"Spaghetti" Dinner

Fall is my favorite season! I love the cooler weather, the changing leaves, and it doesn't hurt that squash is in season. If you haven't tried spaghetti squash either as a substitute for pasta or as a side, you're missing out!

Ingredients:

Makes 4 servings

1 spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs)

1 lb (big package) of sliced button mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp of minced garlic (I love garlic)

1 cup halved cherry/grape tomatoes

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese, your taste buds can make the call

(This can be omitted, makes for a creamier, lactose having sauce) 2 sun-dried tomato, basil laughing cow cheese wedges

- With the tip of a knife, pierce squash in about 5 places

- Place on paper towel in microwave and cook on high for 10 minutes, or until squash has softened

- When cool enough to handle, cut squash lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Remove the spaghetti-like strands of squash with a fork, set aside and cover to keep warm.

- Heat large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a single layer of mushrooms and cook for about 5-7 minutes until mushrooms become brown on one side

- Stir in onion and garlic, cook until onions are softened

- Add tomatoes and cheese until cheese is melted and bubbly

- Spoon sauce over spaghetti squash and eat up!

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork/turkey/chicken breakfast sausage

Diced veggies of your liking. We used muhrooms and spinach

1 dozen eggs

Olive oil or coconut oil

salt and pepper to taste

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

- Crumble and brown  sausage in a frying pan, sauté veggies in same pan

- In a medium/large bowl scramble one dozen large eggs and season with salt and pepper.

- Liberally grease the cups of one muffin tin with oil. You can use muffin/cupcake paper cups if you'd like

- Place equal amounts of browned sausage  and veggies in the bottoms of the muffin tins

- Pour the scrambled eggs evenly (almost to the top of the tin) on top of the sausage

- Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

- Use a knife to loosen the egg muffin from the sides of the pan

Pasta and Red Sauce

Ingredients:

1 package brown rice fettucini noodles

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 sweet onion, chopped

2 tbsp chopped garlic

1 cup shredded carrots

1 lb ground beef

8 cups tomato sauce of your choice, I like Amy's Organic Family Marinera

- Boil water, cook pasta according to package instructions

- Heat olive oil in medium pan, add red pepper flakes

- Sautee garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms until soft

- Add beef to pan and brown

- Stir in red sauce and spinach until sauce is warmed and spinach is wilted

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Serve over pasta

Another super yummy, super easy! Enjoy! These leftovers heat up great. You can aslo freeze the sauce!

My Mom's Lentils

This was one of my very favorite things my mom would make when I was growing up. Now, it's one of my favorite, easy go to recipes. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

3 leeks, chopped (just the white part)

2 cups diced button mushrooms

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 bag shredded carrots (you can chop, I'm just lazy)

1 28 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

2 cups lentils (you can use yellow or red)

8 cups chicken stock or water

1 bag spinach

Salt, Pepper, Tabasco to taste

- Heat olive oil over medium heat  in large stock pot, add leeks, mushrooms, garlic, and carrots. Cook, stirring occassionally, until slightly softened, about 6 minutes

- Add fire roasted tomatoes, lentils, and chicken stock

- Turn up heat to medium high and stir thoroughly. Let simmer with lid tilted off. Cook until lentils are soft and liquid is almost all gone, about 30-45 minutes

- Add spinach, stir and cover with lid until wilted

- Salt, Pepper, and Tabasco to your taste preference

This recipe makes about 10 servings; it heats up wonderfully and can even be frozen.

Chicken and Veggie Red Curry

Serves 4 (with leftovers)

Ingredients:

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast sliced in strips

Red curry paste

Coconut oil

Chopped garlic (liberal amount)

1/2 tblsp fresh grated ginger or store bought ginger paste

1 small onion sliced thin

2 julienne sliced peppers (2 different colors)

1 yellow squash, cut into bite size pieces

1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cans coconut milk

1 can water chestnuts

1 can bamboo shoots

1 packet of Truvia or Stevia (sugar)

All natural chili garlic sauce or sirracha (optional for some spicy heat)

-Heat large skillet (w/ lid)

-Heat 1 - 2 tblsp coconut oil in the pan

-Brown chicken strips in skillet.

-While browning, add ½ tblsp red curry paste to chicken and stir

-Dump out cooked chicken into bowl

-Add another 1-2 Tbls. Coconut Oil

-Place onion with chopped garlic and ½ tblsp ginger paste to pan and stir up brown bits of chicken

-Add peppers, yellow squash and mushrooms. Cover w/lid and cook until tender

-When veggies are close to done add 1 can water chestnuts and 1 can

bamboo shoots. Cook until warm

-Dump veggies into bowl w/chicken

-Put 2 tblsp red curry paste in pan and mix 2 cans coconut milk (you can add more coconut milk or some chicken stock if you prefer more broth) and mix thoroughly with a whisk

-Add 1 pack of Truvia or other natural sweetener and ½ tblsp of chili garlic sauce and stir

-Put chicken and veggies back in skillet and mix with sauce

-Simmer and serve hot over rice or rice noodles.