Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Cauliflower Poppers

“I received free samples of Breton Gluten Free Original with Flax and Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic from Dare Foods Incorporated mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Dare Foods Incorporated and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

I'm a "To Do" list kind of person, which falls under the category of "Make it Happen people!"
But not to be confused with "Extremely focused and Organized" sort of gal. So why then does it seem like procrastination gets the best of me every so often and sabotages my very un organized to do list?  For all of my worrying and stressing about any given thing, I typically put off most chores and projects until the last minute when my "Get off your ass and snap to it" personality surfaces. She's a bitch sometimes.


Soooooo, when my latest blog project was to come up with a gluten free recipe using Breton crackers I in true form mulled the choices over and over and over  for weeks (tell me that's not a bad thing) until yesterday when I decided to double check the deadline and oh crap, 5 days! No problem right? Wrong. Wordpress decided to "block me due to suspicious activity" just because I forgot my password..... three times..... in a row. All because of a major hacker sittuation involving Word Press. Hackers suck. Big time.

So now I'm sitting here with 2 killer recipe ideas and a major deadline (I like how that makes me sound very important, kindof Mad Men like) and no way to access my WP account. Wait, I don't even use WP as a blogging platform! That's the kicker! 


Deadline or not, I'm bound and determined to share these cheesey poppers with a punch with you. You have to have something fun and original to bring to your next potluck right? I'm planning a small back yard get together with our friends soon and can't wait to see the expressions on their faces when they pop these seemingly innocent tots into their mouths. 

I rolled the poppers in Breton's Gluten Free Herb and Garlic Crackers which I pulsed to a crumb in my handy little food processor for the extra crunch factor and flavor. Simple as that!

Best of all, no one has to know they're totally healthy! Instead of bread crumbs I used Breton's Gluten Free Crackers  in the poppers. No gluten to bloat your tummies and they are low fat and low on the glycemic index.  Cauliflower was used instead of starchy potatoes as the base for these cheesey poppers. Warning, they are a tad spicy and very addictive so have an ice cold beverage near you to wash down all 30 poppers you devour. Or is that just me?

Of course while you're putting these poppers together you will want to snack on a few crackers with cheese. This is my new favorite cheese lately and will be buying these Breton crackers often in the future, yum!  The cheddar is so buttery and soft and the flavor is amazing! It's not overly spicy but has an after 'kick' of chipotle peppers. It melted perfectly in these poppers and didn't ooze out of them onto the pan.

Simply steam your cauliflower florets for 5-6 minutes (don't overcook or you'll have mashed cauliflower). Then throw 4-5 florets in your mini food processor and pulse a few times until it becomes a rice consistency. I love my little hand operated food processor because it allows me to chop my food to exactly the right consistency which is imperative in this recipe.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place your poppers 1/2" apart. I love my stone baking pan which always turns out perfectly browned veggies, poppers, cookies and beyond.

TIME     30 MINUTES        YIELDS     30 POPPERS

Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Poppers GF using Breton's Crackers

Ingredients

1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

4 egg whites

1/2 cup shallots, minced

2 tablespoons dried parsley (or fresh)

1 cup Chipotle Cheddar Cheese, grated (or cheese of choice)

1/2 cup (about 8 crackers) Breton Gluten Free Original Crackers with Flax

1/2 cup (about 8 crackers) Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic Crackers

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot steam cauliflower florets for 5-7 minutes. Do not over cook! Drain water and place florets in a bowl and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for at least 1 hour (this will help with shaping them into balls).

Remove chilled cauliflower from freezer and place in a food processor. I use this small hand operated chopper  which allows you to control how course or finely chopped your food will be. Chop until cauliflower is the consistency of couscous or rice. Do not over process or you will have mush. Remove any remaining chunks of cauliflower and discard. Scoop cauliflower into a large bowl.

Add cheese, shallots, parsley and Breton's Original GF Crackers with flax, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

In a separate bowl or mixer, beat egg whites until just frothy. Fold the egg whites into the cauliflower mixture till just combined. Fold egg whites into cauliflower mixture.

Preheat oven to 400F.

In your food processor, pulse Breton Gluten Free Herb and Garlic Crackers until they are a fine crumb. Place them in a large shallow plate. Using your hands, shape the cauliflower mixture into golfball size balls. Gently roll the balls in the cracker crumbs to lightly coat. Place on a stone baking sheet lined with parchment paper 1/2" apart.

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and balls are deep golden brown and crispy.

Serve warm! These make a great appetizer to any dinner party or picnic.

