Spaghetti Squash

I have been wanting to make spaghetti squash for a while now and I finally did for dinner last night. I topped mine with sautéed spinach, marinara sauce, and eggplant meatballs. It was so yummy!

HOW TO COOK SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise.

3. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds in each half.  

4. Bake the halves, face down, on a lightly oiled tray for about 30-35 minutes, or until the skin side of the squash can be pierced with a fork .

5. Allow to cool for 20-25 minutes, then use a fork to scrape out (length-wise) the “spaghetti” strands from the skin.

6.  Eat immediately, or spaghetti squash keeps well in the refrigerator to be re-heated in the microwave later! ENJOY!

Advertisement

Happy Thanksgiving!

Keith and I are heading to Dallas to spend Thanksgiving with his family ! I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! Enjoy all that good Thanksgiving food. Here’s my one tip: enjoy yourself and REMEMBER YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL; JUST NOT ALL AT ONE TIME! So think about the foods you really want and enjoy those. Skip the foods you can get at other times during the year. For me, that means lots and lots of stuffing!! Cheers!

Oh…and of course GO AGGIES!!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Before Keith and I head out for Thanksgiving I am trying to clean out the produce in the fridge. I had some bell peppers we needed to use up and we had some ground bison in the freezer. Hum, what to do…stuff those peppers baby!! Enjoy!

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

4 very large bell peppers (any color…I used red)

2 cups cooked lean ground beef (I used ground Bison…about 1 pound…Keith LOVES his meat)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (I used cheddar almond cheese)

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix, dry

1 cup canned tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the tops off the peppers and then slice in half lengthwise; remove seeds, wash and pat dry. Place pepper halves in a small baking dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray and roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown beef (bison or turkey…whatever you are using) in a skillet. Drain off excess fat. Stir to combine all ingredients, except for peppers; set aside.

Remove peppers from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Evenly spoon mixture into pepper halves and return to oven for 20 more minutes.

Serves: 4 (huge portions!!)

317.8 CALORIES; 5.6g FAT (2.4g saturated fat); 76.2mg CHOLESTEROL; 693.2mg SODIUM; 31.5g CARBOHYDRATE; 5.8g FIBER; 2.6g SUGAR; 35.8g PROTEIN

Hearty Oatmeal

When I got home from the gym this morning I was craving oatmeal. So I whipped up a hearty bowl of cranberry oatmeal to satisfy me! I paired it with some scrambled egg whites and was good to go!

I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats…Take 3 tablespoons oats, 1 tablespoon dried cranberries, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/3 cup water, 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix it all together. Microwave for about 2-3 minutes. ENJOY!

Pancake Sunday

I was in Whole Foods on Saturday and I saw this pancake mix called the Organic Batter Blaster . It is pancake batter in a can AND it is organic! I knew I HAD to try it…just from the sheer oddness of it!

So following the directions, I shook the can really well, held it over my griddle and sprayed….

I added some blueberries…yum! These actually looked REALLY good!

A successful flip….AND…

TADA! Perfect pancakes and they actually tasted REALLY good!

Overall verdict: they are definitely EASY (we’re talking like 5 minutes here) and no messy clean-up! So if you want organic pancakes in a hurry these are definitely the way to go. Keep the can in the refrigerator for future use. (1 can yields 28 pancakes)

Serving Size (1/4 cup batter = 2 (4 inch) pancakes) 80 Calories; 0.5g Fat (0g saturated fat); 15mg Cholesterol; 300mg Sodium; 17g Carbohydrates; 0.5g Fiber; 5g Sugar; 2g Protein

Fun Saturday Fact

Happy Saturday everyone! Here is a fun little fact that I hope makes you smile!

According to my Women’s Health Magazine, “Dropping a F-bomb or two could make your stubbed toe hurt less, according to the journal NeuroReport. Researchers had students plunge their hands into icy water twice, once while cursing and once saying a neutral word. When swearing, they withstood the deep freeze for about 30 percent longer and felt roughly 50 percent less pain. “Cursing can trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, which masks pain,” says lead study author Richard Stephens, Ph.D.”

So there you go…all you “cursers” out there now have a scientific excuse! HAHA!

White Chicken Chili

Last night’s dinner was DELICIOUS! White Chicken Chili! Keith and I both loved it and as the weather gets cooler this will be on our dinner table a lot over the coming months! Enjoy this recipe!!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

1 pound bag great white northern beans
6-8 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped (divided)
1 tablespoon oil
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt, to taste
4 cups diced cooked chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

Soak beans overnight (or at least 4 hours prior to cooking)

Combine beans, 6 cups of chicken broth, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 hours or until beans are soft. Add more chicken broth as necessary.

In a skillet, saute remaining onions in oil until tender. Add chilies and seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add to bean mixture. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and continue to simmer for 1 hour.

Serve topped with your favorite add-ins: cheese, tomatoes, avocados, sour cream, crush tortilla chips, etc….

Serves 8 (1.5 cup servings)
Nutritional Information (without additional toppings): 245.3 Calories; 2.8g Fat (0.4g saturated fat); 55.0mg Cholesterol; 939.2mg Sodium; 7.2g Fiber; 0.8g Sugar; 31.7 Protein

Gluten-Free Brownies

Did someone really say brownies AND gluten-free in the same sentence?

I am not opposed to using mixes to help me with my baking. Keith and I have tried all kinds, obviously we LOVE Pamela’s as my prior posts will show, but our favorite brownie mix is one from Namaste Foods. (You can find it at Whole Foods or The Natural Grocer) The brownies always come out perfectly! I keep these on hand regularly for my chocolate loving hubby! We just individually wrap them up and keep them in the freezer. Then when we want one we pop it in microwave for about 45 seconds for a yummy dessert! Now tell me those don’t look like dessert heaven?!?

Get the FACTS!

Great Website: Cereal F.A.C.T.S. (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score). The Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score (FACTS) was developed to scientifically measure food marketing to youth. While young people are exposed to marketing for a variety of food products, cereal was chosen as the first food category to be evaluated using FACTS because cereal companies target children more than any other sector of the packaged food industry. The amount of money cereal companies spend on marketing to children exceeds $156 million per year on television alone. Check out the website to get the “facts” on your favorite breakfast cereal!

Hail to Acorn Squash

One of the things I love best about fall (DEFINITELY NOT THE COLD WEATHER) is the abundance of fabulous fall produce! One of my favorites is acorn squash! I picked 2 up at Whole Foods the other day and they are FABULOUS!

Acorn squash is super easy to make and very versatile! My favorite way is to just cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Dot each squash cavity with 1 teaspoon butter (I use Brummel and Brown) and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Then bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour, or until tender. If you are in a hurry simple microwave squash cut side down in water for about 8-10 minutes (or until tender) and then fill cavity with toppings. Yummy!

I suggest eating NOW!