Rosemary Almond Spaghetti Squash

 I love using spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti, as it has no gluten and is easy on digestion.  It makes a wonderful "carrier" for any kind of spaghetti sauce.  Last week I made a meat sauce with mushrooms and served it on the squash. Dinner guest/band mate John loved it. ;)  So this dish incorporates some nuts for added texture, and herbs for nutrition and lovely flavor!  It would go really well with my Perfect Herb & Garlic Roasted Chicken.  Enjoy!


Rosemary Almond Spaghetti Squash
Makes 4-6 sides

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 T minced onions
1 T minced garlic
2 T crushed or slivered almonds, plus more to garnish
1-2 tsp fresh rosemary (minced)
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper & more salt to garnish

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.   Place face down in a glass baking pan with about 1/2 in of water.  Pierce the squash several times.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, until you flip the squash over and it's fork tender.  Let cool.

In a saute pan, get the oil and butter hot and add the garlic and onions. Saute for a few minutes, until fragrant and soft.  Add the almonds and give them a few minutes, turning the pan or stirring frequently.  Scoop the squash into the pan and add rosemary and salt. Stir until mixed well.  Serve hot with some more nuts to garnish.

Green Goddess Soup {Vegan}

Mmm...good for the body and the soul.  This creamy vegetable soup is thick, tart and super satisfying, thanks to the brown rice.  It reminds me a bit of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup...without all of the junk.  It has EIGHT organic vegetables in it, it's vegan and all-natural.  As you can tell, I'm pretty excited to have discovered it, and recommend you make it if you are:

• ...vegan or vegetarian
• ...a vegetable lover
• ...lactose intolerant
• ...on a weight-loss plan
• ...need a way to get in more veggies
• ...need a way to make veggies taste good
• ...wanting a good lunch to bring to work all week
• ...in love with cream of broccoli soup

;) ...in any case, check out this deliciousness:

Leek, Broccoli, Asparagus, Zucchini, Celery, Lake, Parsley and Garlic Soup

Green Goddess Soup

Makes about 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

2 c leeks 

2 c broccoli 

2 c asparagus

2 c zucchini

2 c celery

2 c kale, stems removed

2 T parsley (minced)

2 cloves (1 T) garlic (minced)

1/2 c organic brown rice  - I used Jasmine

3 T olive oil

2-3 teaspoons sea salt 

Black pepper

1-2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

Water 

Directions:

Step 1 - prep the veg: The first step is to wash and prep the veggies.   Chop all of the veggies (besides garlic and parsley) into bite sized pieces BEFORE measuring it. Mince the garlic and parsley.  Here's what mine looked like all prepped:

Step 2 - saute + soften:  In a large pot, heat your olive oil over medium heat.  Sprinkle sea salt over your veggies (you can always add more). Saute stirring frequently, until the veggies are very soft, and start to expel water, like this:

 Step 3 - water + simmer:  Add water - about 4-5 cups to start - enough to cover the veggies by a couple of inches (they will float up).  Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4 - thicken + season:  Mix in the uncooked brown rice, minced garlic and parsley. Bring to a boil and then return to low. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until rice is soft (taste test it!).

Step 5 - give it a lemony blenddddd:  Add in the 1-2 T lemon (I went with 2). Stick in the immersion blender (or, blend in a blender) and whiz away until you reach desired consistency. Add more water if you want to thin it out.  Taste and season/adjust with more salt, pepper, lemon.  You can let it simmer for a few more minutes if you'd like, but it's done.

This was really tasty with 2 teaspoons of Parmesan-Romano and a bit of Sriracha stirred in at the end.  I had 2.5 bowls for dinner tonight.  Enjoy!

FOOD RENEGADE