   

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Shrimp and Pesto Pizza with Sun Dried Tomatoes on No Rise Pizza Dough.

Would you believe me if I told you that this pizza was so fast and easy to make that you can do it on any day of the week? I did just to make sure it was as easy as it sounded, it is. I usually save pizza for the weekends and home made pizza for a day when I have plenty of time, patience and energy. Needless to say, we don't have home made pizza very often. That is until my sister gave me her recipe for this basic pizza dough. Now we can have fresh out of the oven pizza on any given Tuesday!

Preheat your oven to 425F.  Place a pizza stone if using, in oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. 

This dough is so easy I almost feel like I'm cheating. NO rising, No kneading and no waiting. Only a handful of ingredients and a stir of the spoon and you have home made pizza dough in under 10 minutes.

Separate the mixed dough into two equal parts {or shape into bread sticks!}. 

On a silpat or wax paper, roll into a ball and press with your hands to make a circle. Finish rolling the dough out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/4" -1/2" thick. 

Carefully, transfer dough to the hot pizza stone by flipping it over. Pushing the edges in if needed.

Cook the dough for 10-15 minutes till lightly golden brown but not done.  Poking holes in any bubbles that may form. 

Using an oven mitt, carefully pull oven rack out and spread pesto (or sauce of choice) over dough to 1/2" from the edge. Sprinkle with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and raw shrimp. 

Rachel's Easy Pizza Dough Recipe  (makes 2 pizzas or 1 pizza + bread sticks)

2 1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. sugar
4 1/2 Tbs. oil
2 tsp. dry yeast
5 2/3 cup flour

Mix salt, sugar, yeast and oil. Pour warm water over mix and stir. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing well each time, then kneed. No rising necessary. Bake 425 degrees 15-20 minutes. 

Top with sauce and toppings, bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese melts and turns golden brown and shrimp is pink.

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Huevos Rancheros el Fresco {recipe makeover} #giveaway

My very inquisitive 8 year old son just asked me if I knew who "Texel's" {pet guinea pig} parents were. In true mom of the year form I immediately replied, "Not exactly but I'm guessing maybe a Zebra and a Goldfish." To which 'J' gives me an 'Are you crazy' look. So, of course I guessed again. "Maybe a goat and a butterfly?" 'J' spins on his heels, shaking his head and head out of the room. So I have to yell after him, "I got it! His parents must have been a monkey and an alligator!" My 7 year old 'N' who has been sitting at the table shaking his head "You're weird." 'J' from the end of the hallway, "It's all true, you are!"

I'm o.k. with that. Some might call it 'weird', but I prefer calling it,  thinking outside the box. If you will.





Which is what I did when recreating one of my longest standing favorite meals into a healthier one. Wether it be brunch or dinner, Huevos Rancheros hits the spot every time. Every. Time. In fact, we either have Huevoes Rancheros or Crepes aka 'Skinny Pancakes' every Christmas morning as a tradition. Once or twice a year as a special treat I make these for no special reason whatsoever. Like tonight.


As you might know, if you actually follow along here at Simply Healthy Family, I am a (grandfathered in) Native Arizonan. I grew up with beans and home made tortillas, chile verde and spicy foods galore at the dinner table. My mom used to carry a small bottle of home ground chile/cayenne powder with her at all times to sprinkle on her foods when we ate out. Spagetti, cottage cheese, peanut butter, nothing was safe from a hot kick in the ass.

El Pato, has long been one of my 'go to' chile sauces. I always use it for huevos rancheros and it the the very secret undercover ingredient to my famous shredded chicken tacos. It's how I finagled my husband into marrying me! Shhhhh, our little secret.

As a matter of fact, now that I think of it El Pato may have been the reason why I started this blog. Again, my signature dish to this day (still not on this blog ;) is my shredded chicken tacos. I was asked over and over again by friends, cousins, sisters and my own mom to send them the recipe. As I grew tired of typing the recipe over and over again I decided to start a blog to organize and save my favorite recipes. Aaaaaand here I am today. This has been a place to share my love for healthy, quality foods and also a journal of sorts.

Thank you for listening. My children are being moderately hateful to each other right now so I think I need to wrap this up.. for the sake of the children. The lambs.

These cute little cast iron skillets were perfect for serving individual Huevos Rancheros. They are very sturdy for their size and the craftsmanship was lovely. They come pre-seasoned and are perfect for those of you who love the taste of cast iron cooked foods that can not be replicated but don't need a full size pan to do the job. 

