Serves two
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces or real bacon bits
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach
2 ounces soft goat or feta cheese, crumbled
Grilled chicken or shrimp can be added after cooking either one separately
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut about the spaghetti squash in half and then cut those halves again. Scrap the seeds out using a spoon out of all of the halves of the squash. Drizzle the olive oil over the squash halves, season with salt and pepper and roast in a preheated oven until the squash is tender, approximately 45 minutes. When the squash is done, set it aside on the counter while you cook the bacon and spinach. It will be easier to handle if you let it cool for 10 minutes before taking it apart.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the bacon slices. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until the very edges of the bacon start to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered out, about 5 more minutes.
When the bacon is done, turn the heat up to medium and add the red wine vinegar while stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. This will deglaze your pan, so that all of the caramelized bits of bacon end up in your food and not stuck to the bottom of your pan. After about 20 seconds, turn the heat back down to low and add the maple syrup. Stir everything together just to combined, then add the spinach, one handful at a tie, stirring after every addition so that the spinach wilts and there’s room in your skillet for more. When all of the spinach is wilted, turn the burner off under the skillet and let everything sit in there while you finish the squash.
Using a fork, hold the cooked squash halves while scrapping the squash adding them to the skillet as you scrap each half. When all of the squash is in the skillet, add the goat or feta cheese and toss everything together just to combine.
Divide between two saucer and serve immediately.
[/cq_vc_materialcard]A Mexican favorite with a bit of a twist, replace the traditional shredded port or chicken with seasoned spaghetti squash, black beans, Greek yogurt and all of your other favorite toppings!
Serves 4
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tbsp. chili power
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp sea salt
Sixteen 6-inch corn tortillas or 1 package of taco shells
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, finely diced
1 avocado, chopped
chopped cilantro
favorite salsa
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray pan with coconut or canola oil cooking spray. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and roast the halves facedown on baking pan for 35-40 minutes or until flesh is soft.
Once the squash is cooked, remove and allow to cool 5 minutes, then scrap the flesh with a fork to loosen and separate the strands. Add strands of flesh to bowl and discard skins.
In a separate bowl, combine chili power, cumin, coriander, and sale, whisk in lemon juice and pour over squash strands. Gently toss to mix seasonings throughout, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
If using corn tortillas – Heat a dry skilled over medium heat and warm tortillas one at a time until slightly blistered on each side, about 30-45 seconds per side. If using taco shells, proceed to assemble tacos as listed below.
To assemble the tacos, transfer warmed tortillas to platter and add spoonful of black beans, scoop of seasoned squash, dollop of Greek yogurt, finely chopped tomatoes and avocados, then sprinkling with chopped cilantro.
Add salsa, hot sauce or any other desired garnished and serve.
Serving size: 1 Calorie: 402 Fat: 8 Saturated Fat:: 1 Unsaturated fat: 5 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 69 Sugar: 12 Sodium: 302 Fiber: 13 Protein: 16: Cholesterol. Use nutrition facts as a guide, info will vary based on your choice toppings and quantity used.
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Slow Cooker Eggplant Parmesan (as seen on Better KC)
All gluten free the family will love this tasty choice!
4pounds of Eggplant
1tablespoon of sea salt
3 large eggs
1/4 cup of soy milk (or any milk of your liking)
1 1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
3ounces of Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan
2teaspoons Italian seasoning
4 cups marinara sauce
16 ounces mozzarella cheese
Peel eggplant and cut into 1/3 inch rounds. Layer in a colander, sprinkle with sea salt. Set the timer for 30 minutes once timer goes off rinse eggplant slices in cold and pat dry.
Mix eggs and milk in a bowl, stir together breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning in a separate bowls. Dip eggplant slices in the egg mixture and in the breadcrumb bowl. Layer the bottom of the slowcooker with the egg plant slices and top with 1cup of marinara and 1cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers couple more times and cook low for 7-8hours.
Top with cheeses before serving….Enjoy!!!
