Shrimp Pesto Pasta

I love the changing of the seasons There's beautiful weather, which provides amazing produce. You can dine outside. So, today I'm sharing one of my favorite Spring dinners that is great served warm or room temperature. It's my Spring Vegetable and Shrimp Pasta.

This dish takes advantage of seasonal produce - asparagus and mushrooms. And, shrimp are in season! This recipe celebrates all of these seasonal ingredients. It's a quick, easy and most importantly delicious meal. Here's the recipe.

Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 cup portabella mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 bunch of asparagus
1 pound large (20/25 per pound) shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup pesto
2 Tablespoons olive oil

For the pesto:
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups basil
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (the juice of 1 lemon)
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Tools
Pairing knife for deveining shrimp
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Cutting board
Skillet
Medium-sized saucepan
Food processor

Instructions
In a dry pan, toast pine nuts for 5-7 minutes until fragrant and light brown.

To make the pesto, add basil, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, peeper and olive oil to a food processor. Pulse to combine. Set aside.


Heat oven to 400*F. On a baking sheet, toss asparagus with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.


In a medium-sized sauce pan add 4 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook according to package directions. Drain orzo, and set aside.


In a large skillet, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and heat over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender. Add shrimp. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until opaque and firm. Internal temperature should read 145* F. Set shrimp aside.


In a large mixing bowl, add orzo, pesto, shrimp, mushrooms and asparagus. Toss to combine. Plate and enjoy!

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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2018 Goals Update

Goals - I love them! I like resolutions. I like to plan, make lists, and work toward a goal. I set yearly goals, and I have monthly goals. These monthly goals help me break long-term, yearly goals into short-term, achievable goals.

Monthly goals help me reach my yearly goals by pacing myself. For example, I'm trying to cook 12 new recipes this year. This divides evenly into an average of 1 recipe per month. However, some months are super busy, and I rely on quick, family-favorite recipes. If I find that I'm not averaging 1 recipe per month, I can try to catch-up the following month. If you've ever had problems achieving long-term goals, I encourage you to set short-term goals that help you reach your long-term goals.

I also find that sharing my goals keeps me accountable. You can share your goals with a friend or post them below. Do you have any tips for achieving goals?

Let's dive into my first quarter 2018 goals update. 

1) Try 12 new recipes.

This goal is to challenge me to find new dinner inspiration, to try new cooking techniques, and taste new foods. So far, I've made the following recipes:

- Greek meatballs (keftedes) with taziki
- Roasted cauliflower with a tahini and lemon sauce
- Grilled shrimp with chermoula
- Avocado toast with a poached egg and everything bagel seasoning (so good!)
- Stove-top mac and cheese
- Blueberry honey scones

Do you have any favorite recipes? If so, share them below. I would love your recommendations!

2) Read 12 books.

So far, I've ready the following books in 2018:

- Church of the Small Things by Melanie Shankle
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- Becoming Madeleine by Charlotte Voiklis

- Daring Greatly by Brene Brown 
- A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
- 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs

I'm trying to average about 1 book a month to reach my yearly goal. What books do you recommend?

3) Be physically active consistently. 

So far in 2018, I've been walking, jogging, and doing PT. The weather has been mostly fantastic, so it's a good way to enjoy the weather before the Summer heat.

I took try tennis lessons and plan to try some new exercise classes.  Do you have favorite exercise class?  What motivates you to be physically active? What keeps you consistent with physical activity?

4) Learn and improve a skill.

I've taken one cooking class this year. It was a Mediterranean class. You can read more about it here, and there are some tips to make cooking less stressful.

Do you have anything you want to learn to cook this year?
Do you recommend any particular cooking classes?

Also, remember your "why" behind the goals, and give yourself grace. Any progress is progress. If I don't challenge myself, I will never change or grow. That's my "why." I want to continue to learn and grow and become better. 

For more tips, encouragement, and recipes for a healthy lifestyle, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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