Light Shrimp Alfredo Pasta

This recipe is free of gluten and has a low lactose content.

I am a huuuge fan of alfredo. It's definitely my favourite sauce, hands down. However, classic alfredo sauce is pretty much just butter with a bit of garlic and seasoning, and most marketed alfredo sauces found in North America are loaded with heavy creams that would definitely twist my lactose-sensitive stomach. 

While I'm definitely not a calorie counter, putting half a cup of butter into my sauce is a bit much for me, same with heavy creams - even if I could tolerate them, just.. no. So, I decided to compromise and use a fraction of the butter called for in classic alfredo recipes, but use yogurt to get that creamy flavour us alfredo fans love so much! 

It was FANTASTIC. This was my first attempt at making alfredo from scratch, so I stuck to the basics and am so pleased with the results! Next time, I'll probably add some mushrooms and broccoli for that extra umph, but even on its own it was great. I also tested it on a few hungry men who seconded my enthusiasm. I highly recommend giving this spin on alfredo a shot!

Yield: Serves 3-4

1 11oz package pasta (I used gluten-free spaghetti, but you can use the more traditional fettuccine or penne)

28 large shrimp

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves

1½ cups low-fat yogurt

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (parmesan) 

⅛ cup butter (quarter of a stick) + 1 tablespoon for boiling pasta

1 teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon oregano

Salt to taste

Pinch of nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

Boil pasta until tender in salted water with a tablespoon of butter.

Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large frying pan, then add garlic. Fry garlic until brown, then add the shrimp, cooking for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Once pasta is finished, drain water and transfer it back into the pot. The shrimp should be done by now, so add the shrimp and garlic with whatever oil is left in the pan.

Add the rest of the ingredients - except the pepper - stirring frequently until mixture is hot and cheese is melted.

Serve with a hearty dose of freshly ground black pepper on each plate.

Enjoy!

Post by McKayla

Saudi Shrimp Kabsa

This recipe is free of gluten, dairy and nuts.

When I first came in contact with Saudi cooking 2 years ago, kabsa was the very first thing I ate. It's fairly simple and easy to make, but the spices are what made the meal for me. Since then, I was brought something called loomi from Saudi - blackened lime. You boil a lime in salt water, then dry it out in the sun until the inside turns black while the outside can vary in colour. It's probably 100x easier just to buy it ground or whole in a Middle Eastern food store, or from this link; I have never ever ever taken on the task of trying to make it on my own so I can't say how easy/possible it would be.

Loomi unfortunately doesn't have any substitute. It provides a bitter, sour flavour which sounds like NOTHING you want to put 10 feet within your dish but is actually amazing and I'll never eat kabsa without it again. It's like adding lemon, but not, because I add lemon AND loomi and that's what makes this kabsa complete.

It's probably worth noting that kabsa will still taste delicious without it, but seriously if you have an international food store anyway near your area you think might carry it just TRY IT. I was weirded out at first until I got up the courage to test it out on a huge pot of food, and as I said I'll never go back!

Yield: Serves 3-4 people

30 large shrimp, thawed with tales removed

1 bell pepper

1 large onion 

½ large cucumber

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tablespoons fish masala (a mixture of garam masala and curry will substitute, or baharat, if not available in your area)

½ teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon basil

2 teaspoons salt

3 loomi

Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

1 small (5.5 oz) can of tomato paste

Oil for frying

3 cups of basmati rice

A few squirts of lemon juice for each plate

Chop onion, cucumber and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces.

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions and cook till translucent, followed by garlic.

Add bell pepper and cucumber.

Stir in thawed shrimp and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Mix in all the spices and tomato paste. Pour in 3 cups of water and reduce to a low boil. Add loomi and cover for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour rice in with an extra 1½ cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover on low heat until rice is cooked.

Serve and squirt each dish with a bit of lemon juice. I also like to take the loomi and squeeze all the juices it acquired onto the plates as well. 

Enjoy!

Post by McKayla