Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto
Since beginning the Whole 30 challenge, I have found myself trying dishes I wouldn’t have otherwise considered. I have made basil pesto many many times, but never have I made it without parmesan cheese. I have had spaghetti squash before with a tomato sauce and it just didn’t have that unctuous quality to it that I ‘need’ right now, or my husband and I will die on this plan or start eating sugar by the spoonful! Neither are good options. One of my favorite go-to meals is Chicken Pesto Pasta, so I figured I would recreate it as best I could. Here’s what happened…
Spaghetti squash is a cinch to make. There are several different ways you can cook it. To impart the most flavor, I suggest roasting it cut side up, with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Before you do that, though, you have to scoop out the seeds. Roast it in a 400 F oven for 50 minutes and it will look like this!
Now for the fun part…
Use a fork and pull the squash away from the flesh.
In the end, you’ll have a bowl of squash that looks like spaghetti! I won’t lie, this can never replace the real thing. It tastes nothing like actual spaghetti. But, the flavor of this squash is mild and can handle, and actually needs, good, bold flavors to help it along.
This is why I thought this pesto would be the perfect complement. Start with a small amount and add more as you feel you need to. Of course, if you aren’t able to make your own pesto, store bought will work. Just read the ingredients to make sure you understand what you’re eating.
I added chicken and tomatoes to bulk up this dish. I seasoned the chicken and tomatoes with salt and pepper before I added some pesto to the mix.
Once I tossed everything together, I added some balsamic vinegar to add a touch of sweetness and acid. It’s my little piece de résistance. It really makes a nice difference.
This is my all-time favorite brand to use for balsamic vinegar and olive oil. If you find it, use it! It’s a bit more expensive than your average balsamic vinegar, but as it should be for better product.
This was honestly, far more satisfying than I ever imagined it would be! If you want to cut down on your carbs, give this a try!
Here’s what you need to do…
Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Pesto
1 large or 2 medium spaghetti squash
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
salt and pepper for seasoning
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove seeds from squash and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast squash cut side up in oven for 50 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, using a fork, pull squash away from its flesh and place into a bowl, set aside.
In a skillet over medium high heat, add some olive oil and cook chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, all the way through. Add tomatoes and season with a touch more salt and pepper. Add a heaping tablespoon of pesto to the mixture.
Toss in the spaghetti squash. Add 2 more heaping tablespoons of pesto and combine all the ingredients. If using, add a generous dash of balsamic vinegar and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve.
Enjoy!
Pork, Sweet Potato and Apple Sauté
I haven’t posted anything in a while. We went home to my parents house in Windsor for Easter and ended up staying there over a week because my daughter became so sick, we didn’t feel comfortable travelling with her in her state. She ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia, was put on the right medication and was finally able to sleep through the night without spiking a temperature of 104 F.
While we were there, my sister and brother-in-law somehow convinced both my parents and my husband and I to join them in doing the Whole 30 program. It’s basically a 30 day plan to help reset your system and help people identify foods that may be affecting them negatively. So, that means, no dairy, gluten, legumes, grains, soy, or alcohol. FOR THIRTY DAYS!!! What’s left? Lots of eggs, meats, fish, nuts, vegetables, and fruit. Day 8 starts tomorrow, and while things are going pretty well, I miss my wine and cheese.
I’ve learned with this plan that planning and creativity in the kitchen are important or deprivation will set in. So, I began to think of some recipes that might work with the ingredients I can use. This recipe, I’ve made many times in the past. It’s very satisfying and kid friendly, which is a bonus. The original recipe calls for butter, which I can’t currently use while on Whole 30. But, I can use clarified butter, or ghee. We didn’t notice the difference. It was exactly what I needed on a night where I was craving sugar! The natural sweetness of the sweet potato and apple in this recipe worked to curb my cravings! Here’s what happened…
You want to start by getting all of your ingredients sliced, cubed and diced. Salt and pepper your pork medallions at this point as well.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon each butter (or ghee in this case) and oil and add your chopped sweet potato, so that they are all in one layer. Don’t stir them too much, as you want them to crisp as much as possible. This step will take about 10 minutes. After that, put 3 tablespoons of water in the pan and cover with a lid to finish cooking.
When the sweet potatoes have cooked through, remove them from the pan and add another tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Add the apple and onion together and season with a bit of salt. About 1/2 teaspoon. Cook until both have browned slightly. Stir in grated ginger*. Add 2 tablespoons each water and apple cider vinegar to the apples and onions and then remove them, adding them into the bowl you have set aside with the sweet potato.
*Ginger lasts longest in the freezer and grates really easily with a microplane. Peel the skin of the ginger with a spoon, and place it in the freezer until you need it. Grate it when frozen and put it back into the freezer till the next time.
Add another tablespoon each butter and oil to your pan and now add your pork medallions. Cook a few minutes, each side.
It should look like this. Remove the pork from the pan. Add 2 more tablespoons each water and apple cider vinegar and scrape up all the bits of goodness left on the bottom of the pan.
