Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes

How many of us are staying on track with our new year health resolutions? We are trying over here! Here are some healthier “pasta” alternatives for your weekend recipe picks.

• Chicken Pesto and Zucchini “Pasta” (courtesy of Tasty.co)

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh basil

• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

• ½ cup pine nuts

• 2 cloves garlic

• ½ lemon, juiced

• salt, to taste

• pepper, to taste

• ½ cup olive oil

• oil

• 3 zucchinis

• 1 cup cherry tomato

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Pulse until smooth texture. Set aside.

2. With a vegetable peeler, shave ribbons of the zucchini until you reach the seeds. Set aside.

3. Slice the cherry tomatoes and set aside.

4. Heat a 4-quart jumbo cooker over medium-high. Add a little oil, the chicken breasts, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and browned on all surfaces.

5. Turn off the heat and add the cherry tomatoes, pesto, and zucchini ribbons. Toss until well combined and heated through.

• Creamy Tomato Basil Zucchini “Linguini” (courtesy of Tasty.co)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 chicken breast, diced

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

  ZUCCHINI “LINGUINI”

• 2 zucchinis, peeled

• 1 teaspoon salt

  CREAMY SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup chicken broth

• ½ cup greek yogurt

• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated

• ½ teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. Use a peeler to thinly slice zucchini into “linguini” noodles. Set aside in a bowl and mix with salt. Let sit for 20 minutes to draw moisture out of the noodles. Drain the zucchini with a clean dish cloth or paper towels.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add in chicken breast, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until no longer pink. Add in zucchini noodles, cherry tomatoes, and dried basil. Cook for an additional minute and remove from heat. Set aside in a bowl.

3. Heat olive oil for for the creamy sauce in the skillet. Add in garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds. Add in chicken broth to cool skillet, and reduce heat to low. (This step is important: if skillet is too hot, the Greek yogurt will curdle, so allow it to cool down before adding it in).

4. Add in Greek yogurt, parmesan, and dried basil. Mix until well combined. Add in the chicken, zoodles, and tomato mixture. Mix together and then remove from heat.

5. Serve and garnish with fresh chopped basil, as desired.

• Zucchini Shrimp Scampi (courtesy of Tasty.co)

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchinis

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 lb medium shrimp, or large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 lemon, juiced

• fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Using a coarse cheese grater, slide the zucchini down the grater, shaving of long strips. Rotate the zucchini constantly, grating all sides, until you reach the seeds in the center.

2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, nonstick skillet.

3. Add the shrimp in and season with the salt, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic. Sauté the shrimp, until they evenly begin to show a pink color, about 3 minutes.

4. Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, and let the liquid come to a simmer.

5. Add the zucchini noodles and stir until everything is combined and the shrimp are fully cooked.

6. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley leaves and serve.

Bon Appetit!