Mediterranean Inspiration: Shrimp Artichoke Heart Pasta

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."-Buddha

This past weekend was homecoming, and while it was great to see all my college friends and revisit old haunts, I am so glad I'm not in college anymore. I am so happy I don't live in the same place I went to college and I'm glad I've ventured out and made new friends and a new life. I think it is so important to force yourself into new environments to ensure growth as a person.  

With that said, I am also a big fan of nostalgia and I was lucky enough to have some great friends from college. I really didn't take many pictures, but the weather was beautiful and the alcohol was flowing... What more do we really need to know? 

One of my college best friends and me tailgating

Gorgeous fall day

Anyways, once I was back home I wanted to make something relatively healthy and Mediterranean inspired and simple. 

Shrimp Artichoke Heart Pasta 
What you need:

• Shrimp 
• Linguine 
• Garlic
• Olive oil 
• Spinach 
• Parsley
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus 
• Kalamata olives
• Artichoke hearts
• Feta 

How to make:

• Cook linguine until al dente 

• Saute shrimp, garlic, and onions in olive oil (5 minutes)

• Chop up tomatoes, parsley, spinach, asparagus, artichoke hearts, and olives

• Add chopped veggies to the shrimp and continue to saute (5 minutes) 

• Drain pasta and combine all ingredients. Add in additional olive oil and top with crumbled feta

I add crushed red pepper flakes to everything for additional flavor!

I also am a firm believer in treating yourself every once in awhile to a splurge purchase. What's the point of working all week if I can't spend a little bit of money every once in a while on something fun? 

Obviously I'm buying jewelry

I bought myself some of Catbird's gorgeous stackable threadbare rings for a fun and unique look. I bought three threadbare 14k gold rings with one in a smaller size.  You can check them out here! Catbird has some really unique jewelry and I know I am now a big fan! 

Cheers X

Mediterranean Diet Inspiration

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well"-Virginia Woolf

I'm going to be honest with you all, today was a lazy day. I had leftovers for lunch and some of my produce is verging on over-ripening so I was intent on not wasting it. Basically I had to use avocado, peppers, onions, and tomatoes in everything I made. Luckily, all of those veggies are in line with my Mediterranean inspiration. 

Breakfast:

• Veggie Egg White Scramble
• What you need:
• egg whites
• spinach
• tomatoes
• onions
• avocado 
• bell peppers
• mozzarella cheese 
• How to make:
• Scramble everything together over medium heat 

• Greek Yogurt Parfait 
• 4 oz. Greek yogurt with 4 cup strawberries, 1 tbs pomegranate seeds, and 1 tsp. honey

Lunch:

• Leftovers from Mediterranean Spinach Shrimp Pasta

Dinner:

• Mediterranean Inspired Nachos
• What you need:
• tortilla chips
• cheese
• onions
• avocado
• tomato 
• bell peppers
• How to make:
• Melt cheese over chips with all the toppings

Cheers X

Mediterranean Diet Inspiration

"The groundwork for all happiness is good health."- Leigh Hunt

Breakfast:

• 6 oz. Greek yogurt with ½ cup strawberries, 2 tbs pomegranate seeds, and 1 tsp. honey

Love starting the morning with these beautiful colors 

Nom nom nom

• 1 slice whole-grain toast with half mashed avocado

Lunch:

• Spinach with Garbanzo Beans and crusty bread 
• What you need:
• 2 cloves minced garlic 
• 1/4 onion diced
• 2 cups spinach 
• 1/2 can of garbanzo beans 
• 1 cup kale
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• How to make:
• Heat olive oil 
• Cook the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes

• Stir in the spinach and garbanzo beans

• Mix in the kale and carrots. Lightly mash the beans and cook until everything is thoroughly heated.

Dinner:

• Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta 
• What you need:
• 2 tsp olive oil 
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups chopped plum tomatoes 
• 1/4 cup sliced basil
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives 
• spinach linguine 
• 1/4 cup mozzarella 
• How to make:
• Cook pasta

Spinach linguine is healthier than the flour based traditional noodles

• Heat olive oil and saute garlic for 30 seconds

• Add in shrimp saute 1 minute 

• Add in tomato, olives, and basil, simmer 3 minutes

• Add in shrimp, tomato, olives, and basil to the pasta and top with cheese

It's basically the same thing as being in Greece... 

Cheers X

Mediterranean Diet Inspiration

"Health and intellect are the two blessings of life."-Menander

Breakfast:

• 6 oz. Greek yogurt with ½ cup strawberries, 2 tbs pomegranate seeds, and 1 tsp. honey
• 1 slice whole-grain toast with half mashed avocado

Lunch:

• 1 whole-grain pita with 2 tbsp. hummus and stuffed with 1 cup fresh greens and 2 slices tomatoes
• 1 medium orange

Dinner:

• 3 oz. mahi mahi 
• ½ cup couscous, ½ cup zucchini, 4 spears asparagus, 1 cup kale

Couscous

Asparagus 

Couscous, zucchini, asparagus

Mahi-Mahi

Mahi-Mahi with veggie couscous

Cheers X

Mediterranean Pizza

“First we eat. Then we do everything else”- MFK Fisher

I am not having the best of luck with the whole mobility thing…I strained my hip flexor a couple days after I got the all clear from my doctors about my broken bones. However, I’m so sick of being unable to do things (I’m going stir crazy) so being the incredibly intelligent woman that I am, I decided to do a ridiculous core workout with my roommate.

This was not smart.

I mean, the workout was great and I really need to get back in shape, but this was akin to just learning to swim and deciding the open sea in a hurricane is your best bet for practice. Basically, I am in a lot of pain. So when I got home from work, the last thing I wanted to do was go to the grocery store. My solution was to throw everything I had together and just see what happened. I was very happy with the end result. I ended up making a (relatively) healthy Mediterranean pizza.   

This recipe is based off of what I had, but this entire thing could be customized. You could use pesto or tomato sauce instead of olive oil or goat cheese or feta instead of mozzarella and cheddar. Honestly, the combinations are endless.

What you need:

• Extra-large tortilla
• Shredded cheese
• Onion
• Garlic
• Bell peppers
• Spinach
• Artichoke hearts
• Black olives
• Olive oil

How to make:

• Preheat your oven to 410 degrees
• Spoon a tablespoon of olive oil over your tortilla

• Sprinkle a layer of cheese over your tortilla

• Place spinach evenly throughout your pizza

• Cut up bell peppers, onions, and artichoke hearts and cover your pizza with them

• Crush garlic and season the pizza
• Sprinkle another fine layer of cheese
• Top with black olives and crushed red peppers
  
  
  
  

• Cook for 10 minutes

After cooking my pizza I decided I was done with standing around so I decided to eat mine in my bed. And it was fantastic.

Cheers X