(DO NOT TOP WITH MOZZERELLA CHEESE IT WILL BURN)
Ingredients
6 eggs
4 egg whites
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup spinach
½ cup sliced white onion
1 cup mixed bell peppers, sliced (or 1 whole bell pepper diced)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
I have found that using a bit of seasoned salt also adds flavor.
Instructions
Grease the inside of a crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, garlic powder, parsley, salt & pepper. Stir in the onion, spinach and bell peppers. Any veggies will work in this, also cooked bacon or sausage would be great too!
Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker/crockpot.
Cook 90 minutes on high. Check at 90 to see if eggs are set. This is how long it took mine. If not set, cook another 20-30 minutes until set.
Slice into 4 wedges and serve immediately!
Serves 4
Vegetarian or NOT ∙ Serves 5
LETS GET STARTED!!! What you need…
Produce
1 cup Butternut squash puree
2 tbsp Parsley, fresh
8 oz Spinach, fresh
Pasta & Grains
2 cups Tortellini HINT: Try finding gluten free and/or wheat based Tortellini)
Baking & Spices
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 pinch Paprika
1/4 tsp Salt & Pepper
Dairy
1 cup Half and half OR Soy Milk will do just fine.
Add 2 cups of butternut squash puree, 1 cup of half and half and/or soy milk, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, a pinch of paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the large skillet, on medium heat.
While heating, stir all the ingredients to combine. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning – don’t add all of it at once, add a little and add more, to your taste. Add the spinach on top of the mixture, cover with the lid, remove from heat.
Let the spinach wilt in the pan, covered, off heat.
While the spinach wilts, bring the medium pan of water to boil, add 1-2 cups of uncooked tortellini, and check the package to cook according. Once the tortellini is cooked, drain the water.
Add cooked and drained tortellini to the skillet with the butternut squash sauce and spinach and stir to combine.
HINT: If the sauce is too thick, add more half and half and/or soy milk to thin it. Also, taste and add more salt, nutmeg and lemon pepper, if desired.
Ingredients
1 Spaghetti Squash medium size
1/2 – 1 cup pasta sauce adjust according to preference
1/2 – 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese adjust according to preference
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with olive oil or cooking spray.
With a sharp knife, carefully cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. With a spoon, gently remove seeds and discard. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork can pierce the shell easily.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. With a fork, loosen and separate spaghetti squash strands from shell. Reserve shells.
Place strands in a bowl. Mix strands with pasta sauce (and additional spices, if you wish). Adjust the amount of sauce you use based on your own preference. Spoon mixture back into the empty shell. If you have enough strands, you may be able to separate the mixture into each of the two shells, but you may also be able to spoon the entire mixture into just one of the shell halves. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned.
What you Need:
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 cups Butternut squash puree (buy 1 squash)
1 bunch or bush of spinach
Pasta & Grains
10 oz Lasagna noodles (FIND GLUTEN FREE)
Baking & Spices
1 Italian seasoning
1 Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
Dairy
1/2 cup Soy Milk or Water
2 1/2 cup Mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cup Ricotta
First, prepare the butternut squash filling. Using food processor, combine butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, soy milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed:
Prepare a baking dish – I used a casserole dish 11 inches x 8.5 inches x 3 inches deep. Grease the bottom of the baking pan lightly with olive oil spray. Spread 1/3 of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese. Top the first layer of butternut squash mixture with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping – as you can see I used 3 noodles.
Use as many noodles as you need for your baking dish. continue to repeat this until all noodles, squash and spinach are all gone.
Bake the lasagna at 375 F covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes.
Enjoy and pack it for lunch!!!
1 large bunch of fresh Kale
2-3 Tbsp coconut oil and/0r olive oil
2 Tbsp of minced garlic
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
Dash of Sea Salt & Pepper
How to sautéed the kale…Heat coconut oil in a large skillet. Rinse before use pick kale from stem and place leaves in skillet Note: Kale will willet so using the entire bunch is just fine. Add minced garlic, your vegetable stock and stir often to prevent burning. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Grilled chicken.
