I don't have very much to show you so far but here's what I had for dinner the other night.
Friday Night Dinner: Chicken Alfredo w/ Spaghetti
Did you know that heavy whipping cream, butter, and cheese are all low carb? Yes, I realize they are high in fat, calories, whatever but as I only have to watch my carb intake I eat whatever else I can get away with. I'm pregnant, I think that's my right. At least for now. My big problem I have come across with gestational diabetes has been finding low carb replacements for bread and pasta. I did manage to find this Dreamfields pasta that only has 4-5 net carbs depending on which kind you get and so far it hasn't raised my blood sugar to abnormal levels. Keep in mind I try to eat only the recommended serving size which isn't much but it's still pasta and that's good enough for me. I have to say that as far as taste goes, I can't tell the difference between this stuff and the regular pasta.
Now, I would usually use fettucini for making alfredo but I didn't have any on hand and I didn't feel like making a special trip to the store. (As a side note I have found that Dreamfields pasta only ever has certain varieties in certain stores so I have to go to at least two or three different stores to find all the different types of pasta--just as a tip to anyone looking for this stuff.)
My recipe is simple and very basic. I find it's a little easier on the stomach this way.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 to 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese (depending on how thick and cheesy you like your pasta)
3-4 tbsp Olive oil (or butter if you want to be super bad...I'm not judging)
1 garlic clove minced
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped or sliced
2 servings Dreamfields pasta, about 1 inch diameter circle
Salt and pepper, to taste
Spritz of lemon juice
Method:
Boil water for pasta. This recipe goes super fast if you aren't careful and it's better for pasta to sit than your sauce. Once boiling, throw in your pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes until al dente or a little under. You can always finish cooking your pasta in the sauce if you need to. Drain and set aside.
While pasta is boiling, heat up a heavy skillet on medium to medium high heat. (Please remember all stoves are different. My stove always seems to do better halfway in between the two but you know your stove better than I do so use a setting appropriate for you to cook chicken.) Saute garlic in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for 1 minute. Salt and pepper your chicken and then add to the skillet. Cook until no longer pink in the middle and set aside, about 7-10 minutes. (Again, all stoves are different, this is just what works for me.)
If you want to get fancy you can use a separate skillet for the sauce but I find that using the chicken skillet helps add flavor to the sauce. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of olive oil and whisk in the heavy whipping cream on medium high. Bring to a slight boil and then reduce heat to medium. Keep whisking until it thickens a little and bubbles form at the top. Add your cheese and whisk until it reaches a creamy consistency. I tend to like my sauce on the thicker side so I add more cheese. You can thin it out with more cream or a bit of the pasta water if you like. Spritz with lemon juice. This helps to cut through the heaviness of the dish. Just a little goes a long way, don't get crazy. Once it's reached your desired consistency, toss in your pasta and chicken to bring it all together. I like to add a bit more pepper to the finished product and of course more Parmesan.
This would be awesome with shrimp instead of chicken (or both!) or some nice sauteed or steamed broccoli.
Well, that's what I had for dinner! It was delicious and just what my pasta brain was jonesing for. I love this because it's delicious, my husband will eat it without complaint, and is done in about 30 minutes.
So tell me, what did you have for dinner?
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