Want a duo? How about one of these square griddles plus a nice oval one for Au Gratins? 

Enter to win below!

Repeat afar me:  I will not use canned beans in this recipe. Slow cooked beans in chile powder, cumin, salt, onions and garlic are a must. Period. The end.

Using a spoon, make a little dent in the beans to cradle the egg.

More queso, of course. While we all like the ooey, gooey-ness of shredded cheese incorporated into the beans and chiles, a good crumbly queso fresco is essential, Essential to topping off an authentic Mexican meal. I like Oaxaca, and Queso Fresca.

Instead of tortillas, I prefer to get my crunch factor from purple cabbage. Contary to popular belief, purple cabbage is actually sweet and pairs perfectly with spicy foods like huevos rancheros. Don't even get me started on it's nutritional content!

Ingredients

2 medium sized poblano peppers (they are mild)
1 cup slow cooked pinto beans in:
1 tablespoon chile powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup diced white onions
1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese
4 eggs; Organic, free range of course
El Pato salsa de chile fresca, to taste

garnishes:
shredded purple cabbage
chopped cilantro
crumbly queso fresca
sliced avocado



Pre heat oven to 450F

Slice poblano's in half, length wise, remove veins and seeds, discard
Place poblano's in cast iron skillet, open side up and roast for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Spoon cooked beans into poblano peppers and drizzle El Pato over beans. Sprinkle onions on beans. Top with jack cheese. Using a spoon make a small indent into beans and carefully crack eggs into hole.

Bake at 450F for 12-15 minutes. DO NOT overcook or eggs will be leathery. Eggs may look undone but 12 minutes is plenty time to cook them through.

Remove from oven. Garnish. Enjoy.

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Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Eggplant and Marinara

There is one dish that I quickly scan the menu for whenever we find ourselves at a nice Italian restaurant. Eggplant Parmesan. Served on a quaint little patio under the moonlight with a nice glass of Malbec or Cabernet and I'm in heaven.  Chicken Parmesan is one of my husbands favorite dishes and spaghetti and meatballs, the kiddos favorite. This quick dish satisfies even the pickiest of eaters, trust me, I have one. In fact, all of my kiddos are in the other room doing the happy dance after I announced we were having spaghetti and meatballs for diner.






I'm happy because well, my sweet darlings are happy of course, but also because this was a super easy and very healthy meal to serve. No whining at the dinner table and more time for me to enjoy my dinner without fighting or bargaining with one of for mentioned darlings to eat what's on their plate.

Bread crumbs are a thing of the past in this house. Quinoa is my new go to when it comes to adding to meatballs of any variety. You don't even need to cook them! Since these chicken Parmesan balls are quickly roasted in the oven and then slowly cooked in a marinara sauce there is no need to pre cook the quinoa!  These turned out perfectly moist and wonderful.

Quickly brown the chicken meatballs in the oven rather than on the stove for an even healthier meal. I don't have to use any oil at all when I use my stone baking dish which cooks them evenly and browns them up nicely for the sauce pot. I just love this pan. It's naturally non stick and you just quickly scrape off any brown bits left under hot water. If your interested in one please purchase it form

  Simply Healthy Family's store here and help support this blog. Much thanks!

Choose regular ground chicken instead of chicken breast for these meatballs. Chicken breast is too low in fat and you will end up with dry, dense meatballs. The dark meat is good for you anyway and has more flavor. All in moderation.

Throw the browned (not fully cooked) into the warm marinara and eggplant mixture. Cook covered over low heat 15- 20 minutes or until cooked through.

recipe adapted from Annies Eats

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (millet will work too)
1 large egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
1 medium size eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2 once cubes
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
cracked pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil 6 cups Marinara Sauce (lower in sugar than most spaghetti sauces)
1 cup grated mozzarella
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Curly parsley for garnish

Cooked Rigatoni according to package directions.
(I ate my meatballs with raw broccoli and a salad instead of pasta)



Preheat oven to 450F

In a large bowl combine ground chicken, quinoa, egg, Parmesan, shallot, spices and salt and pepper.
Stir to combine thoroughly. Using your hands, shape meatballs into golf ball size balls. They will be very moist don't panic! Place balls 1/2 inch apart on stone baking dish (if not using a stone pan, use either parchment paper or lightly grease your pan). Bake at 450F for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned all over. Don't over cook. They will continue to cook in the sauce.

