Spaghetti (Squash) and “Meat”balls

October 3, 2012 6 Comments

 

It’s day 3 of Squash Week…and today it’s a healthy twist on an old classic: Spaghetti (Squash) and “Meat”balls. Today was the first time I made anything like this and it was so good. Plus afterwards I felt full of energy rather than full of pasta.

I found this recipe for the “meat”balls and adapted it down below. Also I should note there are a lot of steps here and the dish requires a bit of multi-tasking. However if you aren’t up for a big production, buy the marinara sauce at the grocery store and this meal suddenly becomes one of the easiest things ever!

gluten-free, soy-free
serves 2

Spaghetti 

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

“Meat”balls 

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked quinoa (about 1/2 cup dry quinoa)
1 cup toasted walnuts and pecans
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (or a combination or basil, oregano, thyme, and marjoram)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp chickpea flour

Marinara Sauce 

about 10 fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded or one 28-ounce can
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the Spaghetti Squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Brush on a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile begin the Marinara Sauce. Peel and seed your tomatoes and set aside. Heat up oil over medium heat in a large pan and saute onions for about 10 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Stir in garlic and Italian Seasoning and saute for another minute. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down and allow to simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally, until most the juices have evaporated.

Now onto the “meat”balls. Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water. While cooking, saute the onions and garlic. Once the quinoa is ready, place quinoa, nuts, spices, nutritional yeast, and chickpea flour in a food processor and blend until smooth. At first your mixture will seem very thick, but give it time and it will come together. Add sautéed onions and garlic and blend until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.  With a tablespoon, scoop “meat”balls and roll into balls. This recipe should make about 10 “meat”balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the oven (along with the squash) or 30 minutes until tops begin to brown slightly.

Okay,where are we? Let’s check on the squash. It should be cool enough to remove the spaghetti strands into a bowl. Set aside. Once “meat”balls are browned, gently place them in the marinara sauce (which should nearly done) and cover for 3 minutes. Spoon out the “meat”balls and place on top of the spaghetti squash. Top with marinara sauce and serve immediately. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Filed Under: dinner, dinner, gluten-free meals, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Curried Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

October 2, 2012 7 Comments

Welcome back to Super Squash Week. Yesterday I made these Maple Pumpkin Donuts and looking through my CSA crate I realized it was going to be a squash-heavy week. Thus it became Super Squash Week, meaning I will be creating and sharing a squash recipe every single day!

I was very excited to find a butternut squash in my crate this week. I have been anticipating it for some time now for this very reason: Curried Butternut Squash Soup.

Curried Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 large butternut squash
3 medium carrots
1 tbsp curry powder
4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop vegetables.

In a large pot heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and saute for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and ginger and saute for another minute until fragrant. Add curry powder stirring together until onions are evenly coated. Stir in squash and carrots and once mixed, add vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until squash and carrots are tender.

Remove from heat and allow soup to cool.

Once cool, blend in a food processor or blender until smooth (you may need to do this in two batches).

Return to soup pot, season with salt and pepper and reheat to desired temperature. Garnish with fresh ground pepper, cilantro springs, or a dolup of vegan sour cream.

Enjoy!

Do you have an all-time favorite soup? A go-to recipe? 

I’m not sure if this is my all time favorite soup. I LOVE chili and corn chowder and potato leek and borscht…
but Butternut Squash Soup is certainly up there.

Filed Under: dinner, dinner, Eating in Season, Fall, gluten-free meals Tagged With: , , , , ,

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

September 26, 2012 6 Comments

As I mentioned the other day, I celebrated the fall equinox last weekend with some good friends and good food. Although all I have shown from our meal was the (Almost) Raw Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake, we did, believe it or not, eat more than just dessert. My favorite was the stuffed acorn squash. It just doesn’t get much better than stuffed squash.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves: 6

3 acorn squash, cut in half

1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup red quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1 small red onion
1 large apple, peeled and diced
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried sage
3 cup pecans, chopped
salt and pepper
½ cup vegan mozzarella cheese (I use Diaya)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut acorn squash in half (lengthwise) and scoop out the seeds. Place bottom side up on a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the quinoa. Thoroughly rinse and drain the quinoa. Heat a small pan over medium heat and add quinoa. Toast, stirring constantly for one minute. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for an additional five minutes.

In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and sauté until translucent (about five minutes). Add pecans and apples and sauté for another 3 -5 minutes.  Add sage, stir together and remove from heat. Combine apple/onion mixture with cooked quinoa and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove acorn squash from over and carefully flip over so that they are bottom side down. Scoop quinoa mixture into the squash, stuffing in as much as you can.  Cover each squash with tin foil and return to oven for another 20-30 minutes, until tender.

Carefully remove tin foil and evenly top with vegan cheese.  Return to oven for 3-5 minutes until cheese has melted. Remove, let cool slightly, and enjoy!

What is one of your favorite squash dishes?

