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!

Brussels Sprouts Pesto Pasta! GF, V, BED, SCD & Paleo!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Can you BELIEVE that it's already Labor Day?! I don't know about you, but I'm completely in shock. I mean, I feel like it was just June! This summer absolutely flewwww by!

It's kinda exciting though:) It means that boots and cozy sweater weather is right around the corner!

So tonight, I made a delicious meal. I found a bin of organic Brussels sprouts at the grocery store and I was so excited. 

I love Brussels Sprouts. They get kind of a bad wrap, but I think that's just because most people haven't had them prepared the right way. Let's face it...when you cook the life out of these babies, they're not exactly the belle of the ball. Buuut when you prepare them like this, they're irresistible! 

So what did I make? I made pasta out of SPAGHETTI SQUASH! Which is another one of my favorites:) You get the pasta "feeling" without the grains!

I made a beautiful cauliflower-pesto cream sauce over spaghetti squash with pan seared Brussels sprouts and red pepper. It was D-Lish!

And it's gluten free, vegan, Body Ecology Diet and Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here's what you need: Serves 2

1 spaghetti squash

Pesto Cream Sauce:

2 cups cauliflower

1 cup fresh basil

1 clove of garlic

3 Tbsp pine nuts

juice of 1/2 lemon

2-3 Tsp EVOO

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of pepper

2 dozen Brussels spouts, halved

1 red pepper, diced

1/4 tsp dried oregano and basil

garnish

chopped basil

Carefully prick your spaghetti all over with a fork. (I caaaarefully used a sharp knife). Place it on a paper towel in the microwave and cook for 7 minutes. Then, carefully flip it and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until soft. Then, with oven mitts, carefully take it out of the microwave and let it cool until you can touch it.

While it's cooking in the microwave, pan sear your Brussels sprouts. Heat 1 Tbsp EVOO in a large non-stick frying pan. Place your Brussels sprouts cut-side-down in the pan. Sprinkle them with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Then don't touch them and let them brown for about 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. Then, flip them and cook the other side for another 3 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.

Add another tsp or 2 of EVOO to the pan, and saute your red pepper with salt and pepper. Let it cook for about 4 minutes, until slightly soft, but still crunchy.

Next, prepare your cauliflower-pesto cream sauce. Steam your cauliflower by either microwaving it for 3 minutes or steaming it in a steamer basket. In the food processor, add your basil, lemon, EVOO, pine nuts, garlic, cooked cauliflower, salt and pepper. Process until it is thick and creamy. (You'll need to scrape the sides several times.)

Finally, take your cooled spaghetti squash and carefully cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and then with a fork, scrape the sides, creating spaghetti strands.

To assemble, mix your pesto cream sauce with the spaghetti strands and red pepper in a separate medium sized bowl. On each plate, place half of the "spaghetti" mixture, top with half of the Brussels sprouts and garnish with fresh basil.

Holy cow, guys. What a delicious dinner! This was Brussels sprouts perfection! Something magical happens when you sear Brussels sprouts like that. They become all caramelized and have a smokey earthiness to them. And they have a wonderful chew to them! I mean, just look at the golden brown deliciousness!

And the pesto cream sauce complimented it beautifully! It was fresh and bright, and luxuriously rich and creamy. 

And so healthy too! Just packed with different nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and FLAVOR!!

Just in case you missed my last post, my exciting news was that I shot some episodes for a gluten free cooking show with HealthiNation! So fun! :) Here's a pic from set.

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

“Spaghetti” w/ Pink Sauce! GF, V, & SCD!

2013!!!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful time last night ringing in the new year. I know I did!!

This is going to be a fabulous year, I can just feel it!

super yum!!

Did you make any new year’s resolutions? I know I did…I’ll let in you in on one…to post more exciting recipes! I’m super excited about sharing them with you!

Here’s one to kick off Jan 1…I made this the other night for my parents.

so many yummy veggies!

They LOVED it. I mean, they were raving about it, telling me I need to rethink my career path (acting) and open a restaurant.

What was it?  “Spaghetti” w/ Pink Sauce!

Spaghetti w/ Pink Sauce!

And it’s gluten free, vegan, and Specific Carb Diet friendly!

So how’d I make spaghetti without any grain?….Because it’s SPAGHETTI SQUASH!!

you mean that’s not really spaghetti?!

And it is sooo good!

SO GOOD!

Here’s what you need: (serves 3)

Sauce:
1/2 onion, diced
4 roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 zucchini, diced
10 mushrooms, sliced
1 spaghetti squash, pricked and nuked :)
basil, sliced thin (garnish)

Prick your spaghetti squash with a fork all over…a lot! Then, put it in the microwave for about 9 minutes on a paper towel. Flip it half way through. Carefully (it’s hot!) take it out and let it cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, toast your pine nuts on a dry pan over low heat. Also, sauté your onions and carrot in 1 tsp EVOO, with salt, pepper, your oregano and basil. Let them soften for about 8 minutes, until the carrots begin to get tender. Then, stir in the garlic for about 2 minutes, and finally stir in your tomatoes. Let them cook for about 2 minutes. Then, transfer this mixture to the food processor and process along with your pine nuts until smooth.

Next, brown your mushrooms in a pan with 1 tsp EVOO. Once they brown, add in the zucchini, salt and pepper and let them cook for about 3 minutes.

Once your spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, carefully slice it in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Then, with a fork, scrape the sides, creating spaghetti strands! Place a mound of spaghetti on the plate, and top with several scoops of the sauce. Then, place a scoop of zucchini and mushrooms. Top with a bit more sauce and basil. DIG IN!!

so delicious!

This meal was SO good…just ask my parents! My mom even posted it on facebook! Haha

The spaghetti squashed has such a wonderful texture…it’s like al dante spaghetti! And that sauce…oh my gosh it absolutely MADE the meal! It was so velvety and creamy! My mom’s words, “I can’t believe there’s not butter or cream in here!” There you have it folks!

gluten free, vegan, and Specific Carb Diet friendly!

Finally, the flavors and textures were wonderful. The slurpy, kinda crunchy spaghetti squash with the creamy sauce and chewy mushrooms were so fabulous. The flavor of the sauce was rich and buttery from the toasted pine nuts. And the basil gave such a fresh and bright flavor to round it out!

what a meal!

This meal’s a definite 10!

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions?

Until tomorrow!

Food Processor Alert!!! This meal was brought to you by my fabulous food processor! You may have noticed, I'm slight obsessed with mine:) I use it every day! Here are the tools I used in this recipe: