Baked Spaghetti (Squash)

So, It's been almost a year since I have posted a recipe. I've still been cooking, but this past year has been crazy! Planning a wedding, getting married, going on a honeymoon, building a house, and being a wife has taken up all of my time. Adam and I have had a blast doing all of these things, and honestly, blogging my recipes was no where near my priority list. I still won't blog as frequently, but I am going to try and add good recipes as the weeks go by. I will mainly be blogging for a selfish reason - and that's so I can keep up with recipes we like and I have them all in one place. This recipe is one that I have made numerous times over the past couple months. It's a crowd pleaser, for sure.

Ingredients:

• 1  large spaghetti squash
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 TBSP oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups Roa's marinara sauce
• 1 tsp oregano
• 5 fresh basil leaves, torn
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on microwave safe plate and microwave for 10-12 minutes, until flesh is soft. Once it has cooled down enough to handle, use a fork to scrape squash into spaghetti-like noodles. Place in colander to let drain (the longer the squash has to sit in colander and dry out, the better!!)
3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat, and melt oil. Once hot, add turkey and cook until no longer pink.
4. In a large bowl, mix together sauce, egg, oregano, basil, and salt & pepper. Mix in the drained spaghetti squash until it's all combined.
5. Place roughly half the spaghetti squash mixture in the bottom of a round pie pan, covering the bottom. Layer the browned meat on top, then cover with remaining spaghetti squash.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes until squash begins to set and darken in color.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

Pumpkin Fries

I have had a pretty little pumpkin sitting on the counter for a week or so, and I couldn't quite decide what to do with it. I knew I would eat it, and not use it for decoration or carve it, but I had a hard time deciding what to do. My food processor basically blew up the last time I used it, and I refuse to buy a new one. I regret that decision every day, but I am hoping that I will get a good one for a wedding gift! Nevertheless, I knew I wasn't able to puree the pumpkin to incorporate into a dish, so I decided to slice it into fries, roast it, and enjoy it that way! I have never actually cooked with fresh pumpkin and I was unsure of the best way to peel, cut, etc. I found this video on YouTube that explained it all perfectly! It was, surprisingly, really easy. I can't wait to own a food processor (or blender!) in the near future so I can use fresh pumpkin in more recipes. I heard that pumpkin flesh freezes well, so I may just have to buy a lot, cut it into pieces, and freeze it for use later in the year. OH, and DON'T toss the pumpkin seeds!! I have a recipe using those coming soon!

Ingredients:

• 1 pumpkin. Pie pumpkins and medium sized pumpkins work best. Don't go for the one you would pick out to carve.
• EVOO
• Spices of choice. I used salt, cinnamon, and cumin

Instructions:

1. Slice pumpkin into strips - roughly the same size.
2. Toss pumpkin strips with a couple Tbsp of EVOO and sprinkle with spices of choice
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and roast the pumpkin at 400 degrees for approx 30 minutes.
4. Enjoy! These were still good for my lunch 3 days later! But I wouldn't keep them longer than that.

Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs

For the past week, or so, I have been honing in my diet. I had gotten pretty lax, especially on the weekends, and when it came to alcohol. I have felt SO great this past week and I am excited about the results that will come with strict paleo. I even celebrated my birthday this past weekend and ate mostly salads and had only 1 square of dark chocolate! I got affirmation this morning that this is how I should be eating by setting a Personal Record on my squat clean! All summer long I had tried to increase my weight, to no avail. Well, this morning I increased my weight on my squat clean  by FIFTEEN POUNDS! That means that I squat cleaned 130 pounds! I was so pumped!! I am certain that this had something to do with my clean diet. It's amazing what your body is capable of, if only you take care of it and feed it clean, nutritious, foods. This recipe is one that I made last week. Adam and I were both amazed at the flavor and we loved the crispy skin. It was so good that I had a thigh the following morning for breakfast, another at lunch that same day, then again the next day for lunch - that means that 4 out of my next 6 meals, I ate this!

Ingredients:

• 8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. Roughly 2 pounds or so.
• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup EVOO

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix all spices. Stir in lemon juice and EVOO, until well combined. 
2. In a glass baking dish, place chicken thighs, then cover with marinade, and cover your dish with foil. Ensure that all sides of the chicken gets coated with this yummy goodness.
3. Allow to marinate for at least an hour, if you have the time to spare. If you don't then go ahead and pre heat the oven
4. Once they have marinated, pre-heat oven to about 420 degrees. With baking dish covered with foil, allow to bake for approx 35 minutes.
5. After they have cooked the full 35 minutes, uncover the dish, and broil the chicken for 3 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, and allow them to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
7. Consume, and try to save some for leftovers the next day.

