Spaghetti Squash noodles with a Tomato-pesto sauce

I made an absolutely delicious healthy meal the other day that I HAVE to share!
I began by cutting the squash in half (I used two whole squash) , removed the seeds, covered with tin foil, and baked in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
I lightly sauteed onions, red potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms in a skillet with light salt and pepper. Once the squash was cooled, I took a fork to the squash and pulled it across to form "noodles". Once this was done I mixed in the sauteed veggies.
Next, I pulled out the Vitamix and made the sauce. I placed the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic in and turned it on high for about 15 seconds and it was done! I didn't want to mix the sauce into the noodles for fear of the leftovers getting soggy, so I poured it on each plate individually.

Here is a picture of the "noodles" with the sauce on top before it was mixed in. The flavor of the sauce was so perfect, and the squash noodles were so easy and a great carbohydrate substitute-- I will definitely be making this and other squash noodle recipes again!!

Tomato-Pesto Sauce
2 vine ripe tomatoes
1/2 oz fresh basil
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

New Green Smoothie and Panang Curry

I took a week's vacation in the Florida Keys this past week and regrettably fell off the band wagon with my diet and exercise regimen I have been so good about the past few months. It was beautiful and so much fun- but it's definitely time to kick my diet and exercise into high gear again!!

I made a green smoothie this morning with a few new ingredients and it was SO GOOD!! I used spinach as always, banana, fresh mango, fresh unsweetened coconut shavings, and coconut water. The mango added a perfect amount of sweetness and the coconut shavings added a unique texture and flavor. (I purposely did not blend the coconut to pulverize it- such a good decision!) This will definitely be a new favorite!!
Here are all the yummy ingredients in my vitamix!!

This evening I made a dish I have been CRAVING weekly since I first had it a few months ago. This was my first attempt at this dish, but I would say I knocked it out of the park! The ONE thing I would change would be to thicken the sauce a but more with either flour or cornstarch. The flavor was perfect though, and I will be having this again soon!!
I began by making some brown rice, then I created the sauce by slicing the peppers and cooked for about 8 minutes, then added the cubed tofu and simmered for an additional 5. It was surprisingly simple and delicious! (for my non vegan friends/family...instead of tofu you can add chicken or whatever!) Here's a pic of the sauce n veggies over brown rice.

***Edit: I made this again this past week and added 1 tbsp flour to thicken the sauce and it was PERFECT*****

Coconut Green Smoothie
2 large handfuls of spinach
half of a fresh mango
half a banana
2 tbsp shaved coconut
1 1/2 c coconut water

Panang Curry Tofu
brown rice
1 package extra firm tofu
1 large red pepper
1 large green pepper
1 13 oz can Tahitian coconut milk
1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste
***1 tbsp flour

Stuffed Mushrooms & Spinach Pasta Pie

While I have taken a break from posting I have still been in the kitchen experimenting with many recipes and have come across two that I want to share. The first is the stuffed mushrooms from the SB cookbook.
I began by de-stemming 28 medium mushrooms and placing them stem-side down on a cookie sheet, and placed them into a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes. While they were in the oven I finely diced and sauteed the mushroom stems, one small shallot, and one red bell pepper with one tbsp coconut oil, and salt and pepper. Once they were sauteed, I removed from the heat and set aside to cool a bit. I took the panko bread crumbs and added the parsley. I mixed this together then added the sauteed veggies. Once the mixture was combined I placed a rounded tsp in each mushroom cap and baked for an additional 20 minutes. Next time I would be heavier with the seasoning, but other than that these mushrooms were delicious!! They would make a GREAT addition to a potluck, or a great appetizer for a small group.

The next recipe I want to share is derived from "Sandra's Money Saving Meals", but I had to add some things to fit my veggie taste! I began by cooking half a box of angel hair pasta (spaghetti would work too). I then cut a bunch of asparagus into 2 inch pieces and sauteed them with salt and pepper with a pot lid over to help steam. I added the garlic then the artichoke hearts. Once these were combined and the asparagus was cooked I added the spinach and sauteed for a few minutes then removed from the heat. I then mixed the pasta with the olive oil and egg substitute. I placed into a pie dish and formed into a pie-crust shape. Once the spinach mixture had cooled I added the almond milk and 2 servings of the egg substitute and combined thoroughly. I then put the spinach mixture in the "pie" and rimmed it with a thinly sliced a roma tomato. The last step was to place it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Next time I make this I don't think I would add the artichoke because there was something not quite cohesive with the flavors, although it was still tasty-I would recommend keeping them out entirely. Other than that, this dish was easy, flavorful, and hearty!


Stuffed Mushrooms
one large container of mushrooms
one small-medium shallot
one red bell pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley
6 tbsp panko bread crumbs
one tbsp coconut oil

Spinach Pasta Pie
1/2 box angel hair
1 bunch thin asparagus
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
1lb bag of chopped frozen spinach, thawed
3 "eggs" of an egg substitute
1/4 cup almond milk
1 roma tomato
1 tbsp chopped garlic