Baked Ziti

So anyone who knows my kids, knows they aren't the best eaters in the world. But this dish, was AMAZING! Doesn't taste healthy, tastes like a cheat meal! Evan had 3 helpings, Drew had 3 helpings and Lila had 2! Paired it with some spinach for my littles, and sweet peppers for me. Now I love me some garlic bread with pasta, but this time I roasted portobello mushrooms, put a little garlic powder and pink Himalayan salt and dash of EVOO. SOO good. Didn't even miss the garlic bread.

Ingredients

• 1/2 box Whole Wheat Pasta
• 1 red container Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
• 1 jar natural/clean Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 lb Lean Ground Turkey
• 1/2 c Italian Cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 tbsp each: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, and Black Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the noodles until al-dente. While pasta is cooking, brown the ground turkey. Drain turkey of excess fat renderings after cooking. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, pasta sauce, honey, seasonings, cooked ground turkey, and the cooked and drained noodles. Stir until well combined.

Pour mixture into a 13×9 pan. Sprinkle Italian cheese and parsley on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbly.

1 red, 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 blue for my 21 day fixers

Shrimp Scampi on the Skinny

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup white wine (omit if you are on the 21 day fix, you won't really miss it!)
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 medium zucchini, cut into noodles
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Place a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and heat it for 1 minute. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook them for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn the garlic, I do that like half the time I saute garlic. Yeah, you would think I would learn. Nope. 

Add the shrimp to the pan and cook them, stirring as needed, until they are cooked throughout and pink on all sides, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and then using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl, leaving any liquid in the pan.

Increase the heat to medium. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, cooking the wine and lemon juice for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, garish with parsley and serve immediately.

To cut zucchini into noodles, use a mandoline or a spiralizer. I am obsessed with my zoodle maker! OBSESSED!