Spaghetti Squash Pomodoro! GF, V, SCD & Paleo!

Hey everyone!

Well the weekend is wrapping up. And boy, was today a jam packed day!

Did you guys watch any NFL football?! I did, although, my teams: (The Bengals & The Packers), were out of the playoff last weekend. Sooo, I don't really have a big stake in the games anymore. Oh well! I was really just watching the game to hang with friends! We watched at a little bar in the East Village.

This brings up a great point....when you're on the Specific Carb Diet, or simply Gluten Free, what do you guys like to drink? Beer is clearly a "no no" because of the gluten in it. And to be honest, gluten free beer leaves a lot to be desired. (Besides, it's not SCD-friendly.) I like to get either white wine (dry), vodka-soda with a twist of lemon and lime, or an Unsweetened Vodka Mojito! Those are the drinks that agree with me! What about you?

So tonight, I'm going to share with you a delicious delicious dish. Sometimes, you just feel like pasta! Don't you!

And with New Year's resolutions still in full swing (hopefully :)) sometimes, we actually CRAVE pasta!

Well, this recipe allows you to have that pasta without the carbs and calories! How?! SPAGHETTI SQUASH!

I *LOVE* spaghetti squash. It really does feel decadent, like I'm eating pasta! You can twirl it on your fork and slurp it up! Now in full disclosure, it doesn't taste exaaaactly like gluten-full semolina pasta, but for a gluten and grain free alternative, it is pretty darn good!!

But the real star of the show, is this sauce!!! Holy cow, you guys. If you've never had homemade pomodoro sauce before, you really owe it to yourself to give it a go! I like to keep a bunch of this stuff in the fridge/freezer and have it with cooked veggies, spaghetti squash, "zoodles," even eggs!

And my Spaghetti Squash Pomodoro is Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet Friendly, and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (Serves 2)

1 spaghetti squash

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
10 button mushrooms, sliced
10 stalks of asparagus (I know they're not in season, but they were in the fridge)

Sauce:
2 tomatoes
1/2 red pepper
4 baby carrots
1/2 onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 bunch fresh basil

garnish: fresh basil

Prick your spaghetti squash ALL OVER with a fork or *carefully* with a sharp knife. Prick it more than you think you need! Place it on a paper towel in the microwave, and nuke it for 4 minutes. Flip it (with an oven mitt), and microwave for another 5 minutes, until the outside "gives" a little. Carefully remove from the microwave with an oven mitt and allow to cool for at least 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté your onions and carrots in about 2 tsp EVOO, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes. Then, add your red pepper, dried basil and oregano, and sauté for about 3 minutes. Next, add your garlic, and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Finally, add your tomatoes, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer this mixture to the food processor. Add your fresh basil and process until smooth.

In a separate pan, brown your zucchini and mushrooms and asparagus (optional) in 2 tsp EVOO, salt and pepper. Once they brown, remove from heat and set aside.

When your spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, carefully slice in in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Then, with a fork, scrape the flesh towards the center, forming spaghetti-like strands. Place 1/2 squash-amount of "spaghetti" onto a plate, and top it with half of the sauce, and half of the zucchini and mushrooms. Garnish with fresh, chopped basil.

Wow, oh wow. This sauce is SO GOOD! It's wonderfully tomato-y, but not too acidic, and with just the right amount of sweetness. You see, the sweetness in this recipe comes naturally -- from CARROTS! So, you don't have to add brown sugar to the sauce like many sassy Italians :)

And the fresh basil in the sauce makes it just so fresh and aromatic. Italian comfort food at its best.

Finally, all the browned and caramelized veggies are the perfect compliment to the slurpy and chewy spaghetti squash.

It's hard to believe that this meal is healthy AND figure friendly! Sounds like a "resolution" approved meal to me!

Let's make it a great week!!


Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

Stuffed Acorn Squash w/ Rosemary Roasted Beets, Brussels & Pistachios! Gluten Free, Vegan, SCD & Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Are we surviving the Polar Vortex? 

It's hard to believe the temperatures here today. New York was FREEZING. We hit 4 degrees today, which broke the record low from 1896! Although, that was warm compared to some of the negative temps in the Midwest!

Stay warm and stay safe everyone!

Freezing cold temperatures only mean one thing: hot tea, pajamas, and Netflix marathons! That....and comfort food!!

It's funny, I'm sitting here watching the news (yes I'm a 20-something that actually watches the local news) and they just did a piece on eating comfort food to stay warm in this deep freeze. And their theme: CARBS. More specifically, gluten-filled carbs.

Well, my dear friends...two can play at THAT game! :)

May I present to you, comfort food -- "Happy Tummy" style!

Yep, this is an amazingly cozy dish that will warm you from the inside out. And the best part? IT'S GOOD FOR YOU! 

Yep, it's Gluten/Grain Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

It's actually what I made for Thanksgiving. (Sorry I'm JUUUST now getting around to posting it!!)

I made a Roasted Acorn Squash, stuffed with Rosemary Roasted Beets and Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms, Pistachios, and Apples.

In a word: Unbelievable.

Here’s what you need: (Serves 5-6)

3 acorn squash - halved
24 brussels sprouts – halved
4 beets, sliced in to ¼ inch rounds
1 box of mushrooms (about 18), sliced
1 apple, cubed
1 sprig of rosemary, minced
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
1 cup pistachios

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully slice your acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut-side-down on two tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheets. Bake for about 40 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, prep your veggies. Place your beets on two tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheets. Spritz with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

While you’re waiting for oven space, brown your brussels sprouts on the stove. In the largest pan you have, place your brussels sprouts cut-side-down in an even layer in 2 tsp EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp basil, and your fresh, minced rosemary. Let it sit over medium heat for about 7 minutes, allowing it to brown and caramelize. Then, flip and allow the other side to brown for about 5 more minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.