I use Tyson’s grilled chicken strips omg are they GOOD!!!
You can cook this with your kale for extra flavor. Takes about 10 minutes or so.
Vegan, Gluten free
Soy brown sugar tofu sauce…How its made
Soy sauce (1/4 cup), brown sugar (2 tablespoons), sesame oil (1 tablespoon), rice vinegar (2 tablespoons), sriracha sauce(2 tablespoons), grated ginger (1 tablespoon), grated garlic (1 tablespoon), potato starch (1/2 tablespoon), water (2 tablespoons) and toasted sesame seeds (2 tablespoons).
Line a plate with 3-4 sheets of folded-up paper towels. Wrap the tofu block with the paper towels and then placing something heavy on top. I used a cast iron skillet (remember to dry it on the stove over low heat afterwards). A heavy book or canned goods are good options as well.
Pressing (basically is squeezing all the water out of the tofu)
30 minutes is good enough (60 minutes for firm tofu).
Cut the block of tofu into 1inch cubes or less coat the cubes in the potato starch your goal is to coat the cubes decently (almost like a batter) necessary, add more potato starch until all the cubes have a decent coating on all sides.
Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Once hot, add oil into the pan, and tilt it until the bottom is coated evenly with oil. Place the tofu cubes onto the pan and pan fry for about 15 min, spending about 2-3 minutes each side until they’re golden brown and crispy on all sides.
Turn to low heat, give the sauce in the bowl a good stir and pour it into the same pan used to cook the tofu cubes. Cook until the sauce begins to bubble and has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat, add the crispy tofu cubes back into the pan and stir until the cubes are all well coated in the sauce mixture put dipping sauce in a container for later or pouring and dipping.
Ingredients
∙ Serves 2 or 3
Produce
1 tbsp Garlic
1 tbsp Ginger
Refrigerated
1 package 14oz. extra-firm tofu or firm tofu, extra-firm
Condiments
1/4 Soy sauce
Baking & Spices
2 tbsp Brown sugar
3 1/2 tbsp Potato starch
2 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
Oils & Vinegars
2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp Rice vinegar
1 tbsp Sesame oil
Liquids
2 tbsp Water
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup creamy almond butter (sunflower seed butter, if nut free)
1/3 cup honey, raw
1/2 cup of blueberries
1/4 cup flaxseed, ground (you can also use a ground bran cereal like Fiber One instead of flaxseed)
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Roll out teaspoon sized balls and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Freeze until set about one hour.
Enjoy and keep leftovers in a Ziploc bag in fridge or freezer. Makes about 20-24 pieces.
1 package of extra firm tofu
1 cup of nutritional yeast
2 cups of potato starch
1/2 jar of coconut oil
Place tofu in a strainer, cover with cloth then place a small glass bowl on top. This will release the excess water in the tofu and this process takes approximately 1 hour.
Cut the tofu into nickel sized squares. Place the potato starch, nutritional yeast and tofu in a Ziploc plastic bag and close. Shake the bag until all pieces of tofu are coated.
Place 1/2 jar of coconut oil in an electric skillet with heat temperature to 350 degrees. Place tofu squares in skillet and turn often with total cooking time of 20 minutes. The tofu should be golden brown when removed.
Salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
BARI BELL PEPPER BOATS
1 Pound of Lean Ground Turkey
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup of salsa
1 cup of shredded cheese, reduced fat
3 bell peppers (I used yellow, orange and red one for serving appeal)
Remove seeds, core and membrane from bell peppers then slice each one into 6 vertical pieces where they dip down. Set sliced bell peppers aside.
Cook ground turkey over medium-high heat, breaking up as it cooks.
Cook until the turkey loses its pink color and is cooked through. Drain off any fat. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Baked on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and peppers are hot. Optional ingredients: sliced jalapeno peppers, diced avocado, fat-free Greek yogurt.
