Spaghetti squash with chicken meatballs and Romesco sauce (Vegan and GF option)

On my quest to continue on my clean eating journey, I've been experimenting on textures and flavor combinations to liven up my healthy meals. My personal opinion is that the more flavor you are able to infuse into your healthy food, the less likely you are to cheat. 

Let's all be honest for a minute.. pasta is AmAzing! There is nothing better than a carb binge with more carbs on the side in the form of a piece of artisan bread slathered in garlic butter and toasted until golden brown. Mmm... oh ok sorry.. let me take a sip of my kale protein shake and get back on track... 

Spaghetti squash has  never been my favorite, unless it was covered in butter and cinnamon sugar. That was the case until I tried it with some left over Romesco sauce I had. Who knew all that was missing was a savory flavor combination for me to fall in love with this squash?! Adding the chicken meatballs is just another bonus to trick your brain into thinking you're having a Spaghetti night and not a nutritious, low carb and low calorie meal.

I've added notes below on making this dish Vegan and Gluten Free, so it truly works for everyone. Try it out, you'll be surprised on how good it truly is. I recently took some left overs to my office and let a few of my co-workers try it. Even the fast food loving, veggie hating non-dieters thought it was delicious.


ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH CHICKEN MEATBALLS & ROMESCO SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 medium sized spaghetti squash, washed and cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of Romesco Sauce
1 batch of Chicken Meatballs
1 handful of fresh Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions for the squash:

·      Preheat the oven to 400°F: Preheat the oven while you prep the squash.

• Slice the squash in half: Use a chef's knife to cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise from stem to tail. Spaghetti squash are really tough and hard, so be cautious when cutting.
• Scoop out the seeds: Use a large spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy bits of flesh from inside the squash. Discard the seeds 
• Place the squash in a foil lined baking dish: Choose a size large enough to fit both sides of the squash, cut side down. 
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes: Smaller squash will cook more quickly than larger squash. Check the squash after 30 minutes to gauge cooking.
• The squash is done when tender: The squash is ready when you can easily pierce a fork through the flesh all the way to the peel. The flesh will also separate easily into spaghetti-like strands. You can also taste it right now — if the noodles are still a bit crunchy for your taste, put the squash back in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Scrape out the squash: Use a fork to gently pull the squash flesh from the peel and to separate the flesh into strands. The strands wrap around the squash horizontally — rake your fork in the same direction as the strands to make the longest "noodles."
• Serve the squash: Serve the squash immediately, tossed with a little butter or olive oil. Spaghetti squash will also keep refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for up to 3 months.

You can freeze the meatballs in portioned sized freezer bags to make future dinners a snap.

*To make this recipe Vegan, substitute the chicken meatballs for Morning Star Farms veggie meatballs and the cheese with this vegan parmesan cheese recipe from The Minimalist Baker.

*To make the recipe gluten free, substitute the breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup finely crushed Corn Flakes cereal and 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning.

Champagne-Citrus Explosion Salad

I have a confession... I'm addicted to salad and lately I just can't get enough. So many colors, textures and flavors with endless possibilities of combinations. This citrus spinach salad has a lot of depth, for so few ingredients. It's simple, fast, and popping with flavor. Since it is so simple, I thought I'd take a minute to go over technique and show a few shortcuts to chopping up your ingredients like a pro. 

Champagne Citrus Explosion Salad

Ingredients: 

6 oz (1 container) organic baby spinach 

1 avocado, cubed

2-3 Cara Cara oranges, segmented 

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

2 large handfuls of shredded Parmesan 

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar dressing. I used Girard's Light Champagne Dressing

Freshly ground black pepper to taste, after tossed 

Directions:

Toss all and serve with a sprinkle of more cheese and the black pepper on top. Now try to share and enjoy! 

Notes:

Turn this into a meal by serving with protein. Salmon or grilled chicken will pair perfectly.

*See below for a knife skills technique lesson.

*Segmenting citrus:

1- Cut off the end where the fruit was attached to the tree and the opposite end. 

2- Place cut side down on your board, hold the top and slice end to end all the way around removing the skin and pulp as shown in image 2 and 3.

3-  Slice down the middle and carefully pull the segments apart with your fingers.at this point you can leave them whole, or cut in half horizontally for cubes.