Up until recently I didn’t cared much for squash. But with receiving so much in my CSA I was forced to get creative with a food I rarely used before. Now I can’t wait for my weekly squash as I try out new recipes.

Filed Under: dinner, dinner, Eating in Season, Fall, gluten-free meals Tagged With: , , , , ,

German Chocolate Protein Bars

August 9, 2012 12 Comments

For almost a year and a half I have either been pregnant or nursing. My body, which used to be solely mine, is now shared with one of my two favorite people on this earth and unlike I expected, I love it. I find deep joy in the powers of my body that created, birthed, and nourished another human being. I am awed watching Eden, who yesterday at her 6 month check in weighed almost 17 pounds, grow.

By supplying food and nourishment for my fetus and now baby I must constantly be aware of how I eat. Iron, Calcium, and Protein are more important than ever in this time. Since this all began protein has been challenging for me. This is in no way because I’m vegan; I eat an average amount of protein, but a pregnant or nursing mom needs about 70 grams a day!

Therefore I am always trying to figure out ways to sneak a little extra protein into my diet and in that process I created these: The German Chocolate Protein Bar.

German Chocolate Protein Bar – makes 12

1 cup oats or oat flour

1/2 cup soy protein powder

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup dates, pitted

1/3 cup  + 2 tbsp pecans

1/2 cup + 3 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut

6 tbsp brown rice syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 salt

In a food processor grind up the oats until they are s fine flour. Add protein and cocoa powders, 1/3 cup of pecans, 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, and salt and combine well. Add dates, brown rice syrup, and vanilla. Mix until the dry ingredients are fully hydrated, scraping down the sides as needed. Dough should be tacky, but not too sticky. If the dough is too dry and won’t come together add a little bit of water.

Once well combined, scrape dough onto a cookie sheet covered in wax paper or a silicone mat. Place another piece of wax paper on top and roll out to 1/2 inch thick, shaping into a square as you roll.

Place bars in the refrigerator and allow to harden before cutting into 12 equal pieces. Store in refrigerator for 5 days or up to a month in the freezer.

Enjoy as a snack for a good, healthy boost of protein.

Filed Under: breakfast, gluten-free meals, snacks Tagged With: , , , , ,

Mushroom and Swiss Chard Frittata

July 9, 2012 3 Comments


Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Because I spent so many years skipping breakfast to make it to work by 5:30 a.m., I can now fully appreciate taking my time for a good, hearty meal to start the day and with Swiss chard in my farm crate I knew I would be making a frittata this week.

Mushroom and Swiss Chard Frittata
serves two

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
4-5 large cremini mushrooms

4-5 ounces extra firm tofu
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use Daiya)
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp tumeric
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a small baking dish or loaf pan.

In a small bowl crumble the tofu until it is the texture of ricotta cheese. Add nutritional yeast, vegan cheese, mustard, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent . Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add mushrooms and chard and saute for five minutes.

Mix vegetables into tofu mixture until uniformly combined. Firmly pack frittata mixture into baking dish smoothing over the top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until frittata starts to brown on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Once cooled turn baking dish upside down to release frittata.

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite breakfast dish? Are you a sweet or savory morning eater?

Filed Under: breakfast, gluten-free meals Tagged With: , , , ,

Quinoa Stir Fry with Ginger Peanut Sauce

June 25, 2012 3 Comments

I posted this picture a couple weeks back in one of my Crate Full of Veggies blogs and was recently reminded I had never gotten the recipe up! So here it is. This seasonal stir fry is one of my favorite ways to use both quinoa and broccoli. And how can you go wrong when ginger peanut sauce is involved?


Quinoa Stir Fry with Ginger Peanut Sauce
gluten-free
serves 2
prep time: 35 minutes

1/2 cup quinoa
3/4 cup water

1 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized head of broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Ginger Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

fresh cilantro or basil
peanuts

Optional: 4-6 ounces extra firm tofu cut into thin slices and prepared in my super secret, super lazy way
or my other lazy way: 1/2 package marinated, ready to eat tofu:

or really any way you like to prepare tofu.

Rinse the quinoa several times and add it to boiling water. Cook covered for about 20-30 minutes, until water has evaporated and quinoa is light and fluffy. Leave covered, with heat off, for an additional ten minutes.

While quinoa is cooking, get to work on the vegetables. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottom pan.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Toss in the remaining vegetables and stir fry until just tender. Do not over cook. They taste a lot better when there is still a snap to them. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix the ingredients for peanut sauce together. Because I don’t like cleaning my blender and I never can fully mix it with a fork, I place all the ingredients in a small mason jar with a lid and shake it for several minutes. I found it to be the easiest, cleanest way for peanut sauce. Once well combined, pour over vegetables and stir to combine.

Serve over cooked quinoa and top fresh cilantro, peanuts and tofu (if desired).

I hope you all had a great summer weekend!

Filed Under: dinner, gluten-free meals Tagged With: , , , , ,
«Older Posts
Newer Posts»

To the Top

Follow

Get every new post on this blog delivered to your Inbox.

Join other followers: