Lentil Spaghetti Sauce on Spaghetti Squash

I love spaghetti squash.   Its stringy like spaghetti with its own flavor.  It is a bit plain in flavor, however it is good on its own, so you can dress it up with any sauces you like.  Plus the calorie count in spaghetti squash is next to nothing!  So feel free to fill that plate full of  "spaghetti".

Spaghetti squash is simple to cook.  Cut the squash in half, scrap out the seeds and the guts.  Then lightly rub some olive oil over the insides and wrap in foil.  Place down on a cookie sheet and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour in the oven at 400 degrees.  You will know the squash is done when your knife slides all the way through with ease.  The little spaghetti like strings will also easily detach from the squash.

The sauce I made last night for dinner was amazing.  I don't know if I will ever eat regular spaghetti sauce again.   It was hearty and had a lot of flavor and healthy ingredients.  It taste amazing over spaghetti squash, rice or even just by itself.  

Lentil Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced*
• 2 generous tablespoons of olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried basil (I used fresh mmm)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce can) whole or diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6 ounce can) tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley (optional)

*feel free to add whatever other diced vegetables you like in your pasta sauce: mushrooms, zucchini, etc. I used 2 small zucchinis and a green pepper.  Feel free to add as much or as little vegetables as you like, they do not effect the flavor :)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the diced onion, green pepper, any other vegetables and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and cracked pepper; stir for 1 minute. Add the lentils and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and the can of whole tomatoes- breaking the whole tomatoes with your fingers into pieces. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 45 to an hour (stirring every few minutes.)
3. Before serving, stir in the 1 teaspoon vinegar.  Add the optional fresh parsley and serve over your favorite pasta, pasta alternative, or rice.

Bry 

Roasted Pork Chops, Broccoli and Veggies

Fresh Tomato and Squash Tart

Servings: 8

• 2 large fully ripened fresh Florida tomatoes, (about 1 pound)
• 1 large zucchini (about 8 ounces)
• 1 large summer (yellow) squash (about 8 ounces)
• 1 large potato (about 6 ounces), peeled
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (or you may use 1 whole egg and 1/4 cup egg substitute)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Butter a 9-inch pie plate or shallow casserole. Remove stem ends from tomatoes; cut in half through stem ends; thinly slice crosswise. Cut zucchini, summer squash and potato in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, summer squash, potato, onion, 3/4 cup of the Swiss cheese, eggs, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper until well mixed. Arrange half of the tomato slices on bottom of pie plate. Evenly spoon vegetable mixture over tomatoes, pressing slightly to flatten. Arrange remaining tomato slices on top; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until vegetables are tender and glazed, about 40 minutes.

Roasted Broccolini with Red Pepper

Servings: 6

• 1 1/4 pounds broccoli florets, (about 8 cups)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss broccoli and 3 tablespoons oil in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes. Stir remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. Drizzle garlic mixture over broccoli; toss to coat. Roast until broccoli is beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

  

Pork Chops Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

Ingredients

• 2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 (2 1/4 inch thick) center-cut, bone-in pork chops
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Lay the chop flat on cutting board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, going all the way to the bone, but leaving the sides intact. Stuff cheese mixture into pocket, and close with a wooden toothpick. Brush meat with oil, and season with salt and more black pepper.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until pork is done. Careful not to overcook!

 ~Bry

Eggplant

I am not a fan of eggplant however my mom really likes it so I like to use it in recipes from time to time.  I had some left over eggplant and made both of these recipes that use it.  The first one is a side dish of eggplant and tomatoes.

Roasted Eggplant and TomatoesServe with a green salad and crusty rolls.

Servings: 6

• 1 - 1 3/4 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large plum tomatoes, cored, quartered lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place eggplant and tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet; toss with oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oregano, salt, and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer eggplant and tomatoes to platter. Sprinkle with feta and 2 teaspoons oregano and serve.

 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place eggplant and tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet; toss with oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oregano, salt, and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer eggplant and tomatoes to platter. Sprinkle with feta and 2 teaspoons oregano and serve.

Charred Ratatouille & Grilled Chicken

Servings: 6

• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

• 1 medium Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise

• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

• 1 red onion, peeled, cut into wedges

• 2 medium tomatoes, halved crosswise

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

• 1/3 cup basil (chiffonade)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar *

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Place vegetables in large bowl and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Grill vegetables until tender and slightly charred, about 4 minutes for peppers and 7 minutes for remaining vegetables. Transfer to cutting board. Place chicken breasts in same large bowl. Turn to coat with any remaining oil in bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Let stand 5 minutes.

Coarsely chop vegetables and transfer to another large bowl. Add basil and vinegar and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Slice chicken into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve with ratatouille.

COOKS NOTE: For you traditionalists, go ahead and use the balsamic vinegar.

 

~Bry

Green Beans, Zucchini, Pasta and Chicken! Oh My!

Tonight I have 3 recipes I am going to post.  I love when the vegetables in peoples gardens turn ripe!  We had fresh green beans and zucchini tonight, both home grown! YUM!  The first recipe I made with fresh zucchini.

 Baked Zucchini Spears
 3 medium zucchini sliced into 3" x 1/2" sticks
1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoon grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt, Fresh ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425°.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve a prepared pizza sauce for dipping. (We ate them plain)

The second side dish I got to use fresh green beans from a family friends garden.  I found a lightly flavored garlic recipe with almonds in it. 
Garlic Green Beans with Almonds
1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and microwaved for 4 minutes
2 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 - 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
Coarse sea salt, to taste
Pepper (to taste)
In a large pan over medium high heat, heat oil adding almonds and toss till for 1 minute add garlic to lightly brown add beans and water or broth cover for 5 minutes on low heat.
Season with salt and pepper.

I also found a garlic, lemon angel hair pasta dish.  I really enjoyed this dish and am deffinately adding it to my favorites.  It has a nice blend of lemon and garlic flavors. Lemon Garlic Angel Hair Pasta
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
As water is coming to a boil, place olive oil and garlic in a non stick sauté pan and cook over medium heat just until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and pour in wine. Return to heat and cook on high heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in lemon juice and tomato and remove from heat.
Place pasta in the boiling water and cook to desired doneness, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Angel hair doesn't take long. Drain the pasta and put it into a warm serving bowl. Add the wine, garlic and tomato. Add the basil, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Toss and serve immediately.

For the meat eaters in my family I cooked up some chicken.  To add a bit of flavor i poured some lemon juice on it before cooking it and then some in the pan while it cooked.   

 

I also heated up a loaf of warm sourdough to eat with the meal :)

~Bry