Happy Friday people… I am always looking forward to Fridays, and most of the time I make pasta for dinner. So how does this look to Y’all? Good, I assume!
Before I start blabbering how good this is, I just want to say that this could be made with any pasta, gluten-free or not and it is equally delicious. This gluten-free one is the best that I tasted, so far. My palate is still adjusting because let’s be honest here, pasta is the best when it’s made with regular flour, BUT, I won’t lie, this brand is not half bad if you follow instructions and of course give it a chance. I tried several different kinds of pasta from Tinkyada brand and all are really good. As for my Alfredo sauce, it’s DE-licious. I enjoy the taste of shrimps and the creamy sauce with al-dente spaghetti… mmm… It’s like ultimate comfort food right there, and I am 100% certain that you’ll love it as well.
Now the thing is peeps, after experimenting for a few weeks on myself, even though it is still early to tell, but when I eat my bread, or pasta or anything with gluten I cannot keep my eyes open, it knocks me out. I also get a slight headache, belly bloating and I am pretty moody. I increased fresh fruits and veggies that are good for thyroid hormone, as well as low-fat dairy products (cheese, milk, etc.), ditching gluten completely and including more protein (fish, eggs, etc.), I work-out more than I did 2 months ago, like I said before from 3-4 days a week, I am now to 6 days a week (power walk, indoor bike, 10-15 lbs. Weights, etc.).
Even my kids are pretty supportive of this sudden change of my diet, however, I still make bread every single day, I still make regular balanced meals that of course healthy people, like my family should eat.
My advice is to always READ Labels, and get as much as information as possible if you feel like your body is screaming at you and you are not feeling your normal self. I was moody-emotional, almost depressed, most of the time I was cold, I was bloated, gaining weight despite not over-eating, eating pretty healthy and balanced meals and exercising regularly. I was either too tired and slept throughout the day, or insomnia hits me and I cannot sleep at all– sometimes I’d go with 3-4 hours of sleep a night and function normally like I slept 8hrs. All that was not normal, it just wasn’t me… And turns out that I was right, I wasn’t crazy after all! You just have to listen to your body and know when something is going downhill.
Now gluten won’t kill me, but if it’s making me better in any way, I will avoid it… That brings me to one more point, this BLOG will not be gluten FREE…I will still continue to post regular meal, however, I’ll explore this new world and life without gluten for myself, and perhaps post every once in a while something that was really tasty like this pasta.
UPDATE*
Since Shrimps are high in cholesterol please omit or eat in moderation. Like I said you can use chicken, which has almost half of the cholesterol that Shrimps do, or simply omit all-together and use Broccoli, that you previously blanched. Broccoli is not the best option for people with Thyroid issues, however, if you cook it, it should be ok.
.jpg "Gluten free Shrimp Pasta")
Gluten-free Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pack Gluten free pasta
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 pound Fresh shrimps washed and deveined (frozen will work too)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
- 1/4 onion chopped
- 1 cup of assorted sweet peppers red, orange, green, yellow...
Alfredo sauce:
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil/ Butter works fine too.
- 3 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipped cream/or half and half
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp. Ground Black pepper
- 1 tbsp. Dry Italian Mix herbs
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch or Rice Flour gluten free + water
Garnish:
- Red hot chili flakes
- Dry herbs of your choice basil, mint, oregano etc.
- Cook pasta according to the pack. Add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water.
Instructions
Alfredo sauce:
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In a medium saucepan, add oil and garlic, saute for a few minutes on a medium high temp. (Do not burn). Pour in Chicken Stock, heavy whipped cream or half and a half and stir until it starts to bubble. Add Parmesan cheese, and the rest of the ingredients for the sauce (excluding thickening agent-cornstarch or rice flour). Add SALT to taste. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. In the cup, add a splash of water and mix cornstarch or rice flour until smooth--this will prevent lumps and it is like a Roux. Add to the sauce, stir until thick. Cover and set aside.
Shrimps:
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In the saute pan, add oil and drop the shrimps in that are clean and deveined -- if the shrimps are frozen, defrost. Let it cook until they are pink--few minutes on each side. Season with a pinch of salt and a generous squeeze of lemon -about 2 teaspoons. Once done, transfer cooked shrimps on a clean plate and set aside.
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In the same saute pan, add assorted peppers and onion. Saute for about 5 minutes --it needs to be soft, but still with a bit of crunch. If it's frozen, you don't need to defrost, just look closely so it doesn't burn, trying to separate peppers and onion.
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Once the peppers are almost done, add shrimp and stir. Turn the heat on medium-high, then add Alfredo sauce, stir. Last, add pasta to the sauce and shrimps and with kitchen tongs. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
If you don't like shrimps, you can do the same with the chicken breast. I recommend to cut it either into cubes or thin bite-size strips before cooking. If you don't want to make Alfredo sauce, you can certainly use store bought, (read labels for those that are on a gluten-free diet). Use Any pasta that you like!!!
This is not a sponsored post. I like Tinkyada pasta and this is my opinion.
-2.jpg "Gluten free Shrimp Pasta")