A Healthy Alternative to Pasta Dinner: Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Grass-fed Lean Beef

Who does not love a hearty pasta dish? But if you are watching your diet like I am, you ought to try this delicious recipe. You won't miss the pasta a bit! 

*Disclaimer: I have now made numerous version of this, substituting tomatoes with mushrooms  or using tomato paste instead fresh or diced tomatoes. 

Ingredients:
1 medium sized spaghetti squash
1 can on diced tomatoes, drained 
(or 1 box of grape or cherry tomatoes for roasting)
2-3 shallots, diced
2 cups of washed and spun dried baby spinach (optional)
1 pound of lean ground beef (any ground meat would work well with this)
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon of everything rub (combination of garlic powder, chili powder, cumin). 
    *feel free to use any other seasoning here (oregano, parsley, etc)
1-2 tablespoon of oil for frying (I used grape)
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. 

If you don't have enough strength to do this, poke the squash with a knife and microwave it on a paper towel for about 5 minutes, flipping over half way through.

Now cut in half, careful as it will be hot. Spray both sides of the squash with cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet cut part down. I placed foil under the squash to minimize clean up.

Roast for about 20 minutes, flip over and roast another 15 or so till you can peel off "spaghetti" with a fork.

If you are roasting tomatoes, toss them  with oil of choice and roast at 425 for about 15-20 minutes. You can roast the tomatoes same time as the squash (in a separate baking dish)

To prepare, the beef mixture, preheat skilled with oil.

Saute shallots till they soften. 

Add ground beef, cook breaking it up into chunks. Add salt and seasoning. 

When beef is cooked through, remove it with a slotted spoon. 

Spill out most of the oil. Add beef back to the skillet. 

Add spinach (if using), allow to wilt. Add tomatoes (either canned or roasted) . Mix well. 

Keep warm.

Once squash is almost cooked, carefully remove the 'spaghetti'. Combine with beef mixture. Top with grated parmesan.

Insides of a cut in half roasted spaghetti squash

This version is with roasted tomatoes

This version is with canned tomatoes and spinach

Thiis time I omitted roasted tomatoes. Added button mushrooms that were cleaned and finely chopped.
Added a little leftover pizza sauce to the cooked beef/mushroom/shallot mixture. Topped w shaved parmesan

Balsamic Glazed Turkey Meatloaf with Zucchini

In addition to helping me get more organized with my recipes, an unexpected benefit of the blog has been challenging me to try new recipes! This tasty turkey meatloaf was a big hit the first time I made in January of this year and I has become a frequent flyer in my cooking rotation. In fact, it has been requested by my older daughter several times.

There is a bit of prep but it makes about 8 generous servings and the leftovers freeze extremely well!

Ingredients:
2 pounds of lean ground turkey
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
1 large or 2 medium zucchinis diced into small pieces
1 cup panko (I used whole wheat panko)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps aged balsamic vinegar 
5 smashed garlic cloves
1-2 chopped shallots (optional)
Cooking spray (I used coconut from Trader Joe's)
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1 large egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley or  2 tablespoons of dry
3/4 cup ketchup divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup (I used Annie's brand)

Preheat over to 425 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute garlic for a minute till it becomes aromatic, add shallots if using, cook another minute. Add chopped zucchini and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and 1/4 teaspoon of  red pepper flakes.

Set aside to cool (though I never have enough time for this step).

In the meantime, in a large bowl, whisk egg, add parsley. 

Add turkey, panko, cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and cooled zucchini mixture. Mix until combined, best done by hand. Don't over mix.

Spray a 9 x 5 inches loaf pan with cooking spray. Press turkey mixture into it. 

In a small bowl, prepare your graze by combining  1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4  cup balsamic, 1/4 teaspoon of  red pepper flakes. Brush glaze over entire loaf.

Bake for about 1 hour. Internal temperature for well done is 165 F. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. I served this with a side of sauteed kale. 

For freezing, I wrapped individual slices in foil and froze. Defrost in fridge, use oven to reheat. 

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flays Vegetable Meatloaf 

Baked Bison Quinoa Meatballs

Really into making baked meatballs lately. What's not too like?  A hit with the whole family, make excellent leftovers, great over a salad,  and even freeze well. And so,  the meatball obsession continues. For other meatball recipes, you can view my blog here Baked Beef Ricotta Meatballs or here Bison Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce.

