Spaghetti Squash Pizza Bake

Last weekend we had visitors!  My grandparents spent a couple weeks in Arizona and on their way back they went a bit out of the way and came to visit us for a few days.  Josh had to work most of the time, but the three of us had a great time and they helped me check something off my list of places to visit before we move.  My brother's girlfriend, Luisa, told me about a town called Lockhart that is the "BBQ capital of Texas".  Now, let's get this straight-yes, I know you can't compare anything to Kansas City BBQ.  Those Kansans have it down and there's nothing better.  (Side note: Shout out to Oklahoma Joe's for adding a portobella mushroom Z-man so us vegetarians can FINALLY eat there.  I ate one over Christmas and it was superb.  Get one.  Stat.)  Anyway, I went to Lockhart fully aware that it wouldn't be like KC, but it was fun to taste different sauces and see how food is cooked in other parts of the United States.  There are four different restaurants in Lockhart.  We went on Sunday after church and one of them was closed on Sundays so we were only able to visit three.  Thankfully, my work had been done for me and Luisa told me exactly what to get at each place.  She's the best.  First stop, Smitty's for some pork ribs.  I know what you're thinking...how did I enjoy this trip?  Well, that's why I took two fellow meat lovers and that way I could just take a taste, get the experience, but not really eat a whole meal.  It worked out perfectly!  Smitty's atmosphere was very original in that they had their flames for their meat all on the floor throughout.  Which, gave me slight anxiety for all children present while I was in line, but I guess, just hold on TIGHT if you bring them.

 

 

 

 

 Enjoying Smitty's ribs.  Yes, I ate a few very small bites.  You only live once. 

 

Our next stop was Black's BBQ for some brisket.  Let me just say one thing before we get too much further.  When I was in college and still a meat eater, I requested the same meal every time I came home from my mom.  Brisket and cheesy potatoes.  I loved me some brisket.  I showed extreme restraint and only ate a half of piece of brisket from Black's.  Here's the deal.  My taste buds have changed and I don't miss meat at all.  Chicken tastes gross now and hamburger makes me want to gag.  But, one bite of this brisket and it brought me back to walking in the door from Nebraska and this yummy dish in the oven.  So, maybe that's why brisket didn't gross me out.  Or, maybe it's just because Smitty's is known for it and people travel from all over to eat it so it's just reeeeaaalllly good.  Whatever the reason, it was a delicious two bites and the BBQ sauce, while much different than KC sauce, was fantastic!  After some debate, this ended up being our favorite stop.  My grandparents particularly enjoyed the atmosphere here as there was a whole wall filled with pictures of famous people who had eaten there as well as old time country music.  It's hard not to get into the BBQ tasting mood with Johnny Cash blaring.

 



 
 

Our last stop was Chisholm Trail.  Luisa told us to go here last because she thought it was the least impressive and she didn't lead us astray.  She was right; if we had to rank them this would be last, but we still enjoyed our food.  My grandpa got a sausage, which I just couldn't bring myself to take a bite of, but I devoured some green beans and potatoes here.  I should also note that it was Sunday afternoon around 2 when we arrived in Lockhart and we waited in a fairly long line at each place.  It really is the BBQ capital of Texas and quite a popular destination.

 

It was my grandpa's birthday on the day we took this trip to Lockhart and I think he had a memorable day!

 

Now, on to the baked spaghetti squash.  We stayed home all day on Friday when my grandparents got there and I had some of this leftover in the fridge and my grandma loved it. Guess what?  So did Josh!  Okay, well, LOVE might be a tad strong, but he liked it on Meatless Monday which is a huge deal.  He's so hard to cook veggie for because he likes about 3 vegetables.  It's super, duper easy to make and you must give it a try.  Plus, you can pretty much add anything to make it to your liking.

 



I added spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms because this was kind of a last minute decision and it's what I had in my fridge.  If you eat meat add Italian sausage, pepperoni, or hamburger.

 

Going into the oven.  I planned on mixing in mozzarella cheese, but then didn't have any.  Whoops.  So, I just grated some fresh parmesan on top. 