Heat oil in a large ceramic coated dutch oven over medium-high heat on your stove top. Meanwhile, peel and chop eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes. Throw eggplant and minced shallot into heated dutch oven. Lightly salt. Stir to coat with oil and let brown for 5 minutes stirring only occasionally so as not to burn, lower heat if necessary. Add marinara to Dutch oven and lower heat to LOW.  Cover.

Remove meatballs from oven and transfer to the Dutch oven. Using a large spoon, carefully cover all the meatballs with the sauce. Cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Garnish with parsley.


Serve with a salad or on top of pasta.

Lemon Ricotta Tart with Walnut Ginger Snap Crust and Wild Blueberries {gluten and sugar free}

Lemon plays a star role in complementing these Wild Blueberries. This rustic tart will be the star to any main dish you serve.

“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

Sometimes it really pays to be a food blogger. Not necessarily in the monetary sense, which would be nice too but in the sense that I get introduced to all kinds of knew ingredients and foods. I've always looooved  berries, especially blueberries (to be honest, black berries are my fav). The only time I've experienced actual 'wild berries' was once in Sedona, Az. when I was in my early 20's and we went blackberry picking along the Creek. Heaven.

We were armed with small, plastic buckets and wore cotton tank tops and simple shorts and our feet adorned very stylish Teva sandals {it was the 90's}. We parked our jeep along the side of the road, a suicide mission by any standards seeing as that the very narrow and curvy scenic Route 89a has no shoulder to speak of and the tourists are whizzing around the blind bends of the 2 way road trying to catch a peek at beautiful Oak Creek. 

Scuffling down the steep ravine we made our way into the cool shade of the trees along Oak Creek. Wading through the shallow, cool water we made our way to the other side where we were told wild berries awaited us. We picked to our content. The plump, warm berries from the bush and put almost as many in our buckets as we did our mouths. The sound of the creek to our backs and the sun on our shoulders.

I've gone and gotten off course again. Memories. Now I must get back up to Sedona for another spontaneous road trip. It's less than 2 hours from our home in Phoenix! Lucky ducks. My point and I do have one {will be written on my gravestone} is that my exposure to wild berries is limited and in the past. Now that I know how accessible wild blueberries are, I'm one very happy girl. 

{side note, I easily found my Wild Blueberries at my local Sprouts in the freezer section.}

image courtesy Sedona Pictures

image courtesy The Greening of Sedona

So I've told you how special wild berries are to me. Nothing compares. I cringe at the thought of how far most grocery store berries have traveled. In the words of Barbara Kingsolver, probably "further than most of us will ever travel on vacation in our lives". Where's the freshness in that?

Go Wild Blueberries!

All blueberries are not alike! Wild Blueberries are the little ones that grow naturally in the fields and barrens of Maine, eastern Canada and Quebec.

One of North America’s native berries, Wild Blueberries are lowbush varieties that are never planted and are harvested commercially only in this special place.

Wild Blueberries have not been modified or meddled with by man to make them larger or easier to ship – they are the same berry that existed over 10,000 years ago. Mother Nature’s original blueberry.

Wild Blueberries have advantages over the larger cultivated blueberries, including:

• Intense flavor & color

• More berries per pound

• Less water, so they freeze better and perform better in baking

• Higher concentration of beneficial phytochemicals, making them a more powerful ally against disease

• Wild = more protective phytochemicals in every serving

• Wild Blueberries are leaders in antioxidant capacity; They are rich in anthocyanin, which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which may help prevent chronic diseases

• Anthocyanin is a flavonoid found in the deep blue pigments of Wild Blueberries, giving them their color and their antioxidant power. We call it the “The Power of Wild Blue”

Wild Blueberries are the subject of hundreds of research studies looking at potential benefits to humans including:

• Brain health
• Anti-aging
• Heart health
• Diabetes prevention
• Cancer prevention
• Reducing oxidative stress
• Preventing UTIs
• Eye health
• Most Wild Blueberries are frozen at harvest, locking in their intense blueberry flavor and antioxidant power
• Frozen Fresh Wild Blueberries are just as nutritious as fresh and may even retain their nutritional value longer
• Frozen Fresh Wild Blueberries are available year-round; they can be used right out of the freezer – no thawing required
• Frozen Fresh Wild Blueberries make it easy to get your “Daily Dose of Wild Blue”
• Frozen Wild Blueberries are an excellent value, they offer consistent quality, ease of use, high antioxidant content, health benefits, less spoilage, affordability.