I served this with roasted broccoli and sweet potato fries. 

Pumpkin Granola

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times. I MISS CEREAL! Pre-paleo, I could have literally eaten cereal for every meal. My favorites were Grape Nuts, Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, Honey-O's, and Honey Nut Cherios. YUM! My favorite part of it all was getting to the sweet milk once I had eaten all the cereal.
I was coming up with a new recipe to make grainless granola when I found this recipe on PaleOMG's website. I decided to make it, mainly because there is pumpkin in it! And, well, its October. So you should eat pumpkin every week! This may be the best grainless granola I have ever had. I poured almond milk over it and it made the perfect cereal! You can store the granola in an airtight container and it should for 7 - 10 days.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 8-10 dried dates, pits removed, then chopped
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (make sure you don't get pumpkin pie filling! There should be one ingredient - and that is pumpkin)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup unsweetened, shredded, coconut
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and all spices. Mix well
3. Next, add your nuts, seeds, and chopped dates. Stir well to combine.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the granola evenly across the parchment paper.
5. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring half way through.
6. Once it is finished, remove from oven and LET COOL. This will help everything harden and stick together.
7. Eat it alone, or pour almond or coconut milk over it for a delicious cereal!

Lemon Herb Chicken

I love using fresh herbs! Not only is the flavor more pronounced than dry herbs, but they make the kitchen smell so good! I don't always use fresh because, well, they are more expensive and I tend to let them go bad before I can finish them off. But occasionally I like to treat myself (and my taste buds) to fresh herbs! This chicken was SO flavorful and I just know it is because of the fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken (I used thighs)
• 2 meyer lemons, juiced
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup EVOO

Instructions:

• Juice the lemons and roughly chop the fresh herbs
• Mix all ingredients, except the chicken, together in a small bowl. Put the chicken in a glass baking dish and cover with EVOO herb mixture. Let marinate in fridge for an hour or so.
• Heat skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken for approx 6 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink.

I served mine with broccoli salad and mashed sweet potatoes.

Roasted Garlic Artichoke

Over Labor Day weekend Adam and I went to Atlanta with our dear friends Richard and Jen. We had such a great time and some awesome food! The first night at dinner we had Roasted Artichoke. I had never had artichoke before and I fell in love! It has a subtle flavor and is so tender. I wanted to have this at home but didn't really know how to cook it. I decided to roast it in the oven and I must say, it turned out pretty good! It wasn't quite as good as the restaurants, but I still enjoyed it.

Ingredients;

• 1 artichoke
• minced garlic
• EVOO

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Clip the pointy tops of the leaves off the artichoke
3. Use as much minced garlic as you would like (I used a lot) and push the garlic all down in the artichoke
4. Drizzle with EVOO, making sure you get in between the leaves as well
5. Wrap the artichoke in tin foil and put in oven on middle rack for approx a 1.5 hours

Note: Once you get down to the heart, the prickly, fibrous hairs are not edible. You have to work to get to the heart, but it is well worth it. 

Cinnamon Crusted Chops

This is another recipe from way-back-when that I have attempted (successfully!) to spruce up a bit. I will still say that the combination of pork and apples is still so strange to me. Apparently many others have paired these two foods together - for a long time. I still think its weird, but I am a believer! This new and improved recipe is amazing! The pork is seasoned with lots of cinnamon and it will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in pork chops
• 3 apples. Gala work great!
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• 1/4 cup white wine

Instructions:

1. Slice apples, use an apple corer if you've got one. #easy
2. Thinly slice onion and chop sage
3. In a skillet over medium high heat 3 Tbsp olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in apples, onion and sage. Sauté apples and onions for approx. 5 minutes. Apples should be soft and onions translucent. Remove from skillet
4.  Rub cinnamon all over your pork chops. Don't neglect them. You can't use too much. Next, sprinkle with salt
5. Heat remaining Tbsp of olive oil in skillet. Add pork chops and sear for 2 minutes on each side.
6. Pour 1/4 cup white wine in skillet and once it begins to boil, add the apples and onions back
7. Cover skillet and let the flavors intertwine and the pork chops finish cooking. This should take about 7 minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

The thing that I struggle with the most, in regards to cooking, are side dishes. I think it's because I am not very picky and I really love simple veggies. I am completely satisfied with sauteed mixed veggies, or roasted veggies; However, I decided to try something new and perk up my favorite roasted broccoli dish.


