Whole 30/Paleo Challenge: Easy "Spaghetti" and Meatballs

I found the recipe for the meatballs from a great blog linked below, but I added a few tweaks myself. My meatballs did not come out quite as firm as some would like but the flavor was great. It's not completely paleo but I am not one to be super strict. The spaghetti squash was perfect. When picking a spaghetti squash out, I recommend finding one that is not too large if possible with few blemishes and a firm shell. The secret to roasting spaghetti squash without it getting too watery is short cooking time with high heat. Check the squash often as you are roasting so it does not get over cooked.

http://easypeas-y.blogspot.com/2012/03/paleo-meatballs.html

Ingredients:
Meatballs
2 lbs of ground bison (or any meat you like)
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp of spicy mustard
2 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp of minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

"Spaghetti"
1 spaghetti squash, cut in half length wise
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning herbs
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 F
2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half length wise (use a large sharp knife) and scoop out the seeds and goop in the middle. Discard or clean and roast seeds later. :-)
3. Spray the inside of the squash with olive oil or drizzle a tsp on each half. Sprinkle red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning herbs evenly over the squash halves.
4. Flip the squash halves facing inside down on a baking sheet covered in parchment or foil (to help with clean up)
5. Roast the squash for 30 minutes. Skin should be tender enough to prick with a fork. If it is a large squash, leave it in for 35-40 minutes.
6. While the squash is roasting, combine ground meat, eggs, mustard, hoisin, thyme, parsley,
 basil,oregano,minced garlic, onion, spinach, salt and pepper in a bowl.
7. Mix and fold all ingredients together with hands until all items are well mixed.
8. Use your hands to form small meatballs or use an ice cream scoop to form into smooth balls and place on greased baking sheet.
9. When spaghetti squash is done, set aside to cool and turn the oven down to 375 F.
10. Place the meatballs into the oven for 20 minutes in the 375 F oven and turn over once. (I let mine bake through without turning though and they were fine.)
11. While meatballs are baking, use a fork to flake off the strings of the spaghetti squash to prepare them for serving.
12. When the meatballs are done, place the squash strings in a bowl, pour your heated favorite marinara sauce over the squash, and place meatballs on top. Enjoy!

Black Bean and Veggie Enchiladas with Homemade Sauce

This recipe was inspired by seeing how expensive enchilada sauce in a can is and realizing how more cost effective and easy it would be to make it home! This recipe was delicious, as most enchiladas are, and was inspired by the links below.

Enchiladas
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-bean-veggie-enchiladas

Enchilada Sauce
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/easy-enchilada-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients for Enchilada Sauce:
2 tbsp of coconut oil or vegetable oil
2 tbsp of flour
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp of chipotle or chili flakes
1 10 oz can of organic tomato paste
2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
Dashes of tabasco sauce (depending on how spicy you like the sauce, I added 4 dashes)
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Enchiladas:
1 tsp of olive oil
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 can of green chiles
1 can of black beans, drained
1 tbsp of lime juice
1 tbsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
6 Whole wheat tortillas
2/3 cup of shredded cheese (Optional)

Instructions for Enchilada Sauce:
1. Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil or vegetable oil in a medium saucepan for approx. 30 seconds
2. Add the 2 tbsp of flour to the oil and stir until dissolved. Approx. 30 seconds
3. Add oregano and chipotle flakes, stir.
4. Add tomato paste and 2 cups of stock. Whisk together in saucepan.
5. Add dashes of tabasco sauce and salt to taste.
6. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 15 minutes while preparing the enchiladas.

Instructions for Enchiladas: (Preheat oven to 350 F)
1. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan
2. Add sliced green peppers and sliced onions to the oil. Saute' peppers and onions on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent.
3. Add can of green chiles, drained black beans, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and oregano. Stir to mix ingredients and sauté for 3 more minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Spoon the black beans and veggie mixture into the tortillas. Add just enough down the middle of the tortilla so that its easy to close but you still get a good amount of black beans and veggies.
6. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down into a 13 x 9 rectangular baking dish.
7. Do this for all 6 tortillas.
8. Gently pour all sauce equally over the tortillas.
9. Sprinkle cheese on top (optional)
10. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe was inspired by the recipe below. This is something I will add into my recipe routine, it was very good and very low in points. Two baked eggplant slices without cheese are only 1 WW pt!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-eggplant-parmesan-2/

Ingredients: Makes 5-6 servings.
2 large eggplants, peeled
Salt
2 jars of tomato sauce, and perhaps more to add on spaghetti
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion power
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup of low fat mozarella cheese (optional)
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1. Peel and slice the eggplant into a little less than 1 inch thick discs.
2. Place slices in a colander, one level at a time to make sure all slices are salted, and sprinkle each level with salt liberally.
3. Let sit for an hour and then pat the slices dry, this step is to help draw water out of the eggplant to take remove the bitterness.
4. Once eggplant is dry, preheat the oven to 350 F and mist a foil covered baking sheet with olive oil.
5. Put panko crumbs in a bowl, add italian herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
6. Crack eggs open into a bowl and whisk until blended. (About 30 seconds)
7. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg on both sides.
8. Then dredge eggplant slice in Panko crumbs on both sides until evenly coated and place onto baking sheet.
9. Once they are all covered in crumbs, place in the oven for 10 minutes.
10. While the eggplant slices are cooking, ready a 13 x 9 roaster or baking pan by ladling one layer of tomato sauce thinly on the bottom.
11. Take the eggplant slices out of the oven and place single layer of eggplant discs onto the layer of sauce in the roasting pan. Sprinkle with parmesan (optional).
12. Ladle another thin layer of sauce over the first layer of eggplant discs.
13. Place another single layer of eggplant discs on top of the first layer of eggplant. Ladle sauce over the second layer. Sprinkle with parmesan and mozarella (optional)
14. Bake for 35 minutes in the 350 F preheated oven.
15. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil.
15. Serve with whole wheat spaghetti and salad to make a complete healthy dish!

Veggie Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I made this recipe with my friend April last night, who also helped get the awesome picture of this delicious dish! It was inspired by the recipe referenced below but I did make a couple of tweaks to it. This recipe was helped by the fact that it is zucchini season! The zucchini's were from the market and were delicious and I really liked the stuffing as well. This was a tasty, healthy, and relatively easy dish.

Recipe Inspiration: http://lowfatveganchef.com/vegan-quinoa-stuffed-zucchini-boats/

Ingredients:
2 cups of pre-cooked brown rice (we used seeds of change microwaveable brown basmati rice)
1/2  cup of crushed walnuts
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 green apple, diced
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, diced
12 baby carrots, chopped
4 large zucchini
1.5 tsp of oil (we used coconut oil)
1 tbsp of greek seasoning (which had dried lemon peel, basil, parsley, thyme, onion powder)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Slice zucchini in half, length wise, to make the boats.
2. Take a spoon and scoop out the flesh of the zucchini to make a pocket for the stuffing. Discard the flesh in a small bowl to use for the stuffing.
3. Once the zucchini's have had the inside removed, set them aside on a cooking sheet with foil and pre-heat the oven to 375.
4. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large saute pan
5. Add minced garlic cloves to the heated oil and saute until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Add apple, onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, zucchini flesh, and greek seasoning mix to the vegetables. Continue to saute for another few minutes.
8. Once the vegetables look pretty well softened, add the crushed walnuts and pre-cooked rice to the pan and mix together.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste to the mix and turn off heat.
10. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on the zucchini boats before adding the stuffing mixture.
11. Use a large spoon and add the stuffing in all of the zucchini boats.
12. Put baking sheet in the 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. If you like zucchini a little crisper and crunchier I suggest 25 minutes, but you like soft zucchini I would cook it for 30-35 minutes.

Easy Chickpea and Asparagus Pasta

I was inspired by the recipe link below and made some adjustments to that recipe. I used asparagus because it was seasonal but you could substitute almost any vegetable for this recipe. This recipe makes about 3-4 servings, depending on how hungry you are.

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2010/04/vegetarian-meals-slideshow#slide=8

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas
1 bunch of asparagus
1 tbsp of fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 jar of your favorite marinara or tomato sauce, I used newman's own organic
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2/3 cup of green olives, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz of whole wheat spaghetti, or 4 cups cooked
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:
1. Dice 1/2 large onion into small pieces
2. Mince the two garlic cloves
3. Wash asparagus, cut off the tough bottoms of all stems. Then chop the asparagus into one inch pieces.
4. Slice 2/3 cup of green olives or buy them sliced in a can.
5. Drain and rinse chickpeas

Instructions:
1. Begin heating olive oil at medium high heat in a deep saute pan.
2. Add minced garlic and diced onion and saute at medium heat for 3-5 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
3. Add thyme, oregano, and asparagus to onions and garlic and saute for another 3-5 minutes until onion is translucent and asparagus has softened slightly.
4. Add chickpeas, olives, and marinara sauce to the asparagus and onions.
5. Add fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt.
6. Add fresh basil leaves after sauce comes to a simmer and stir.
7. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.

