been sponsored by the cool folks over at One2One Network in partnership with Nestle Carnation The Cooking Milk. This is my own twist on the Pepper Jack Cheesy Mac recipe from the free CARNATION - Holiday Guide.pdf I received from Carnation Cooking Milk.

I'm a big, BIG fan of spinach.  Anytime I can get away with mixing it into a dish, I do it!  This particular dish had my interest because it I knew it would work for both my cheesy-noodle-lovin-kids, my not-so-crazy-about-spinach-husband and me. ;D  It had the thick, creamy texture we want from a baked macaroni dish.  And the iron rich spinach made it guilt-free when I went back for seconds.  This recipe goes into the monthly rotation under the comfort food category for sure!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
• 1 can (12 oz.) CARNATION Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil.  Blanch spinach in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain spinach in a strainer set inside a bowl.  Set aside.  When cool enough to touch, roughly chop the spinach.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.

In the same boiling water with heat set to medium, pour in dry macaroni and cook until tender to the tooth, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well.  Return to saucepan.

Toss in the chopped, blanched spinach. Add the cheddar cheese and Gouda cheese, evaporated milk, salt and pepper.  Stir until combined.  Pour into prepared casserole dish.  Cover tightly with foil.

BAKE for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly brown.

Download your own free copy of the CARNATION-Holiday Guide
for more savory dishes like this one.
Click here: CARNATION - Holiday Guide.pdf

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

Fast, healthy and filling!  It will take longer for the pasta to cook than the vegetables.  Don't let the simplicity of the dish trick you, it's loaded with flavor.  Using the freshest vegetables and a GOOD wedge of young Parmesan makes this dish a hit with everyone.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• linguine cooked according to the package directions

• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large zucchini, quartered then cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• salt & fresh ground pepper
  
• 1 small wedge Parmesan, freshly shredded

Go ahead and chop the vegetables while you're waiting for the pasta water to boil.  I recommend start sauting the vegetables after the dried pasta has been added to the boiling pasta water.

For the vegetables
In a medium saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil then add the chopped onions.  Cook until they begin to soften.  Add the minced garlic, cook 1 to 2 minutes then finally add the zucchini and red bell pepper.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Quickly toss and coat the vegetables, cooking 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the vegetables with shredded Parmesan, as much as you care to taste.  Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the sauted vegetables to prevent cheese from sticking.  Cover pan and turn off heat.  Leave in pan until pasta is drained and ready to eat.

After draining the pasta, drizzle it with a little olive oil, top with cooked vegetables then add a little more Parmesan for garnish.  You're Ready to Eat!

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

by Central Market

Allow the butter to come to room temperature in a small bowl. Cream the butter before adding the other ingredients. Mix well so that the herbs are evenly distributed. Chill in the refrigerator until firm OR shape into a log on clear plastic wrap when you refrigerate and then slice into pats. Freeze any leftovers.

Put butter pats on top of pan-fried or grilled steak just before serving. Pasta and cooked, drained green vegetables can also be tossed in lemon herb butter while they are still hot.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tsp Rosemary, dried
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Combine and serve.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

I picked up a few Mexican zucchinis the other day.  They're the ones that look like a fat zucchini with a lighter green skin.  Mexican zucchini have a much milder flavor than the darker skin variety.

HERE'S ALL I DID

• fettuccine for four
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Mexican zucchini, grated
• 2 peperoncini peppers, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper to taste
• crumbled feta cheese or parmesan
• red pepper flakes (for an optional bit of heat)

While waiting for the pasta water to come to a boil, prep the vegetables.  Right before it's time to cook the pasta, heat the olive oil in a medium fry pan of medium heat.  Add the pasta to the boiling water and set the timer for the recommended time on the package.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the fry pan and cook until onion begins to soften.  Add zucchini, peperoncini peppers, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, cook for up to 5 minutes or until the timer goes off.  The vegetables are better with a little bite to them.

After the pasta is cooked and drained off, toss it together with the vegetables, drizzle a little olive oil on top, then add crumbled feta or parmasan cheese.  Save the red pepper flakes for folks to add themselves.

You're ready to eat! This recipe is very good the next day for lunch, too.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

Photo by Gina Homolka

Zucchini and tomatoes tossed in olive oil and garlic over angel hair pasta with freshly grated cheese like Parmigiano Reggiano.  This is wonderful & quick weeknight meal that's simple and healthy.

HERE'S ALL YOU NEED

Servings: 4 servings • Cook Time: 10 minutes

• 2 medium zucchinis, julienned
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, diced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 4 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 12 oz high fiber angel hair pasta, like Barilla Plus
• 1/4 cup fat free chicken or vegetable broth
• fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to instructions.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat pan on medium-high flame and add oil when pan is hot. Add garlic and shallots to the pan and saute about 1 minute. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes.   Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, chicken broth and adjust salt and pepper. Stir for another minute. Remove from flame.

Drain pasta when done and mix well with vegetables.  Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Keeping it Light!