Lemon Ricotta Tart with Walnut Ginger Snap Crust and Wild Blueberries

Gluten Free + Sugar Free = Guilt Free

For the Crust 

3/4 cup walnuts 

1 cup gluten free ginger snap cookies  (regular will do) 

1 large egg white 

1 tablespoon butter, melted 

2 teaspoons canola oil 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

Coarsely chop walnuts in a food processor. Add ginger snap cookies and pulse a few times until the mixture looks like crumbs. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the crumb mixture, butter, oil and salt; stir to combine. 

Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Set the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and slightly darker around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.  

notes: If using an 11" tart pan more commonly used for frittatas like I have, you will need to make 1.5x the recipe and increase the baking time on the crust by 5-7 minutes and increase the cooking time on the finished tart (with the custard) by approximately 12-15 minutes.



For the Filling 

2 cups part skim ricotta 

1 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw *see notes (or Turbinado/Raw Organic sugar) 

zest from 2 lemons (about 3 tablespoons) 

4 large eggs (Free range 

Juice from 2 large lemons (about 3/4 cup) 

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract 

pinch of salt 

1 cup Wild Blueberries

Preheat oven to 400F.  

Using a stand or electric mixer with paddle, beat ricotta on medium speed until softened and fluffy. Gradually beat in Monk Fruit in the Raw (or Turbinado sugar) until light and fluffy. Add lemon rind then eggs, one at a time, to prevent curdling. Add a pinch of salt, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until smooth and well blended. 

Pour mixture into walnut crust and bake for 15 minutes at 400F. Reduce heat to 380F  and bake for another 35 minutes, until the custard is slightly firm and does not jiggle.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. 

Simply sprinkle thawed Wild Blueberries over the top of the custard, slice and serve warm.

notes: A warm sauce would be amazing drizzled over this custard. Simply combine Wild blueberries, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons honey in a sauce pot and cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes, stirring till thick and bubbly. What is Monk Fruit?  

Where can you find Monk Fruit in the Raw? It's a very new product so unless you live on the East coast you will probably have to order it on line. If you do, please help support Simply Healthy Family by ordering it from our Amazon store here.

Ricotta filling recipe adapted from ninemsn 

South Western Soft Tacos with Roasted Butternut Squash {12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

These vegetarian soft tacos are stuffed with the flavors of the South West and are just the thing to warm up your tummies on cold winter nights. They are full of good for you veggies and beans to get you back on track after all of the Holiday feasts and treats.

Winding down from all of the Christmas craziness festivities and celebrations means that me and my honey get to chill in the evenings for a few days and enjoy watching the kids play with their gifts. Relaxing for me means simple dinners that will warm and comfort us through the Winter Break so we can and hang out afterwards and play with our new games and snuggle up to watch our new movies.






 I'm a little glad that Christmas is over so we can just relax and spend time together for a couple of weeks before we get on with our normal routines. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas but all of the running around and the sweets overload had to stop! Everyone was strung out on chocolate and candy canes and hopped up on egg nog for a solid month it seemed. With 4 kids there was a party every single day for a week and a half and family parties and get togethers every night.

Blessed. We are truly blessed. That's truly how I feel…… when I wasn't not exhausted from running from school to school with specified goodies, from store to store with requested side dishes to share and from city to city for gathering after gathering of our ginormous extended family.

Blessed.




Boring tacos just won't do during the winter Holiday season. Winter squash is in abundance after all and I fully intend on getting the most out of it until mid February when we are all sick of it and looking forward to the early spring harvest here in the Sonoran desert.

Of all the winter squashes out there, butternut squash is probably my fav. It's the most creamy, sweet and flavorful of the squashes IMHO and requires little to no added ingredients to be just perfect. Simple, natural, delicious. It's name says it all, butternut. That's pretty much what it tastes like a la mode, buttery and nutty. It is also very versatile. Roast it with some apple cider and cinnamon and you have a sweet side dish to your pork. Add chili powder, paprika and caramelized onions and you have a spicy side for your roast chicken. Blend it up with a bit of cream, spices and garlic, BAM my favorite hot and creamy comfort soup.

Last but not least, it makes a perfect vegetarian 'filler' for burritos or tacos. I'm not a big meat eater at all and much prefer hearty, healthy veggies instead.  Not only is it healthier and cheaper to sub veggies for meat as much as possible but very convenient. I pick up a few squash, sweet potatoes and sturdy greens at the store and when I'm looking for a last minute weeknight dinner I go to my  pantry and grab a squash, some beans, an onion and have a casserole, burritos or these tacos on the table in no time.