 
 

I love that the egg keeps it together and it isn't a casserole that just mushes on your plate.  It's very easy to cut into squares and put nicely on your plate.  Healthy, delicious, and easy.  It's a winner!

 

Also, this recipe calls for pizza sauce.  I think Trader Joe's is the best purchased sauce, but I didn't have any.  Plus, my friend Katie taught me a much cheaper way to make pizza sauce.  Just take a can tomato paste and add water until desired consistency and add some Italian seasonings.  Easy peasy and super cheap.  That's what I did for this recipe and I think I added exactly one can worth of water and it equaled the amount of sauce called for in this recipe. 

 

I started following a few gluten free blogs since going gluten free.  I saw this one and knew I had to try it. 

 

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Bake

Recipe adapted from: http://paleomg.com/

 

 

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

½ yellow onion, diced

1 cup pizza sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil

salt and pepper, to taste

3 eggs, whisked

1/2 C. mozzarella cheese, optional
Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top, optional
Toppings of choice: basil, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.  Place spaghetti squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the skin of the squash gives when you press on it. Then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

 

Once squash is done cooking, remove threads and place in an 8×8 greased baking dish.

 

Place a large pan over medium heat and cook onion in oil.  Add remaining vegetables and cook 3-5 minutes until soft.

 

Add pizza sauce, dried basil and salt and pepper to the pan and mix well.

 

Add spaghetti squash threads to the pan and mix well.  Add the mozzarella cheese if using.

 

Lastly, add whisked eggs to the pan and mix everything together until you can no longer see the eggs.

 

Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if using it.  Place in oven and bake for 1 hour or until the top of the mixture forms a slight crust that doesn’t give when you press on it in the middle of the dish.

 

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Enjoy!



Homemade Crackers

I am pretty pumped because one of my friends read my blog post, read Wheat Belly AND went gluten free.  I am excited because now I have another person to compare recipes with!  Super exciting.  

I really have found not eating gluten to be easier than anticipated.  I rarely ate sandwiches before and I have no problem swapping out pasta for spaghetti squash.  However, there was one problem.  And it was a gigantic problem. 

Hummus.

Bruschetta.

You know, all the things that tortilla chips (which I can eat-yay!) aren't dipped into.  I LOVE both of these foods and have fabulous recipes for both thanks to my friend Katie.  If you've ever looked at the store, there are now quite a few options for gluten free crackers, but many of them have lots of ingredients in them and aren't very healthy.  While there are a few I have found that I like and don't seem to have too many unfamiliar ingredients they are crazy expensive!  Who wants to pay $5 for a small box of crackers?  Not me.  Not ever.  I actually have had this recipe saved for awhile, but finally tried back in November when I cut out gluten and I have been hooked ever since.  They are so easy to make, don't have weird ingredients in them and taste sooooooo good.  Seriously, the only thing I messed up is not doubling the recipe.  Now, I know better. Trust me, make some for yourself and you will see.  I joked at Christmas when I was going to parties that I'm going to start carrying a bag of these in my purse so I can eat dip wherever I go.  I was sort of joking; sort of not.  Don't be offended if I show up to your house one day and pull a bag of these bad boys out.  If you're nice I'll share and you can enjoy the yummy goodness with me. 

The only ingredient I didn't already have in my pantry was nutritional yeast.  I had to ask where to find it at Natural Grocers and it was over by the vitamins.  It's an inactive yeast and it has a bit of a cheesy flavor so lots of vegans use it.  I had read about it, but never purchased any until this recipe.

 

 

While you can use a rolling pin I think it's easier to just use your hands to smash it and roll it out.  Get it as thin as possible.

I used a pastry scraper to cut mine into crackers.  You could also use a pizza cutter.

 The recipe says to cook for 18-20 minutes, but I say check it at 20 and then leave it in for about 5 minutes more.  My first batch tasted delicious, but were a little soft for my liking.  If you leave them in longer they will get crunchier and I have had no problem with them burning.

 How pretty are my crackers with my hummus?

  

Vegan and Gluten Free Homemade Crackers
Recipe from: www.ohsheglows.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup almond flour
2 tbsp ground flax
1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
scant 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp olive oil
 
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well with spoon. Knead dough with hands until it comes together. Shape into a ball.

