Spicy Spaghetti Squash

Tonights recipe is a two for one special, Spicy Spaghetti Squash and Paleo Lasagna.  My friend Bhairavi turned me on to this Spicy Spaghetti Sauce recipe a couple of months ago and the whole family loves it.  You can spice it up or down depending on how heavy you go with the red pepper flakes. I actually simmer the sauce all day long in the crockpot and served it up with spaghetti squash for me and noodles for the rest of the family.

Spicy Spaghetti Squash
     1 small spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, minced
• 12 ounces ground white meat turkey or lean ground beef
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons red wine
• 2 teaspoons capers
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place each squash half cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake uncovered for about 45 to 60 minutes or until a fork goes easily into the shell. Allow to cool and scoop out the strands of squash with a large spoon and set aside. (I microwave the squash according to the directions on the sticker)
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and scallions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the meat and cook for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the capers, oregano, red pepper flakes and parsley; simmer for 5 minutes. If the squash has cooled too much, reheat it in the microwave, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Top the squash with the sauce and serve. 

Avocado Chicken Salad

Posting again, had a great idea to use up the turkey leftovers. Of course since I got home late all the turkey was gone so I went back to the original plan - chicken.  I have this all made up for tomorrow nights meal and am planning on serving it on a bed of spinach

Avocado Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 cooked chicken breasts (I ripped apart a rotisserie chicken)
2 ripe avocados
1 stalk of celery
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/4 cup avocado oil or mayo
2 tbspn lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Dice chicken and avocado into bite size pieces and chop celery into a very small dice.  Combine all ingredients and stir until well mixed but avocado still is somewhat chunky.  Either serve immediately or refrigerate for later.  Serve in a lettuce wrap, over spinach or naked.

Egg Nog Shake

Two posts in a week - can you believe it!  Ariel inspired me to concoct a paleo friendly eggnog shake, so, I here it goes.  Drinking it as I type and it is delish.  I have become a big fan of the whipped vanilla flavor BSN Dessert Protein powder, so you will see it in alot of my recipes.  Feel free to substitute with the vanilla protein powder of your choice.

Eggnog Shake

1 scoop whipped vanilla BSN Dessert Protein Powder
1 cup Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tbspn ground flaxseed meal
1 raw egg
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp rum extract
1 tbspn honey
4 ice cubes

Stir the protein powder and milk together before pouring in the blender.  Add flaxseed meal, egg (don't do this if you are aftraid of Salmonella - I have eaten enough cookie dough over the years that I feel like I am immune), nutmeg, rum extract, honey,  and ice cubes.  Blend and serve in a festive cup with christmas music playing in the background and a fire roaring in the fireplace!

Chicken and Vegi Artichoke Casserole

OK, I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of this one, because it was pretty and soooo tasty!  My daughter came home from college tonight so I decided I would stuff her full of all the vegis I am sure she has not been eating over the last three months.  This one takes a little prep work, but great casserole dish and even better if you cheat a little and add some cheese. 

Chicken and Vegi Artichoke Casserole

4 Chicken breasts cut in strips
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
1 egg
1/4 cup almond milk
1 eggplant
2 red, yellow, or orange peppers
broccoli
cauliflower
1 Jar Trader Joes Artichoke Antipasto Spread
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese (optional)

Cut eggplant in 1/4 inch circles, peppers in strips and broccoli and cauliflower in bite size pieces. Spray pan with pam and put vegis in oven to roast at 400 degrees.  In the meantime heat pan with a little olive oil and dip chicken in egg and milk mixture.  coat with almond flour and parmesan cheese mixture and pan fry until golden and mostly cooked through.  Remove vegis from oven and arrange layer of eggplant,broccoli, and cauliflower and spread half of jar of artichoke spread, arrange peppers on top then lay chicken in single layer on top.  Spread rest of artichoke spread on top of chicken and sprinkle asiago on top.  Bake for 15 more minutes and serve.  YUMMMMMM

Crockpot Beef and Satay Sauce

Fall weather makes me want to get the crockpot out and do some slow cooking. Today I had 2 ingredients available so not much choice in what I was making, but it turned out delish! So easy and so tasty - give it a try!

Crockpot Beef and Satay Sauce

2 lbs lean beef stew meat cut in chunks
1 jar Trader Joes Peanut Satay sauce
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tbspn olive oil

toss meat and flour together and heat oil in pan. Brown meat and scrape all the yummy goodness into a crockpot. Pour over the jar of Trader Joes Peanut Satay sauce and cook on low 6 hours.

Chicken with Blueberry Sauce

This recipe popped up on my daily email from Allrecipes.com and looked tasty so I thought I would give it a whirl. Nice use of savory and sweet and blueberries season is just ending so I wanted to get this one in while I could still find good blueberries.

Chicken with Blueberry Sauce

4 chicken breasts (I would pound out butterfly if they are too thick)

1 tbspn olive oil

1/2 cup spreadable fruit (I used peach preserves)

3 Tbspn dijon mustard (I used my favorite Trader Joes Garlic Mustard Aoili)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup blueberries

1.In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in oil for about 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Combine preserves and mustard; spoon over chicken. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
2.With a slotted spoon, remove chicken and keep warm. Add vinegar to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until sauce is reduced by one-third, stirring occasionally. Stir in blueberries.

Spicy Sweet Smoky Pork Tenderloin

Hallelujah! A recipe recommendation from a faithful follower - Thanks for the recipe Bhairavi. She loves to shop at Trader Joe's too, and has stumbled across this great salsa - Trader Joes Spicy Sweet Smoky Peach Salsa. Can't wait to give it a try.

Spicy Sweet Smoky Pork Tenderloin

1-2 Pork Tenderloins
1 jar of Trader Joes Spicy Sweet Smoky Peach Salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pork in roasting pan and pour salsa on top. Bake until internal temperature reaches 150 (about 20-30 minutes). Nice and Easy!