Then stay out of the kitchen, as the old saying goes. Well bloggers I’ve got a confession! Up until very recently the kitchen and anything surrounding the subject of the kitchen, such as cookbooks, utensils, basically anything kitchen related, made my anxiety kick into full gear. It was sort of the unknown and that was frightening to me.
I was the type of girl that enjoyed the idea of cooking. I loved to stroll around the kitchen department thinking how it would be awesome to whip up a little of this and that with a little of that. The idea of things is always so much nicer in your head, right?
I guess I was fairly spoiled growing up. Someone was always around to cook me something…even my little baby sister. He-he-he. Hey! She enjoyed it! REALLY! I swear she did.
Well, these days, with many (oh so many) failed attempts and a few victories under my belt, by gosh I think I’ve finally caught the hang of it! (Or at least tonight, I feel that way)
I’ve been using Skinny Taste by Gina, she hasn’t really lead me down a dark alley yet. The recipes are very easy to follow and they are not only healthy, they are DELISH! You know it’s a good thing when Mr. B says, “I don’t think I could have made that any better myself”. You know my little Chef Ramsay. Oops, i totally forgot Mr. B tends to read and post on our blog. So, mmm scratch that last line and insert my tough, strong, throw a meal together with the bare necessities manly man.
If you like a nice spicy linguini and shrimp fra diavolo, this recipe is for you!
Taken directly from Skinnytaste: (We love the spice, we threw in a lot more crushed reds)
Ingredients:
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
6-7 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined*
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1/4 cup celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
35 oz crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1 tbsp capers, drained
8 fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced thin
12 oz whole wheat pasta
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
While the water is heating up, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden, about one minute. Add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes to brown but not cook through; sprinkle with salt to taste.
Transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving garlic in the pan.
Add pasta to water and cook according to package directions for al dente.
Pour the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and add the celery and onions; cook 2 minutes then add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and crushed red pepper and bring to a simmer.
Lower the heat and let it simmer about 8-10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook another minute or two; remove from heat. Add the capers and serve in a large bowl over pasta topped with fresh basil, fresh black pepper and Parmesan cheese on the side.
See, easy peasy! Try it out, throw in a nice glass of wine too! Afterwards show Gina some blog lovin and post your reviews.