Presenting a new version of bison and quinoa meatballs here! I made these with bison but you can substitute beef with similar results. Quinoa lends these a tasty juicy flavor. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of ground bison
1 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa (cook per package directions)
2 eggs, beated
2 gloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cups of grated parmigiano
Salt to taste
1/2 fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoon dry parsley
Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cup of marinara sauce of choice

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. I used my Breville Convection oven which I rave about almost every post but if you don't have one, get one. No really regular oven is fine.
2. Line a large baking dish with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray ( I use Coconut Spray from Trader Joe's).
3. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix all the ingredients except the marinara. Combine well. Using ice cream scooper or hands, for 2 1/2 inch meatballs.
4. Arrange meatballs on a baking dish, bake about 12 minutes, flip over and make another 12 minutes.
Top with marinara and bake another 5 minutes, till sauce is hot.

Notes: I always set aside a few meatballs to be sauce free--my younger daughter does not like tomato sauce. If you plan to freeze, I recommend skipping the sauce step.

*Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

Roast Pork Loin with Apples--Fast and Delicious

As a working mom, I am always on the look out for healthy, delicious and fast weeknights meal. This one was a big hit, and so here I am, typing is up as soon as we finish eating so that I remember what I did.

Ingredients:
Boneless Pork Tenderloin Roast
         *I had 2 of these, about a pound each and they were already tied which makes them look           fabulous.
2-3 apples sliced, I used golden delicious
2 tablespoons oil (I used grape)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Chopped rosemary and thyme, about 1 tablespoon each
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray ( I used coconut from Trader Joe's)

1) Preheat oven to 400. I used my Breville convection oven.

2) Wash and dry your pork. I know you don't have to but I can't help it. Unwashed meat grosses me out.

3) Add salt and pepper to both sides.

4) In a large skillet, heat your oil for about 2 minutes. Add pork and brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side.

5) Remove pork, add apples, begin to cook them and add vinegar. Allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes.

6) Spray your baking tray w oil. Add pork and sprinkle it with rosemary and thyme on both sides.
Surround it by apples.

7) Roast about 15 minutes, flip over and roast for another 15, approximately 1/2 hour in total till the center registers at about 140 to 150F.

8) Remove string, slice and serve with apples. We had a side of sauteed kale as well.

Pan Seared Lemon Sole with Seared Lemons

I am always looking for tasty and healthy fish recipes. This one is delicious and fits the bill. *adapted from Real Simple Magazine

Ingredients:

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3-4 fillet of lemon sole (or another flaky white fish like flounder)
1 lemon w ends removed, cut into thin slices
4 tablespoons of butter
Salt to taste

Wash and dry fish. Salt on both sides.

Add flour to a large plate, dredge fish fillets in flour, shake off excess.

On a large skillet, melt 1/2 the butter. Add lemon slices and cook about 90 seconds per side till light brown.

Remove lemons. Melt remaining butter. Add fish to skillet. Cook about 2 minutes per side till fish is white and cooked through. 

Remove fish from plate, add the lemons for about 20 seconds to warm them up.

Add fish to plate and top with lemon slices.

I served this with roasted sweet potatoes and sauteed kale.

Pork Loin Chops with Caramelized Apples

One of our fun family traditions is to go apple picking. This always results in too many apples. I have already baked an apple cake recipe here:http://www.saladgirlnat.com/2013/05/super-easy-apple-cake.html and the kids and I have been snacking on apples daily. This was another good way to use a few more apples and it was a delicious and fast dinner. The pork and the wine infused the apples with fantastic flavor. 

Ingredients:

4 Bone In  Loin Pork Chops

1-2 tablespoons of oil for frying

1 teaspoon sage (I was in a hurry and used dry)

Few tablespoons of flour for dredging (I used whole wheat)

2-3 Apples (I used golden delicious but any apple will do)—peeled, cored and sliced

½  cup of white wine

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Salt to taste

Wash and dry pork. Add a few tablespoons of flour onto a large plate. Heat oil on a large skillet till nice and hot, about 2 minutes. In the meantime, coat pork chops with flour.

Add pork chops to skillet  and cook 3-5 minutes per side depending on how thick the chops are and how well done you want the chops to be cooked. 

Add salt, pepper and dry sage to each side.

Remove chops and keep warm. Keeping pan on medium, deglaze pan with white wine. Add apples and allow to cook through, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and cook another few minutes till cooked through. Return pork chops to skillet for another minute.

Serve pork chops topped with apples. I prepared pureed pumpkin (another fruit of our farm visit) as a side.

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

I am a huge fan of roasted cauliflower (check out my basic roasted cauliflower recipe here:  http://www.saladgirlnat.com/2013/05/cauliflower-roasted-with-white-truffle.html?m=1 but my husband—not so much.  Saw this recipe for roasted cauliflower gratin http://theshiksa.com/2012/04/25/roasted-cauliflower-gratin/

and had to try.