*Slicing and cubing an avocado:

Cut around the long side of the avocado with a chefs knife going lightly through to the pit and around. Put down the knife and hold the avocado with both hands. Twist opposite directions to open the fruit. Carefully remove the pit. Take one half at a time and hold cupped in your palm. Using a paring knife, slice vertical lines evenly through the fruit being careful to not cut through the skin. This will give you slices, to cube, cut evenly the opposite direction to make squares as shown. Scoop slices out with a spoon. To cut out squares, invert the half as shown and slice along the bottom into the salad bowl as seen below. 

Romesco Sauce

Romesco sauce is a rich and dense almond and roasted red pepper based sauce, which originated in the Catalan region of Spain. It is considered one of the main condiments at Spanish restaurants and is typically paired with traditional Catalonian foods, including fish, roasted meats, and vegetables. It also makes for an amazing appetizer topped on crusty, grilled bread crostini with goat cheese and/or grilled vegetables.

This sauce will take center stage at your holiday party and be a major hit. I can’t get enough of it this season, as it’s the perfect bit of spice and light heat during these cold winter months. Try it on sandwiches or as a twist on salad dressing. Mix in a few tablespoons of sauce into ranch or Caesar salad dressing for a Spanish twist.

Romesco Sauce

Ingredients:

·      1 loaf of artisan bread; Italian, French or sourdough, reserving 3" of the heel on one side. Slice the remaining loaf into thin 1/4" slices for grilling (Skip this step to make the recipe vegan and gluten free)

·      1/4 cup olive oil

·      2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded*

·      2 fresh poblano chili peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded*

·      1 jalapeño pepper, roasted, seeded*

·      4 whole cloves garlic, roasted*

·      1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted

·      3 tomatoes (on the vine or plum), roasted, peeled and seeded (or 3 canned whole plum tomatoes, drained)*

·      2 teaspoons red wine or red wine vinegar

·      1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·      1/4 teaspoon cayenne

·      1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. *Place all of the whole peppers, chilies, garlic and tomatoes on the cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbs. of olive oil. Turn to coat the outside of the pepper skins on all sides; bake, turning occasionally, until all sides are blistered and slightly blackened, about 30 minutes. 

2. Place the roasted peppers in a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to cool, approx. 15 minutes as the steaming period will help loosen the skins for easy removal. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the stems, skins, seeds and membranes. Wear kitchen gloves for this step, as the membrane and seeds are where most of the pepper's heat is stored.

3. In a food processor, pulse all of the prepped bell and chili peppers, along with the garlic, nuts, and bread heel. Pulse until combined, but still chunky.

4. Add the tomatoes, pulsing until combined. Drizzle the remaining oil and red wine through the top of the processor while running to emulsify the mixture. Add the salt, cayenne, and smoked paprika. At this point the sauce should be thick, but still easily pliable for spreading. If it seems on the thick side, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to thin. Taste for salt, heat and acid consistency and season accordingly. If you have extra sauce or are making sauce before your planned use, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The Romesco sauce actually tastes better after sitting for a day, so this step is also a great option for party prepping.

Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables

Happy December everyone! I don't know about you, but this year has flown by for me. Here we are right in the middle of the holiday season and Christmas is just 24 days away! I have some really fun and exciting recipes planned to share with you this month. Some of my family favorites we make year after year. Stay tuned for some sweets, a little savory and a few spicy bites coming your way. Comment below with any requests you have. I'd love to accommodate with a recipe.

I still feel completely stuffed from all the food I consumed over the weekend. I was ready to get back to egg whites and turkey sausage this morning for a little break between holiday feasts. These roasted root veggies are quite healthy, not to mention the nutrition packed into these earth grown powerhouses. If you've wandered through the grocery store and been weary of purchasing those strange looking white carrots (parsnips) or giant purple radish-looking monsters (rutabagas), have no fear, this recipe will have you craving them each winter.

This recipe is perfect for a lighter fare during this season of buttered, creamed and salted everything. Serve them alongside your turkey, roast chicken or ham. Try something new and colorful with a satisfying sweet crunch. You'll love them, I promise.

Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

3 lbs of mixed root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc.), peeled and chopped into 1" cubes, or uniformly sized for even cooking.
1 medium red onion, cut into thin slices
1/4 C. pure maple syrup
4-5 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and minced
3 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence
1/4 tsp. sea salt


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Whisk the maple syrup, cider vinegar and olive oil together in a large bowl.

Toss in the root vegetables, onion, rosemary, salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence, thoroughly toss to coat.

Evenly spread the mixture into the roasting pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until vegetables are fork tender, yet still slightly firm. Garnish with a fresh pinch of chopped rosemary just before serving.