Ingredients:

• 1 lb broccoli florets (not frozen)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• garlic powder
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 6 slices bacon
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup unsweetened, dried, cranberries
• apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Rinse and cut broccoli into bite sized pieces
3. Mix 2 Tbsp olive oil in with broccoli. Sprinkle with garlic powder
4. Put broccoli on a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake for approx 30 minutes, or until broccoli is beginning to brown
5. Meanwhile, cooke bacon in skillet until crispy. When bacon is almost done, throw in the slivered almonds. Let the almonds toast in the bacon fat until they start to brown. Remove almonds and bacon from skillet - let cool, then crumble bacon
6. In your serving bowl, add about 3 Tbsp of the rendered bacon fat (optional), bacon pieces, toasted almonds, raisins, and cranberries
7. Once broccoli is finished, add broccoli to serving bowl. Drizzle a bit of apple cider vinegar (you don't need much. Maybe 1/2 Tbsp) in the bowl. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
8. Mix well and serve

Chicken with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

*Disclaimer: Please do not let the poor quality of this picture keep you from making this dish. My iPhone and Instagram can only do so much*

Fall is here and for me, that means I no longer get weird looks for incorporating pumpkin into my dishes. I LOVE pumpkin and enjoy in year round. In fact, I always chuckle to myself when I hear people begin to rant and rave that the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at the over-rated Starbucks. The world starts freaking out and going crazy when TheBuck releases it each year. Luckily for me, the local coffee shop that I frequent (The Red Cat) has pumpkin YEAR ROUND! Did you hear that???? Reason #352 to support local business. And if you're wondering what I get, its more-times-than-not a 16oz latte with an extra shot of espresso, *only* 2 pumps of pumpkin(otherwise it's too sweet), and cinnamon in the bottom. This is hands-down the best tasting and smelling latte in Birmingham. And, you don't have to tell me, I know that milk isn't paleo, kill me now, but I love it in my latte. If I happen to order plain coffee, I'll drink that black. #tiedballgame

Once again, I loved this dish. I've got to be the least picky eater in the world. I love practically every dish. Lucky me. Adam, however, is not a fan of coconut and if you aren't either, well then try it - you may surprise yourself, find something to replace it with, or skip this recipe all together. If you do the latter, you will be sorry. This dish made only enough for our dinner. Up the ingredient count if you want leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz chicken breast tenders
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for sautéing
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for sauce
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 4-5 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• A little less than 1 cup of coconut cream*
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil, then add the chicken. Cook for about 6 minutes, on both sides until no longer pink
2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the remaining Tbsp of coconut oil, then add the tarragon. Allow the flavors to mingle for a minute or so
3. Add the pumpkin puree and stir around until it has combined entirely with the tarragon oil.
4. Add coconut cream a few Tbsp's at a time until it liquifies. Continue adding until all is well incorporated
5. Allow the coconut pumpkin cream to thicken a bit over the low heat
6. Plate chicken and top with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

I served this with roasted veggies and fried plantains

Cinnamon Banana Pancakes

I LOVE paleo pancakes. They are one of the first recipes I came up with and I truly believed they were outstanding. Since my very first batch of paleo pancakes, I have been tweaking the recipe; I have added ingredients, taken out ingredients, and tried every combination in between. I am not stretching the truth when I tell you that I have figured out the perfect ratio. These are delicious and fluffy, and the best part about it is that I don't feel like crap 30 minutes after I have eaten them. So far, I have made two variations, Cinnamon Banana and Blueberry. I will give you the recipe for the Cinnamon Banana ones, but know that you can substitute the fruit!

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Banana Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 small banana, mashed
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients
2. In a separate bowl whisk eggs then add in the mashed banana and remaining ingredients
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and thoroughly combine
4. Heat skillet over medium heat. You do not want the skillet to get too hot
5. Spray skillet with non stick spray. Don't be afraid to spray after each batch. Believe me, you don't want them to stick to the pan.
6. Using a heaping table spoon, add batter to skillet. I have found that it is best to make them roughly that size or smaller. If I got much bigger than that, it was harder for me to flip
7. Let the pancake cook for about 3 minutes, then flip and let cook for another 3 minutes or so. If the pancake is sticking to the spatula and not flipping easy, well, then let it cook a little longer.
8. Remove cooked pancakes from skillet and continue using the batter until you are out.
9. Plate the pancakes and drizzle with Pure Maple Syrup

My skillet tends to get too hot and so I would move it off the heat for a few moments during the cooking process so the pancakes wouldn't burn. I also sliced a few pieces of banana and fried them in bacon grease for a bit of added sweetness. After Adam and I ate to our hearts desire, we still had leftovers. These pancakes freeze well and make for a good breakfast that you can reheat when you are rushed in the morning. 

Blueberry Pancakes