Please note if you prefer soft bell peppers, add a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of a large casserole dish, add filled nachos and cover tightly with foil and bake 15 minutes.
Ingredients:
20-30 Grapes (I used green grapes)
toothpicks
1 cup of caramel bits (I used a bag of salted caramel chips)
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups of granola
Poke toothpicks into your grapes and set aside.
Place the entire bag of caramel chips in a bowl and add the cream. Heat 1 minute at a time, stirring after each 1 minute until it is smooth. It is easy to overcook it. If you need to add a teaspoon of water its fine.
Dip the ends of the grapes into the caramel sauce and then into the granola.
Place on a plate to set and repeat until all of the grapes are used. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to help the caramel to set.
Remove from the freezer and then serve.
Avocado Brownies
Here is the recipe for the Avocado Brownies that was featured on the Tuesday, September 19th show on Better Kansas City. Enjoy!!
300 g dark chocolate chopped or chips
2 tbsp. Coconut oil
2 medium avocados pitted and peeled
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cocoa power
1/2 cup less 1 tbsp. coconut flour
For the Avocado Frosting
1 medium avocado pitted and peeled
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa power
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line the base and sides of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, allowing some overhang.
Put the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl set over simmering water, without it touching the water or warm in microwave at 1 minute intervals.
Melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth then remove from heat and set aside.
Place the avocado into a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth.
Stir the avocado, honey and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate.
Next, add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is well mixed before adding the next.
Stir in the coconut flour and cocoa powder until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to cover the pan and fill the corners. Smooth the top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch.
Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan before lifting the brownie from the pan.
For the Avocado Frosting
Place frosting ingredients in a food processor or blender along with the cocoa power and maple syrup.
Process/blend, scraping down the sides as needed until very smooth
Add more cocoa power or maple syrup if needed to taste.
Spread over completely cooled brownies
Cut the brownie into 24 pieces and store in a airtight container for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
1 cup zucchini, grated and drained well
1 egg
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine
1 clove garlic, grated fine
2 Tablespoons chives, dried is fine
1 Tablespoon parsley, dried is fine
1 Teaspoon oregano, dried is fine
Pinch of salt and pepper (or add seasoned salt)
Marinara sauce or sales for dipping
Prep
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
Grate zucchini into a clean towel with a box grater. Roll up and twist the towel to release the moisture.
Grate the garlic using the small holes on the box grater.
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well.
Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small balls, and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until golden.
Serving
Serve warm with marinara sauce or salsa.
Ingredients
2 – Cucumbers
12 – cherry tomatoes
4 oz. – cream cheese softened
1 tbsp. – mayonnaise
3 tbsp. – light ranch
1 tbsp. – frozen or fresh dill
¼ tsp. – garlic salt
Black pepper for garnish
1. Wash, peel and slice cucumber into half inch slices.
2. Remove little of insides of the cucumber with a half tea spoon measurement.
3. Combine softened cream cheese, mayo, and ranch. Mix it well until smooth in texture.
4. Add dill and garlic salt and mix just until combined.
5. Place all the topping into a piping bag with a star attachment and pipe out about a ¾ of a tbsp. into each prepared
cucumber. If the topping has hard time to stick to cucumber pat dry the cucumber juice before piping.
6. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and insert into each cucumber topping.
Drinks with your favorite fruits
Dried Fruit Guide
Fruit & Salad Jars
Clean Snacks
Cauliflower Fried “Rice”
Produce
1/2 cup Carrots
1 head Cauliflower
2 tbsp Green onions
1/2 cup Peas, frozen
1 Yellow onion, small
Refrigerated
2 Eggs
Condiments
1/4 cup Soy sauce, low sodium
Baking & Spices
1 tbsp Brown sugar, light (optional)
1 Pinch Red pepper flakes (optional)
Oils & Vinegars
1 tbsp Sesame oil
2 tbsp Rice Vinegar