I made a few modifications based on my taste buds and I have to say that this was a huge hit even with the spouse.  And while not as healthy as plain roasted cauliflower, definitely healthier than the typical gratin.

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium heads of cauliflower broken up into florets

2 tablespoons of oil ( I used white truffle which I love on cauliflower and in general)

2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

1 ¼ cup of milk (I used 1 %)

Cheddar cheese—recipe called for ¾ cup of cheddar but I had THREE slices of smoke cheddar which I chopped up

3 tablespoons panko ( I used Ian’s Whole Wheat Panko—my favorite)

Cooking spray ( I use coconut spray by Spectrum)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I used my Breville Convection Oven.

Toss florets with oil of choice. Roast for about half hour, tossing every 10  minutes or so.

In the meantime, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour and stir so it’s lump free. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using.

The above ingredients should form a thick paste.

Slowly stir in milk a bit at a time. Heat it for a few minutes, mixing frequently so it thickens and begins to bubble around edges. DO NOT BRING TO BOIL.

Whisk in cheese and stir till melted. Reduce flame to low  and stir frequently. Continue to do so till ready to assemble the gratin.

Remove cauliflower from oven. Reduce temperature to 375.  Spray an 8 x8 baking dish ( I used a Pyrex dish) with oil. Add cauliflower in an even layer.

Pour cheese mixture over it. Sprinkle with panko.

Bake for about ½ hour till brown and bubbly. If you wish, broil for another 1-2 minutes (but be careful because I almost burned mine on that last step).

Enjoy!

Adapted from: 

 http://theshiksa.com/2012/04/25/roasted-cauliflower-gratin/

Chicken Roasted Over Yukon Potatoes

What can be more delicious than a roasted chicken and potatoes? This dish is particularly flavorful because potatoes are cooked in the chicken drippings which infuses them with a rich taste.  My husband compared these potatoes to duck fat fries we hadnout recently. High compliment in my book!!! 

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken

6 tablespoons of oil (I used grape)

Herbs of choice --thyme, rosemary, sage)--I used chopped rosemary)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Potatoes washed, dried, w skin on but blemishes removed, cut into ~ 1 1/2 inch pieces 

Preheat oven to 450.

In a bowl, combine oil, herbs, salt and pepper. 

In a deep baking dish, toss the potatoes w half the oil mixture.  Place chicken breast down over the potatoes.  Roast for 20 minutes, shaking pan occasionally so potatoes don't stick. After 20 minutes, baste with oil from bottom of pan. Roast another 10 minutes. At this point, breast should be beginning to brown. 

Reduce temperature to 350. Toss potatoes w remaining oil mixture, flip chicken breast side up and baste. Continue to roast, basting occasionally till internal temperature is 155F, about another 30-40 minutes. 

At this point, the potatoes should be cooked and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. If you wish, remove the chicken, up the oven temp to 425 and roast the potatoes another 5-10 minutes. 

Enjoy!!!

I served chicken and potatoes with fava beans.  

*adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything 

Peach Tomato Avocado Salsa

Served this tasty salsa over deconstructed. 

Fajitas the other day. You can also serve 

as a side salad. 

Salsa:

2 medium peaches diced

3 cups of tomatoes (I used grape

tomatoes, both yellow and red) diced 

1/2 red onion diced

1 avocado diced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

Dressing:

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Combine salsa ingredients. Combine

dressing ingredient. Add dressing.  Serve 

immediately. 

Enjoy! 

Baked Crispy Squash Blossoms

I tried deep frying squash blossoms a few weeks ago, but while tasty they felt heavy. I wanted to make them a healthier way but did not want to lose the crunch. These did not disappoint. They were even tastier and lighter than the deep fried version. Going to double up next time because these were gone in minutes.

Ingredients:

8 squash blossoms washed, trimmed and patted dry

Whole wheat flour for dipping

1 egg

2 tablespoons of water 

Salt to taste

Oil for oiling pan (I used grape)

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 420. I used my Breville Convection oven. 

Oil a pan or baking dish. 

Beat egg in a bowl. Add water.

Add flour to another bowl. 

Dip each blossom into egg and then flour and place on an oiled pan. 

Spray with cooking spray. Bake about 15  minutes. Flip over. Spray with more cooking spray (this ensures that crunch you are looking for). Salt to taste. Bake another 15 minutes or till crunchy. Careful not to burn. Enjoy!!!