In the same pan, do the same thing with your sliced mushroom. Place them in a single layer in about 2 tsp EVOO. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Allow the one side to brown for about 5 minutes. Then, flip and allow the other side to cook for about 4 minutes.

With your apples, you can either roast them in the oven or sauté them in a frying pan on the stove. I used the oven, because I made this the night before. Place the apple cubes on a tin-foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 2 hours in a 275 degree oven until they have significantly dried out.

To assemble, slice your brussels sprouts in half again (they should now be in quarters), and slice your beet rounds into matchsticks. Toss your beets, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, apples and pistachios together. Place a heaping mound of the filling inside the cavity of the acorn squash. Garnish with a few extra pistachios. Each person gets 1 acorn squash half.

Goodness gracious, you guys. This meal was outrageous. The taste, the texture, the appearance. Everything --- let’s start with the taste:

Acorn squash is so wonderful. It’s the sweetest of the winter squash. That sweet creaminess was complimented by the earthy sweet beets, nutty pistachios, super sweet apples, and earthy mushrooms. And then the subtle aroma of the rosemary, basil and oregano gave it a depth of flavor that was just out of control!

And the textures: wow. The creamy luxurious acorn squash provided the perfect backdrop for the chewy beets and mushrooms, the almost crunchy brussels sprouts (which had caramelized beautifully), the juicy-sweet apples, and the crunchy/salty pistachios. Mmmm.

Finally, it was truly beautiful. It was like a perfectly wrapped present of your plate. There were so many beautiful jewel-tone colors l- the deep purple, orange, green – so pretty!

Comfort food to get you through the Polar Vortex!! ((By the way, what even is a Polar Vortex?? What are we, in the latest sci-fi movie?!?))

Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!

Paleo Meringue Clouds & Almond Cookies! GF, Sugar Free, SCD, & Paleo!

Heeeeeey Party People!! :)

haha...just kidding.

How's everyone doing? Are we detoxing from the holidays? lol Again....KIDDING!!

Well, kinda. :) I know I ate lots of delicious food and had p-l-e-n-t-y of spirits over the holidays! haha

And Happy New Year!!! How did you celebrate? Did you watch the ball drop? I don't know about you, but it's just not the same without Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.

So as promised, here are my delicious cookies! These are sinless...seriously. They're protein packed, sugar free, and insanely good.

And it's a tale of three cookies! You can make three different cookies out of the same "dough!"

My favorite, are the meringue clouds! They're made with just egg whites and honey!

Next, are my crunchy almond cookies! Again, just egg whites, almond flour, and honey!

And finally, my chewy almond cookies! Again, just egg whites, almond flour and honey!

Here's what you need: (Makes about 40 one-bite cookies)

Base:
5 Egg Whites
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Additional:
3/4 + 1 Tbsp almond flour

Optional:
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put your honey and vanilla extra in a small saucepan and heat until it becomes liquidy. Careful - it bubbles up when it boils, and is molten hot!! Once it is hot, carefully pour it into a Pyrex measuring cup (with a spout so you can safely pour it into the stand mixer.)

In the stand mixer, whip your egg whites until frothy. Then, add your cream of tartar and beat for about 7 minutes on high until they form stiff peaks. After about 4-5 minutes and they have tripled in size, slowly pour in the hot honey mixture. Let the stand mixer run for about 1 1/2 more minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare three baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

This is where you have the different options.

MERINGUE CLOUDS:

Spoon about 2 Tbsp worth of the mixture onto your baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the tops begin to turn golden brown. Then, turn off the oven, and allow them to cool/dry out in the oven with the door closed for about 3-4 hours. They will be wonderfully chewy -- like pillows.

ALMOND COOKIES

To the honey/egg white mixture, gently fold in your almond flour and cinnamon, so as not to deflate the egg whites. Spoon this mixture into a piping bag, or a gallon ziplock bag with the bottom corner snipped off. Then, squeeze about 1 Tbsp of this mixture onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. For Chewy Almond Cookies, remove immediately from oven.

For Crunchy Almond Cookies, bake for 15 minutes, and then turn the oven off and allow to dry in the oven for 2 hours.

These cookies were seriously amazing. When you're on the Specific Carb Diet, or gluten free for that matter, the holidays can be tough because there are all these delectable looking treats lying around, and you can't have any! So, I whipped these up and I was a happy camper all through the weekend.

The Meringue Clouds were light as air and chewy. These were my mom's favorite ones. And by allowing them to dry out in the oven, bits of them become a little crunchy like a meringue.

The Crunchy Almond Cookies were my favorite. They had the consistency of a delicate graham cracker with the honey and subtly note of cinnamon.

 They were crunchy and wonderfully sweet.

Finally, the Chewy Almond Cookies were melt-in-you-mouth good. They were chewy in the center with slightly crisp golden brown edges. Careful though - they can leave your fingers a little sticky!

What a treat for a grain/sugar free gal. These cookies were a life saver. They're gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, SCD friendly, and Paleo! (Say that 5x fast!!)

For dessert on Christmas, we had berries with cream. I made coconut cream for mine by reducing a can of coconut milk on the stove for about 30 minutes with 3 tsp honey. I then topped it with crumbled crunchy almond cookies and a meringue cloud. Guiltless and positively delicious!

I may just have to make these "bad boys" again while I'm home and have an stand mixer at my disposal!! :D

Happy New Year!!!!!!


Want more GFHT?  You can now get my e-cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy for only $2.99 on Amazon!