Spaghetti Squash in Creamy Tomato Sauce

So... if you haven't yet tried spaghetti squash, you really need to - it will blow you away! I don't miss pasta at all!! Any pasta recipe can be served in an awesome squash bowl instead (with its awesome squash nutrients!). And this is the richest-tasting, tastiest Paleo tomato sauce I've come up with, and it's my favorite tomato sauce of any kind. Period. It's still frozen up here in the north, but I will definitely be making this sauce with garden tomatoes this summer! But back to spaghetti squash...

So spaghetti squash starts out looking like any other squash...

...until you cook it, and then it turns into awesome, tasty spaghetti!

- 2 spaghetti squash, halved
- 1/2 c quinoa, uncooked
- 1 c water
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 1 large can diced tomatoes, in juice (tomato sauce would also work)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 white onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot flour (or cornstarch)
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 handful of basil (I used a whole small pack), julienned
- green onion, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Cook the quinoa like you would cook rice (steam around 20 minutes in a stove pot or rice cooker).

3. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until soft (easy to poke with a fork), around 30 minutes.

4. As the squash cooks, in medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Combine well and bring to a boil.

5. As the tomato sauce cooks, coat a saucepan with olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, around 4 minutes. Add them to the tomato sauce.

6. When the tomato sauce comes to a boil, combine the arrowroot flour and water in a small bowl until well combined, and add to the tomato sauce. Add the basil and cook for another 2 minutes, until it gets nice and thick. Remove from heat and set aside. I ran mine through my immersion blender to get it to a consistency that I like better, but that's optional.

7. When the squash are ready, remove their seeds with a spoon, then scrape the meat with a fork until you get nice spaghetti strands. If it's been cooked long enough, the meat should separate from the skin well. Divide the quinoa evenly among the squash, and mix to combine it with the spaghetti strands. Pour the tomato sauce over the squash and mix well into the spaghetti. Top with green onion and serve in the squash skins (no dishes!!). Enjoy!

Coconut Curry

This curry has quickly become a house favorite- it's really simple, but looks pretty fancy! It has been particularly good on these recent cold nights! For variations on this, I'd suggest replacing the tofu with some shrimp, or adding whatever veggies sound good! 

- 16 oz tofu

- 1 tsp sesame oil (other oils work as well)

- 1 bell pepper, sliced

- 1 onion, sliced

- 1 1/2c baby carrots, sliced

- 2 potatoes, cubed

- 3 oz red curry paste (I prefer Thai Kitchen's)

- 1 c water

- 1 c chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium)

- 14 oz of lite coconut milk

- 1/4 c soy sauce

- 6 oz rice noodles (2 bundles), cooked

- 1/4 c cilantro, chopped

1. Slice the tofu into bite-sized triangles- I ended up with 48. Drain the tofu by setting the pieces out on a paper towel, then covering them with more paper towels. Place a heavy pan (I use my cast iron) on top of them and let it drain for 5 minutes. 

2. Saute the tofu in the sesame oil until each side of golden brown and firm. Set aside. 

3. Drizzle some sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the curry paste. Mix as well as possible. Add the water and broth. Mix well. Add the carrots, potatoes, and onion. 

4. Bring to a boil. Add the coconut milk and peppers. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce and mix well. 

5. Place the noodles in the bottom of each bowl. Add the curry, then top with cilantro. Serve hot! Pairs well with lagers and pilsners. Enjoy!

Mmmm... 

Thai Chicken Rolls and Thai Chicken Pasta

This recipe is a 2-for-1 since it can be used in its original roll form or adapted to a pasta. To make the rolls, do as the following instructions tell you. To turn it into a pasta. just put the chicken, veggies, and peanut sauce into some hot pasta and serve. (The pictures are for the pasta!)

Teriyaki Chicken
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar or sherry
- 1/3'' fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
- 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 c peanut butter
- 1/2 c hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp - 2 Tbsp dried chili flakes or Sriracha sauce

Coconut Sauce
- 1/2 c coconut milk
- 1/2 c peanut sauce (see directly above)
- 1/2 tsp - 1 Tbsp chili paste (I prefer Thai Kitchen's Red Curry Paste)

Tortilla Rolls
- 6 - 8'' tortillas
- 2 T butter, at room temperature
- 3 T Peanut Sauce (see above)
- 3/4 c shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 c carrots, shredded
- 6 - 8 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 water chestnuts, chopped
- 3 T peanuts
- 2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 T parmesan
- 1 T chopped parsley (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Cover two baking sheets with foil.

2. Combine all ingredients for the teriyaki chicken in a bowl. Let the chicken marinate 5-6 minutes per side.

3. Broil the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side on a baking sheet covered in foil. Once the chicken has cooled a bit, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 500.

5. In a sauce pan (I always prefer cast iron), combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. I have the most success when I combine the peanut butter and hoisin together before adding the others. Bring the sauce to a boil, and let it simmer for 1 minute to thicken up. If you use cast iron, it will not stick to the pan at all!

6. Combine the ingredients for the coconut sauce. Set aside.

7. One at a time, brush butter over one side of the tortilla, and place it butter side down on the baking sheet. (Because of the size of the tortillas, sometimes the last couple need to be placed on after they've been rolled up.)

8. Fill the middle of each tortilla with 1/2 T of the peanut sauce,  some of the teriyaki chicken, mozzarella, carrots, scallions, water chestnuts, peanuts, and cilantro. Try to divide each of these as evenly among the rolls as possible. When all the ingredients have been placed in the tortilla, roll is up like a burrito. Top with parmesan.

9. Bake the rolls for 5-6 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Top with parsley.

10. Serve hot with the coconut sauce as dip. Pairs well with most beers, especially browns and ambers. Enjoy!

So many good things in there!!

Spicy Thai Noodles with Chicken

This recipe is an adaptation of Leana's Spicy Thai Noodles combined with my favorite Teriyaki Chicken Recipe (that I seem to throw into every Asian dish I make!). It's simple and quick to make, and has always been a crowd pleaser around here!

Teriyaki Chicken
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar or sherry
- 1/3'' fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
- 1/2 lb. chicken (I use boneless, skinless chicken breast.)

Spicy Thai Noodles
- 1 box linguine or angel hair
- 1-2 Tbsp crushed red peppers
- 3 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil (I prefer grapeseed since it does better with high heat. If you do use olive oil, do not use extra virgin: extra virgin is meant for cold dishes like salad dressings; non-extra virgin is better for heat.)
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and shredded or sliced
- 1/2 bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- handful of sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to broil.

2. Cook and drain the pasta. Set aside.

3. Combine all ingredients for the teriyaki chicken in a bowl. Let the chicken marinate 5-6 minutes per side.

4. Broil the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side on a baking sheet covered in foil. Once the chicken has cooled a bit, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Mmmm teriyaki chicken

5. Heat both oils and the crushed peppers (beginners should stick to under 1 Tbsp- I like 2 Tbsp but I like my pasta hot!) in a pan over medium heat. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. When it begins to smoke, strain out the peppers and pour the oil into the empty pasta pot.

Don't be fooled- the remaining oil has some kick!!

6. Add honey and soy sauce to the oil. When well mixed, add the pasta. Mix well. Add chicken and all remaining ingredients.
7. Can be served hot or cold. Pairs well with some green tea (and maybe some fro yo for dessert?) Enjoy!