Gina's WW Recipes

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This is our new family favorite recipe! Creamier than the Creamy Fettucini with Ham that I made last week.  The flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes coming from the turkey makes it VERY HARD to stop eating.  Maybe I shouldn't post this recipe?
With all the hub-bub of watching our waistlines and all, if you make this creamy carb creation, you're thoughts of dieting for the new year are OVER!
Bwa Ha Ha Ha Ha!!! That was my villainous food blogger's laugh.

What? Get on with the grub?  Ok.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1/3 cup uncooked bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 12 ounce slice, 1/2 inch thick Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Breast, cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups Non Fat Half n Half (Land o'Lakes)
• 1 broccoli crown, cut into bite size pieces
• 12 ounces whole wheat fettuccine
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Fill your large pan to boil the pasta and get it going.

Cook the bacon in a small saute pan over medium heat, until browned but not crispy.  Add onion and cook until translucent.  Add the cubed turkey, and cook for 2 minutes more, long enough to warm it up.  Stir in the non-fat half and half, and keep warm over low heat while the pasta is cooking.

BEFORE YOU COOK THE PASTA, use the boiling pasta water to blanch the broccoli for 1 to 2 minutes.  If the broccoli florets are small, only blanch to a minute, they become tender very quickly.  Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon, shaking off the water, then move it to the large serving bowl you'll use to bring this all together.

Boil the pasta as directed on the package.  Drain when al denta.  Turn into a serving bowl, pour the creamy turkey mixture over the pasta.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese, then allow to stand for a few minutes.  Give the pasta a chance to adhere to the creamy goodness before serving.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This is another EXTREMELY simple pasta meal that everyone can enjoy. The cream sauce comes together so quickly, you'll find yourself watching the pasta cook.  The cream sauce is mild with a cooked onion flavor, my kids ATE IT UP!

The original recipe comes from my favorite Italian cookbook.  However, it called for a lot of butter and cooking fat from the ham, then it called for heavy cream.  I couldn't bring myself to make it as they suggested.  I love my heart too much, so I trimmed it down as best as I knew how.

While picking up supplies at the grocer's, I stopped at the deli counter and asked for a 1/2 inch slice of Black Forest Ham.  It's not smokey and it's not sweet.  It's simply ham, which was perfect with the sauce.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 12 ounces fettuccine
• 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
• 1 very small onion or 1/4 cup finely chopped
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 8 ounce slice, 1/2 inch thick Black Forest Ham, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Fill your large pan to boil the pasta and get it going.

Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat, cook the onion until translucent.  Add the cubed ham, and cook for 2 minutes more.  Season with fresh ground pepper.  Stir in the cream and milk, and keep warm over low heat while the pasta is cooking.

Boil the pasta as directed on the package.  Drain when al denta.  Turn into a serving bowl, and toss with the sauce.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve at once.

THAT'S IT.

I served the pasta with a healthy side of dark leafy greens and we were all satisfied.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This is the result of combining the experience of one recipe (Chicken Cacciatore) with the exploration of two new ones (Rabbit with Tomatoes, pg. 393 and Eggplant Parmesan, pg. 400 from my favorite Italian cookbook.)  I figured this meal was going to be either a complete miss or really good.

IT WAS A HIT! Charlie & I CHOWED DOWN! TWICE!  It made excellent leftovers.  Maggie wouldn't touch it, no surprise there.  Max's favorite part was the homemade tomato sauce.  He totally grooved on the sauce.  YEAAAH!!!

HERE'S ALL THERE'S TO IT

For the homemade tomato sauce

• 1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano whole tomatoes, No Other Will Do (considered a specialty food item, but I get them from Brookshire's here in deep East Texas, 2 hours from Dallas-nuf said)
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Use either an immersion blender or drink blender to puree tomatoes, set aside.  In a medium pan over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper in olive oil until soften.  Add in garlic, cook 2 to 3 minutes, careful not to burn the garlic.  Pour in pureed tomatoes and add dried spices.  Cover with lid, allow for stream to escape.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425F degrees and prep the veggies and chicken.

• 3 zucchini, sliced lengthwise, 1/2 inch slices
• remaining 3/4 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• Romano cheese, thinly shredded
• good olive oil
• salt & fresh ground pepper

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise in half, then each piece is cut lengthwise in half again to make thinner, evenly sized strips
• 4 slices of uncooked bacon, cut in half

Use a 13 inch by 9 inch casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Toss the zucchini and bell pepper slices with a little olive oil right in the dish then spread evenly.  Season generously with salt & pepper. Add a layer of Romano cheese.

Next, lay the chicken strips across the zucchini, then lay a piece of bacon over each chicken strip. Bake 20 minutes.

Now it's time to remove the homemade tomato sauce from the heat.  CAREFULLY CAREFULLY puree the sauce with an immersion blender or pour into a drink blender and process until smooth.  Pour sauce all over chicken and veggies, covering everything.  Return to oven for 20 more minutes of baking.

Now go cook your pasta of choice and set the table for some good eats.  And if you have room in the oven, now is a good time to heat up garlic bread wrapped in foil.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.