Planning a meal that everyone will enjoy is a task. Trying to feed a group that successfully completed a nutrition challenge- EASY. These recipes have been tried and true for years. People who will eat anything love them. Picky eaters - love them. Those that don't eat (you name it) - Love it. Kids - love them. They are just that wonderful. Do me a favor and pass these recipes along to others. Our goal is to help others become happier and healthier we can do this by sharing great food recipes.
Spaghetti Squash Pie
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 cup pizza sauce (no sugar added)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 3 eggs, whisked
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place spaghetti squash cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a fork easily goes into it, then reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
While squash is cooking, place a skillet over medium heat. Add Italian sausage, onion, and peppers. Cook until meat is no longer pink and veggies are soft.
Once squash is done cooking, remove the seeds and shred. Place into a greased 13×9 glass baking dish.
Add sausage and vegetable mixture to squash and combine.
Add pizza sauce, dried basil, and salt and pepper to the baking dish and mix well.
Finally, add whisked eggs to the baking dish and mix thoroughly.
Bake for 1 hour.
Chicken Bacon Alfredo
- 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
- 1 larger delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 4-6 slices bacon, diced
- ½ cup canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat your 425 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash delicata squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and excess threads. Don’t be dainty.
Place open side down on a baking sheet (use aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up) and cook for 20-25 minutes. You will know when they are done cooking when you can poke the outside skin and it ‘gives’ a bit.
Now you can either cook your chicken at the same time or after the squash is done cooking. Whatever you’d like. Just place chicken on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet, sprinkle some olive oil over the chicken (or other kind of fat), salt and pepper it, and sprinkle just a bit of basil on top. I cooked my tenders for around 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Once your squash is done cooking, pull it out of the oven; dethread the spaghetti squash into a large bowl with a fork. Go against the grain, if spaghetti squash had grain.
Now throw your diced bacon into a skillet and cook until done. Use a slotted spoon to pull out your cooked bacon, but leave behind the grease.
Take your delicata squash and hollow it out. Use the insides and dump them into your warm skillet filled with bacon grease. Then add your coconut milk. You may need to add a little bit more coconut milk depending on how runny you like your sauce. