spinach artichoke pasta

this right here. this right here. i can't even begin to tell you about this right here. so freaking tasty. probably so not good for me. but so good. it's difficult to reheat though. i recommend adding it to a pot with 1/2 cup of milk and reheating slowly.

spinach artichoke pasta

• 1 12-oz box pasta
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and chopped
• 10 oz chopped, frozen spinach, thawed, with as much excess water squeezed out as possible
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• Additional Parmesan for serving

cook pasta while melting butter and cooking garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. add cream cheese and stir until melted. slowly stir in milk, then add sour cream, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and parmesan cheese.

drain pasta and add to artichoke mix. toss and season to taste with salt and additional lemon juice as needed. serve with additional shredded parmesan.

thai fried quinoa

this was something i saw on pinterest and thought it looked interesting. this was one healthy thing my boyfriend liked more than me which is odd. it just wasn't what i expected. i was kind of disappointed but i think i will try it again sometime. i figured it might be worth a share. maybe you can decide for yourself

thai fried quinoa

Serves 4
Slightly adapted from Peas and Thank You
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon microplaned or minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup frozen peas
1-8oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
juice of half a lime
chopped peanuts (optional)
Directions:

1. Place rinsed quinoa in a saucepan over high heat. Add coconut milk and chicken broth, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, place a lid on top, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick spray. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly as to not burn the garlic.
3. Add peas, pineapple tidbits, and cilantro and cook for 1 additional minute.
4. Push the ingredients to the sides of the wok to create a clear space in the center. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl, then pour into the wok. Stir with a spatula until the eggs are scrambled, then stir to combine with the rest of the ingredients.
5. Add cooked quinoa, soy sauce and lime juice to the wok, and stir to combine. Cook for an additional minute or two, or until the quinoa begins to crisp up. Serve with optional chopped peanuts on top.

zucchini pasta and tomato parsley sauce

so since i have switched my diet i noticed i have been thirstier than normal. i can not seem to get enough water. yesterday i found myself with a splitting headache because i didn't find enough time during my work day to get enough water to satisfy my body. but there's nothing wrong with tons of water. i've been drinking "green smoothies" daily for breakfast. for those of you who having had one, it's a smoothie made of a green leafy vegetable, some fruit, and some vegetables. the color looks really odd to a lot of people. (yes, a lot of my coworkers give me some funky looks.) but it tastes really good. it takes a while to find a combination that really works for you. i really tend to gravitate to spinach, banana, celery, and the occasional cucumber.

this was one of my favorite things to make last time i was eating raw. it's not difficult to make and is surprisingly filling. pasta is a complete vice of mine so being able to have some good for you pasta is key to me surviving any dietary change.

to make the parsley tomato sauce, all you need are the ingredients to the left and a blender.

parsley tomato sauce

5 tomatoes, washed and sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt, to taste


blend together all ingredients except the parsley and olive oil. once completely blended, slowly add the olive oil and parsley until sauce thickens.

see. super simple and tasty sauce. the color is a nice green depending on how much parsley you add. for me the more the better because you can never get enough greens. if you like your tomato sauce a little on the red side add half of the bunch of parsley and you will get a nice red pink sauce.

now there's a few different ways you can make your zucchini pasta. you can use a food processor, vegetable peeler, mandolin, or my favorite bad boy: a spiral vegetable slicer. they aren't expensive and are a nice novelty to have. think curly fries, vegetable pasta, thinly sliced anything. it's easy enough to use. secure washed and peeled (if you want) vegetable in the middle and turn the crank.

one of the things i do to make sure i don't have a huge noodle is slice the vegetable half way through.  the end result is nice and quick. very professional looking.

so now that the pasta is all done, mix it with a little sauce and enjoy. tangy and raw pasta. 

tortellini tomato soup

the first thing, which is always a pain, to do when changing your diet like this is to clean out the old to make in the new. since i had to stock my fridge and cabinets for a blizzard i have plenty of things i now no longer want to eat. since i have a problem getting rid of things completely and don't have the money to just trash a bunch of food. i figure this time i will make it more of a transition. i'm going to phase out of the things i used to eat a lot of that aren't so good for me and work in the great things.

pinterest is always helpful for figuring out what to do with the remaining things in my cabinet. i decided to use milk instead of cream because, i don't have any cream and just feel it's way to heavy.

tortellini tomato soup

2 whole large cloves of garlic minced
2 Tbl olive oil
2 10 3/4 oz cans of condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbl italian seasonings
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 whole 9 Oz package of cheese filled tortellini
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese


saute garlic with the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until golden brown. keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too brown or burnt.
after the garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, milk, chicken stock and spices and bring to a simmer.
once simmering, drop tortellini into the soup and cook according to the package directions.
after tortellini are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese.

taco pasta bake

so i had a little bit of meat left in my fridge and decided i should do something with it. im obsessed with tacos so after finding this recipe on pinterest i needed to do it. i am having trouble not eating it. nailed it!

taco pasta bake

• 1/2 - 3/4 of a bag of large noodle pasta
• approx. 1lb of ground beef
• 1 pkg/envelope of taco seasoning
• 1cup water
• 1/2 pkg of cream cheese (about 4oz)
• 1 1/2cup shredded cheese (I used taco seasoned cheddar)

boil pasta until just cooked and drain.
brown ground beef and mix together taco season and 1cup of water. pour over cooked beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced
add the 1/2 pkg of cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined, remove from heat.
put pasta in your casserole dish or pot, mix in 1cup of the shredded cheese
top pasta and cheese with beef mixture, gently mix until the pasta is coated
top with remaining 1/2cup of shredded cheese
bake at 350 uncovered for approx 30 minutes 

here we go again...

...and again she ventured into the wild world of blogging.

i've keep online journals and blogs since i was probably around 13 or so. i've always enjoyed sharing and this just always seemed like an appropriate forum for me to do so. i've been away from blogger for over a year so i figured i stead of picking up my old blog where i left off, i'd start fresh.

right now i am at a cross road once again in my life. high stress job, high stress personal life, body seemingly falling apart, self esteem dropping rapidly.. i decided it is again time for a major change. the change i am about to embark on, is not new to me. when i was at what i consider my most enlightened time of my life, i was eating mostly raw foods and working out regularly, handling stress phenomenally, and rocking a decently awesome abdomen. i need to get back there. today's over-processed grocery and fast food nation has once again caught me in their trap of quickly prepared, minimally nutritious, and hormone heavy meals. after almost two years back eating meats and processed foods i can feel my body again as sluggish, miserable, and deteriorating. as a female in my mid twenties, this is not good. i can't take it anymore and need to reevaluate the fuel i am putting into this beautiful machine of a body.

this blog will focus on how i am reevaluating and revamping my life. i'll share with you my voyage into foods and getting back to the things that are most important to me.

in a world that gets so busy it is easy to lose our selves. i'm refusing to get lost again.