8. While the sauce is simmering, begin boiling 10 cups of salted water for the pasta.
9. Once water is boiling add whole wheat pasta to the pot of water. Cook until al dente (7-10 minutes of cooking time)
10. When the pasta is al dente, drain and set aside.

11. Pour sauce over pasta and serve.

Easy veggie coconut curry

This recipe is a Jessay original! This is a versatile recipe, you could add other combinations of veggies into if you like. Summer squash, eggplant, or peas would be a good substitute for mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of light, plain coconut milk (I prefer Trader Joe's canned brand)

1 tsp of olive oil

1 cup of sliced baby bella mushrooms

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 small onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp of minced ginger

1 tbsp of chopped jalapeno or more if you like spicy food

2 tsp of curry powder

1/8 tsp of all spice

1/8 tsp of cloves

1 tsp of cumin

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. Add 1 tsp of olive oil or coconut to a saute pan 

2. Add chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeno to oil 

3. Saute onions, garlic, and jalapeno for about 3 minutes

4. Add sliced mushrooms and ginger to pan, continue to saute veggies for a few minutes

5. Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 5-7 additional minutes

6. Add curry powder, all spice, cloves, salt, pepper, and cumin to the pan and stir. 

7. Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to ingredients and let mixture come to simmer.

8. Let mixture cook for about 10 more minutes until curry has thickened.

9. Serve over brown rice and add cilantro for garnish

Vegan cabbage casserole

I was inspired by the recipe posted below. I had tried this before with ground chicken and loved it. I thought Id give it a try with soy chorizo instead of ground chicken. It turned out even better! This is a great dish for leftovers and a healthy comfort meal.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/kalyns-stuffed-cabbage-casserole.html

Ingredients:
1 head of green cabbage, chopped into thin strips or squares.
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic glove, minced
1 can of diced tomatoes
15 oz of tomato sauce
12 oz of soy chorizo (organic and non gmo soy is healthier for you and easy to find at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.)
2 cups of brown rice, i suggest frozen or making the rice the night before for convenience
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp of olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of cheese (optional)


Instructions:
1. After preparing the vegetables, add 1 tsp of olive oil to a large pot.
2. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat and add in paprika and thyme.
3. Remove chorizo from packaging and casing and add into the onions and garlic.
4. Saute for about five minutes on medium-high heat.
5. Add can of tomatoes with juice into the chorizo and onions.
6. Add tomato sauce
7. Stir together and add in other spices, salt, and pepper
8. Add in 1/4 cup of water and let simmer for about 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
9. While sauce is cooking, add cabbage to a steamer pot to steam for about 15 minutes or steam in a sauce pan with about a half cup of water in the bottom and the pan covered on medium-high heat.
10. After 15-20 minutes, stir in 2 cups of cooked brown rice into the tomato and chorizo sauce.
11. Place half of the steamed cabbage on a 13 x 9 baking pan. Then ladel half of the rice, tomato, chorizo sauce on top of it like a lasagna. Repeat this with the other half of the cabbage and other half of sauce.
12. Cover with foil and place in the oven at 350 F for 40 minutes.
13. If you would like to add cheese, uncover the pan at 40 minutes and sprinkle cheese on top and continue to cook for another 20 minutes. If no cheese is added, keep pan uncovered and continue to cook for another 10-20 minutes to brown the top.

30 minute Chicken Chili loaded Sweet Potato

This recipe was awesome and was better with a sweet potato rather than a regular potato. One of my favorite healthy recipes I've made so far. This is my own recipe but was inspired by the pinterest link on the bottom of the page.

Ingredients:

Chicken Chili-Makes 5 1-cup servings

1 lb of ground chicken 

1 can of kidney beans

2 cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes, preferably organic

1 small can of tomato paste (I recommend whole foods 365 organic tomato paste. It was delicious and really added good flavor over other tomato pastes I've tried)

1 whole jalapeno, diced

1 onion

1-2 tbsp of  dried chipotle pepper flakes

1 tsp of oil (I used coconut)

salt to taste 

1 large sweet potato (per person) 

Instructions: 

Sweet potato:

1. While cooking chili, pierce sweet potato with a fork in multiple places, wrap in paper towel, and put in microwave on baked potato setting or microwave for at least 10 minutes until the entire sweet potato is soft to the touch.

Chicken Chili:

1. Add 1 tsp of oil into a large pot 

2. Add 1 lb of ground chicken and begin sauteeing on medium heat

3. Dice and chop onion and jalapeno and add into sauteeing chicken 

4. Add chipotle flakes

5. Saute chicken, onions, and jalapeno until chicken is no longer pink. (About 10-15 minutes)

6. Drain and rinse kidney beans and add them to the chili, along with diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.

7. Add salt to taste.

8. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes

Open sweet potato and cut slits into the potato. Pour 1 cup of chicken chili on top of the sweet potato. Enjoy!

http://pinterest.com/pin/270075308876104903/

"Skinny" Spaghetti

I found this recipe on pinterest from The Londoner blog.

 http://www.thelondoner.me/2012/04/skinny-spaghetti.html

 It is my favorite pasta alternative I have found so far. If you like cabbage rolls, you will love this!

1 small head of green or white cabbage
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp of garlic or one chopped garlic clove
1 jar of marinara sauce (You can also use tomato sauce and tomato paste to make a lower calorie sauce if you like. Add salt and italian spices to that with no oil to bring calories down.)
1 lb of ground bison, beef, or turkey (I used ground bison meat because of preference)
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Begin sauteing the ground meat, no oil needed as you can cook it in it's own fat.
2. After sauteing for a few minutes add in 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped glove of garlic
3. Saute both meat and onions until meat is browned
4. Once meat is browned, pour in jar of marinara sauce or tomato sauce and tomato paste into pot. Stir.
5. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. You can add 1/4 cup or so of red wine if you're feeling frisky.
6. Let the sauce come to a slow boil, cover, and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
7. While sauce is cookiner, wash and slice the cabbage head into thin strips (should slightly resemble pasta)
8. Steam the cabbage for 5-7 minutes. You do not want it to be soggy, you want it to still be slightly crisp.
9. If you do not have a steamer pot, put cabbage in a hot pan with 1/2 cup of water and some salt. Cover and let steam for 5-7 minutes.
10. Drain cabbage
11. Pour meat sauce over drained cabbage and sprinkle with grated parmesan (optional)

Vegetable Stuffed Acorn Squash

This recipe was inspired from chooseveg.com but I made a couple of changes to their recipe. This was delicious! I highly recommend it, you could eat the stuffing as is or put it in a butternut squash as well.

2 to 3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp of Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, or grass fed butter
Fennel seed to taste (this helps make it taste like sausagey)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 acorn squash
2 cups of cooked brown rice or quinoa, or a mix of the two
1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
3/4 cup of crushed pecans

1. Cook the rice prior which is always 2 cups of water or broth to 1 cup of rice.
2. Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the middle parts.
3. Place the acorn squash open side down on a foil lined baking sheet at 375 degrees for 30 minutes
4. While that is cooking, saute onions and celery in healthy cooking fat until translucent.
5. Add salt, pepper, and fennel to taste while sauteeing.
6. Once veggies are translucent, turn off the burner and mix in rice, sun dried tomatoes, dried cranberries, and crushed pecans. Mix well.
7. When 30 minutes is up, take the squash out of the oven and spoon out a little bit more of the center.
8. Add as much stuffing as you like into the middle of the squash.
9. Keep squash open side up this time and cover squash with tin foil and put back 375 degree oven for another 30 minutes.

If you want to be extra awesome, keep the acorn squash seeds from cleaning out the acorn squash...cavity...and rinse the gook off of them and then dry them. You can made them sweet or salty and spicy, but use about a tbsp or so of butter or olive oil and toss them in it. Add whatever spices you like, I prefer cinnamon, a little bit of brown sugar, and nutmeg. Then roast them in the oven for a healthy snack or dessert kind of thing. Roast them at 215 degrees for 20 minutes on a foil lined baking sheet.

Source: http://www.chooseveg.com/stuffed-acorn-squash.asp