SERVES     6          TIME    30 MINUTES

Ingredients 

6-8 whole grain soft taco size tortillas 

1 cup (or 1 can) black beans, rinsed and cooked 

1 teaspoon cumin 

1 teaspoon chili powder 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon olive oil 

1 small butternut squash 

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips 

1 cup grated pepper jack cheese 

Arugula (or baby spinach) 

Avocado, sliced 

Roasted or Chipotle Salsa (my fav's, use your fav)

1 small handful cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 400F 

Peel and cube the squash, lightly toss with oil, sprinkle with salt, paprika and chili powder and roast at 400F on a stone baking sheet for 20 minutes till done but firm.  Read my post with step by step photos and tips for cutting and preparing squash here.

In a small sauce pot over medium-low heat cook beans with cumin and salt for 15-20 minutes till warmed through. 

Place tortilla on plate, layer with cheese, squash, beans, arugula, cilantro and avocado. Spoon on roasted salsa.

This is my post for week numero 9 of #12 Weeks of Winter Squash hosted by my peeps Heather and Joanna. Got some yummy winter squash recipes to share? It's not too late to join!

HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE TOGETHER AND YOUR LIFE IS FILLED WITH BLESSINGS!

Roasted, Buttered Spagetti Squash with 2 Bean Croquettes aka Veggie Meatballs {12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

Let's cut to the chase and just call it what it is shall we? In the words of my very outspoken 8 year old "Are you trying to tell me these are meatballs?"  and then under his breath  "I know these aren't real  noodles, it's spaghetti squash."  The jig is up. At least my kids know what spaghetti squash is, I suppose I should be thankful for that, even if it's not quite as good as the 'real thing' in there eyes.





Let's clear the air right now, if you don't like beans in general, you probably won't like these croquettes. I call them croquettes or in Italian, crocchettes because that's what they are.  Not "meatballs"  (motion finger quotes here). The texture is not firm like meat, however they are dense, 'meat like' albeit  a bit mushier and very flavorful and satisfying. The marinara, fresh Parmesan and creamy spaghetti squash make this healthy meal hard to remember that you are 'missing' meat.  In fact, I much prefer these to the taste and texture of ground beef. Hands down!

 Although typically croquettes are deep fried in most countries, I always choose to bake mine. Partly because it's much healthier and mostly because deep frying things scares the bejesus out of me. (Picture a grown woman who isn't afraid of much of anything shrieking "Eeeeeek! at the top of her lungs every time the grease splatters.)  Not pretty. 

So, even though this 'spaghetti' dinner didn't fool my kids, all but 1  of them loved it. 1 out of 4 aint bad folks.
This may or may not have to do with the fact that Santa Clause is making out his naughty and nice list.

Coincidence I say. Sheer coincidence.

PREP TIME    40 MINUTES      COOK TIME 60 MINUTES        SERVES    6

Ingredients

1 medium size spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons butter
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained and rinsed
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or 3/4 - 1 cup fresh bread crumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 small handful fresh parsley
 1 big handful chopped baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
non stick spray

3 cups crushed tomatoes or sugar free marinara
freshly grated Parmesan for topping



Preheat oven to 375F. Poke several holes in the skin of the spaghetti squash to allow steam to escape while cooking. (I made a rookie mistake once and didn't do this and it EXPLODED all over me, not pretty.) Place squash in a baking pan and cook for 30 minutes to soften skin. Carefully remove from oven, let cool for 30 minutes.

{You can try cutting the uncooked squash but it isn't easy and will dull your knives.}

When cooled, cut lengthwise in half and place cut side up in baking dish with a tab of butter in each half. Bake an additional 30 minutes at 375F. Remove and let cool while you make the meatballs.In a food processor, add beans, onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Pulse till just combined. Do not over process or mixture will be soggy.

Scoop mixture into a medium size bowl. Add cooked quinoa, egg, spinach, cheese, parsley and spices. Mix to combine.

Scoop small, golf ball size pieces into wet hands and shape into balls. Place 1/2" apart onto foil lined, greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes until browned.

Using a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash into a large pot. Top with marinara and cook covered on medium-low for 15 minutes or until warmed through.  Adding 2 bay leaves if using crushed tomatoes.

Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti squash. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a simple salad.


Bon Apetite!

We are on Week numero Cinco of #12WeeksofWinterSquash my friends. This pasta, is my submission. I strongly encourage you to check out the other recipes for this fun roundup, I hear Heather is making a Pumpkin Fry Bread as we speak!