Return the sweet potato, apple and onion mixture into the pan and heat through.
My picture isn’t the greatest. But, this dish is worth the risk! It’s yummy!
Don’t be taken by the butter and olive oil in this dish. This is a nicely balanced, healthy dish!
If you have any parsley, use it to add a punch of color to this dish.
Here’s what you need to do:
Pork, Sweet Potato and Apple Saute
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 apple, cubed (any apple will do, recommended: Golden Delicious)
1 medium pork tenderloin
salt and pepper for seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons parsley (optional)
Cut up your pork, sweet potato and onions and set aside until ready to use. Season your pork medallions with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil. Add sweet potato in one layer and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until potatoes begin to crisp, about 10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons water to the pan and cover to let the potatoes finish cooking. Uncover and transfer to a bowl.
Raise heat to medium high and add another 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil. Add both the onion and the apple together and season with a little salt. Cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger and cook for another minute. Pour 2 tablespoons each water and cider vinegar, mix into apples and onions and remove and place mixture into bowl with the sweet potatoes.
Add another tablespoon each butter and olive oil and add the pork medallions. Cook for about 2 minutes a side or until they are lightly brown. Transfer the pork to a plate. Carefully pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of water and cider vinegar and scrape up all the bits of goodness left on the pan from the pork. Return the sweet potato mixture into the pan, and heat through. Serve with 2 or 3 pork medallions.
Enjoy!
(Source: Fine Cooking One-Pot Meals Winter 2013)
Pan-Fried Curry Chicken with Raisin Rice and Yogurt Sauce
March Break was a busy one for us! My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came to visit early and stayed for a week! My daughter and my nephew love, love each other and they have a lot of fun together. So much fun, my sister and brother-in-law took my daughter home to Windsor with them, so that the kiddos could keep the celebrating going! My parents brought her back a couple of days later, when they visited us over the weekend. With so many mouths to feed, I was able to make many recipes that I have wanted to share with others.
This recipe, I made for my parents. I had a feeling my Dad, especially, would appreciate it. And he did! They both did. The rice is especially lovely. For me, it’s the star of this recipe. The yogurt sauce being a close second.
There are many steps to the completion of this dish, but it is very easy. You’ll want to start making your rice first, as it takes the longest, and while it is cooking, you can finish up everything else! Here’s what happened..
First, saute 2 small or 1 large shallot in 1 tablespoon of butter until translucent. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt into your onions and then add 1 cup of brown rice. Get all of the rice nicely incorporated into the onion mixture and then add 2 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Turn your element off and let the rice sit, covered, another 10 minutes. While the rice is resting, chop up your cilantro and toast your almonds.
They should look like this. These were toasted over the stove top, but if you prefer, you can easily toast them in the oven.
Fluff your rice. Add the raisins and cilantro and mix together. Replace lid on the rice and let sit until ready to serve, so as to give the raisins some time to plump up. Just before you are ready to serve, mix in the almonds, so that you maintain that needed crunch.
Your rice should look like this in the end. Mmmm…
Now for the yogurt sauce.
Easy peasy. 1 cup of yogurt, juice of one small lemon, a bunch of cilantro, and salt and pepper. Be sure to taste this and add more lemon or salt as you see fit. I had a really juicy, big lemon and used about 1/2 of the lemon. Set aside till ready to use.
The chicken is also very easy.
My little sous chef helped me sprinkle on the dry rub of curry powder, coriander, salt, and pepper. Wherever it fits to let your littles help you in the kitchen, it’s a great idea. My littlen loves to watch me cook and she’s usually close by to help out. Just this morning, she was sitting and playing at the dining room table, waiting for breakfast, and I told her, “Leila, your porridge is almost ready!”. She said to me, in her sweet 3 year old voice, ‘Ok, Mom! Let me know when I can help!”. My heart fluttered. Doesn’t get much cuter than that!!
Back to the recipe…
You’ll want to sear your chicken on either side for about 4 minutes a side and then finish in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes before serving.
TA-DAH!
This is a healthy, quick and satisfying meal. It will become a rotation night meal, I guarantee it!
Here’s what you need to do….
Preheat oven to 350 F.
RAISIN RICE
1 tablespoon butter
1 large shallot, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of brown rice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
3/4 sliced almonds, toasted
Saute the shallots and salt in butter over medium heat until onions are translucent. Stir in rice to coat and add the broth. Bring to a boil and cover, reducing temperature to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let the rice set for 10 minutes, with the lid on. Fluff the rice and add the raisins and cilantro. When ready to serve, add the toasted almonds and stir to combine.
YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients. Set aside.
CURRY CHICKEN
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine all of the the spices together. Sprinkle all over the chicken. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat and sear each side for 4 minutes. Transfer your skillet to the oven until your chicken is no longer pink. About 10-15 minutes. Remove your chicken from the oven, transfer to a plate and cover with tin foil for at least 5 minutes.
Enjoy!!
(Source: Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine November 2012)
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