Place ball of dough on parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Roll out dough until it’s about 1/8th inch thick, or as thin as you can get it without ripping. With a pastry wheel or pizza slicer, slice into crackers

Bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes until slightly golden in color.

Cool on baking sheet for 10 mins. Store in air-tight container once fully cool.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Apple Soup

I'm baaaaaccckkkk.  So much to catch you up on and to blog about, but let's just get right to it.  The most important thing we need to discuss is the fact that we narrowly escaped the Sriracha shortage.  Can you imagine?  Oh, I would have been heartbroken.  If you haven't heard, the people in the town of Irwindale, CA, where Sriracha sauce is made complained the air spelled too strong of garlic and pepper.  First off, if I were the judge, I would have sent them all on a trip to the Midwest (probably Iowa, because Iowa smells the worst) and asked them to kindly stay by a meat packing plant and ask how they like it.  Just imagine, those Southern Californian's coming back from that trip.  Garlic and peppers would be like fragrant flowers and they would welcome the improvement.  It's all perspective.  Since I'm not a judge, thankfully, the real one gave the 'ol smackdown and the people in Southern California will have to be okay with a little spicy air as production will not be interrupted.  Now, the plant does have to adjust and lower the amount of fumes, blah, blah, blah, but can I get an AMEN that clearly Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O'Brien is a Sriracha lover himself and on behalf of myself and all Sriracha lovers out there: thank you. 

You know on the news when in one sentence they transition horribly? "We were saddened to hear of the death of _______ and will keep you posted as more details developed.  Next, see Jennifer Aniston rock her bikini in Cabo."  (When I say news, I mean E! News.  Duh.) I only point this out because if Giuliana and Jason can do it, I can do it on my blog.  So here is my lame transition from Sriracha to soup, which have nothing to do with each other.  I'm just diving in. 

I found this recipe in a magazine.  Family Circle to be exact.  Why Family Circle has started coming to my house I have no idea.  I'm sure one of my brothers signed me up for it.  Back off boys, I'll have a family when I'm ready! :) I made this soup one weekend when I had "nothing" to eat in the house and wanted something quick.  I love it because it's delicious, comes together really quickly and I usually always have these ingredients on hand.  I still would say I prefer the butternut squash soup I've shared previously, but this is something different and like I said, perfect for a quick thrown together meal. 

 

 

Sweet Potato Apple Soup

Recipe from: Family Circle, September 2013

 

6 servings

 

1 T. olive oil (I use avocado oil)

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3/4 pound Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed (I had red potatoes on hand so that's what I used)

2 red apples, peeled, cored and cubed

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

 

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion; cook for 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.  Stir in the sweet potatoes, potatoes, apples, broth and 1 cup of water.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 20 minutes.

 

Use an immersion blender to smooth. (Place in batches in the blender if you don't have and immersion blender)  Stir in maple syrup, salt and pepper.

 

That's it!  So easy, right?  I decided not to add the maple syrup to the entire pot because I wasn't sure if I would need that much sweetener with the apples in there.  I just drizzled a bit on top of my bowl and that worked perfectly for me.  Don't forget-always buy 100% pure maple syrup.  The fake stuff is full of junk; never eat it.  The recipe suggested topping with apple chips, but I was hungry when I made this and there was no time for making apple chips!  I sprinkled a few pecans and it was delightful.  I hope you can try this next time you make some soup this fall.  Enjoy!

Edamame Salad

First and foremost, let's just get the elephant out of the room right now.  My picture taking skills need some work.  Serious work.  I know it, you know it and now we can move on. 

 

 

I started a 7 day cleanse yesterday.  No, not one of those nasty cayenne pepper liquid ones where you starve yourself.  I'm still eating food!  I'm just cutting out all processed foods and sugar, (which, I try to do anyway) but I also cut out all dairy, (no cheese-aughh!!!) gluten, caffeine, and alcohol.  The original food plan I am trying to follow showed no snacks and for me, that's just not going to work.  I am hungry every couple hours and I'm not interested in being hungry for 7 days.  Maybe someday I'll be a big-timer, but for now, since this is my first cleanse I want to focus on cleansing my system, not depriving myself.  When planning out my menu for the week I needed to come up with some filling, healthy snacks. 

 

I've had this recipe since the Superbowl and this week decided to give it a try.  I have Facebook to thank for the recipe.  I normally think it's really annoying to open up Facebook, scroll through and see:

 

Stephanie (friends with Lesley) wrote on John's (friends with Steve) wall.

 

Confused?  Yeah, me too.  I mean, I know one person out of that group and why do I care what is going on?  Obviously, it doesn't bother me that much or I would quit Facebook, but point of the story is that's how I got this recipe.  Someone I know, wrote on someone's wall I don't know asking for the recipe she made for a Superbowl party they went to.  I was nosy, clicked on it, thought it looked amazing (and very easy) and now here we are.  So, thank you to the stranger on Facebook for this recipe!

 

Edamame is one of my favorite snacks so I was excited to try it in a new way.  A little olive/avocado oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper and you are seasoned and ready to devour this yummy salad.  I had a few friends over last week for dinner and made this recipe for the first time to test it out. The verdict was unanimous; they loved it!  Enjoy!

 



Ingredients

2 C. frozen shelled edamame

1 ½ C. fresh corn kernels (I was lazy and used a no salt added can)

1 ½ C. Mango cubes (1 medium)
1 C. tomato, chopped
½ C. red onion, chopped
1 cup black beans
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. EVOO (I used avocado oil)
1 T. lime juice
¾ t. salt
¼ t. black pepper

Prepare edamame per package directions.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in corn, tomato, onion, beans, cilantro, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Toss well and chill until serving.  Enjoy!

 

Breakfast Quinoa

I love quinoa.  It's so versatile, healthy, and extremely filling.  This is one of my favorite things to make for breakfast.  It comes from Jessica Seinfeld's book Double Delicious.

Her cookbooks (she has two) are all about sneaking healthy food into your meals so kids eat them.  Obviously, I purchased them because I like to try healthy things.  This was one of the first recipes I tried and it's a winner!  Plus, I usually always have the ingredients on hand so it's a great last minute breakfast when I'm wanting to switch it up.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread (I use real butter)
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/3 cup light vanilla soy milk or nonfat (skim) milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup, divided for garnish
6 teaspoons chopped walnuts or almonds, divided for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in cold water and strain.  (Check your quinoa package.  Some of them are pre rinsed and you can skip this step) Add the quinoa to the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 12 minutes, uncovered. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a separate pot, melt the margarine. Stir in the sweet potato puree, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup, soy milk, cinnamon and salt. When the quinoa has finished cooking, stir in the sweet potato mixture. Divide into bowls and top with a teaspoon each of maple syrup and nuts.

Nutritional information: Calories: 186, Carbohydrate: 30 g, protein: 5.5 g, total fat: 5 g, saturated fat: 0.5 g, sodium: 100 mg, fiber: 3g.

I just mash my sweet potato.  You can add water and use a mixer to really blend it up, but I'm not trying to hide anything so mashing it with a fork works just fine for me. 

 

Here is everything all stirred up waiting for the quinoa.

 

Quinoa stirred in.  It looks much prettier in person. 

 The recipe says it's for six servings.  That's just hilarious.  Unless you eat like Victoria Beckham, you'll get three servings out of this, not six.  (Which equals 372 calories-still a great, healthy start to the most important meal of the day)  I made this recipe tonight while dinner was in the oven and placed it in three to go containers and breakfast is served for the next few days!  All i have to do is microwave it and pour some more syrup on top. 

 



Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta

I discovered my love for eggplant when I tried eggplant parmesan for the first time in college.  I still enjoy eggplant parmesan, but I also enjoy it when my pants fit.  So, I indulge in eggplant parmesan sparingly and then make this recipe ALL THE TIME.  I honestly can't remember where I saw this recipe.  I found it a year or so ago and we happened to be going to Kansas City that weekend and my mom and I made it.  We both LOVED it.  While it does have a lot of cheese, it still is much healthier than a battered and friend serving of eggplant parmesan smothered in sauce on top of noodles.  I grill this outside on the grill when Josh is eating chicken breasts or a burger and treat it like a main entree.  Then, I save the rest and eat it for lunch the next couple days.  These pictures are from when I made it for a friend coming over and I didn't want to light the grill in the 100 degree heat just for this so I used my indoor electric grill.  Works great either way!

Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta

1/4 C. shredded parmesan

3 T. lemon juice

2 T. minced basil

5 t. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. minced oregano

1 large eggplant

tomato slices

1/2 C. shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.  Grill eggplant, covered, over medium heat for 3 minutes (or until you can see grill marks).  Turn slices over and immediately spoon parmesan mixture evenly onto each piece.  Top with a slice of tomato and mozzarella cheese.  Cover and grill 2-3 minutes longer.  (It is done when he eggplant is tender)

I always slice portions of the skin off the eggplant like many people do on cucumbers.  I like the flavor of eggplant peel, but if you don't do this I think it's too chewy.  I had a smaller eggplant from the farmer's market when I made this so I used that one as well.  And, how yummy do my farmer's market tomatoes look?!

Here is all the eggplant spread out on the grill.

This is the mixture you top the eggplant with.  I even had fresh basil from my mom's garden this time!

Topped with cheese and tomato slices.  I always use fresh mozzarella.  You can buy it very affordable at Aldi.  It is also much easier to slice thinly if you put it in the freezer for a little bit to get it nice and cold and then I use a serrated bread knife.  Even though the instructions say to put the cheese on top of the tomato I switch it up.  This time, my tomatoes were so pretty I wanted them on display. :) 

Sweet Potatoes With Pecans and Goat Cheese

Since I posted about my love of sweet potatoes earlier this week via a prepackaged item, I thought I should end the week by sharing my favorite sweet potato recipe.  It combines two of my favorite things: sweet potatoes and goat cheese.   I think goat cheese makes everything taste better-not that sweet potatoes need much help.  When I first joined Pinterest I loved all the recipes people shared and was determined to try many of them.  So, a few weeks later when my husband went out of town for work I had a week to try Pinterest recipes.  From that week of new recipes, this was one of my favorites and I make them A LOT.  The best part is, if you have kids (or a picky hubby like I do which is why I tried all the new stuff while he was out of town) you can leave the topping off and serve the roasted potatoes plain.  Fine with me you picky eaters, means more topping for me!  They are also easy to make, but look very appealing and fancy once plated.  If you have some company you want to impress with taste AND presentation add this to the menu. 

Sweet Potatoes With Pecans and Goat Cheese
Serves 2 1/2
1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, scrubbed, unpeeled, in 3/4- to 1-inch coins
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup pecan halves (original recipe says to toast and cool them, but I never do that and I think it’s fine)
2 tiny or 1 small shallot
2 stalks celery
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
2 ounces goat cheese (if you’ve never cooked with goat cheese before you can buy a block of it and crumble it yourself or you can purchase it already crumbled)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet generously with olive oil, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Lay sweet potatoes in one layer on the oiled sheet. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast, without disturbing, for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully flip each piece: the undersides should be blistery, dark and a bit puffy and should release from the pan with no effort. If they’re not, let it cook longer. Sprinkle them with additional salt and pepper and return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes or so, until the undersides match the tops.

Meanwhile, prepare your salad. Chop your pecans well, mince your shallot, chop your celery and parsley.  Crumble your goat cheese and stir into pecan mixture.  In a small dish, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon. Pour half over the salad and stir.
When the sweet potatoes are done place them on a serving platter.  (When it’s just me I leave them on the pan) Scoop a spoonful of the salad mixture over each round. Pour remaining salad dressing over top and enjoy.

Sliced and on the pan before baking them

This is what the salad mixture looks like before you put it on the potatoes

Finished product.  And lesson learned.  I told you they were pretty and then I took a picture of them on my nasty sheet pan.  Imagine them on a dinner plate and you get my drift!

*I know some people do not like leftovers very much, but I think they are great.  I always pack my lunch and these hold very well for a few days.  In fact, I have some in the refrigerator right now….gotta go!