We have both enjoyed cooking for a long time, but to be honest our cooking wasn't exactly the healthiest. It consisted of carbs, cheese, fat, more cheese and more carbs. In the last 4 years we have really worked hard to clean up our diets and work to make some significant changes to the way we eat. One of the biggest things that spurred this change was Cassie's health. She was only 25 years old and found out that because of her weight she had high blood pressure. That was the kick in the butt that we needed to really make some significant changes to our diets. These changes didn't happen overnight and in some instance we still have more changes to make, but little by little it has added up to a huge difference and meant a significant amount of weight lost for Cassie and blood pressure that is now maintained at a healthy level.
One of the challenges of going to a new way of eating is feeling like you have to give up your old favorite staple meals that you used to always eat. We really enjoy taking a lot of those recipes and really working to cut out significant portions of unnecessary calories and bad fats without sacrificing flavor (It helps to really like spicy food). Some previous posts where we have done just that are our Huevos Rancheros and Pizza along with many others.
We participated in yet another recipe swap this week. The theme of this week's swap was side dishes and once again we were given another great recipe. We received this recipe from the blogger over at Lemons & Love. Definitely check out the blog lots of other great recipes. We really enjoyed the pasta and it really made a great side dish. If you are interested we shared browned onion kugel as our entry into the swap.
Baked Lemon Pasta
Adapted from Lemons & Love
Makes 4 Servings
6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1.5 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 a medium lemon
zest of 1/2 a medium lemon
1/2 c. non-fat Greek yogurt (we recommend Fage 0% yogurt)
1-2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 oz. shredded Parmesan
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
2) Meanwhile in a separate bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, Greek yogurt, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss spaghetti with this mixture and put into a oven proof dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle on top with Parmesan and then bake for 15-17 minutes.
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This looks great. I'm going to have to try it as a side dish with some grilled chicken or shrimp.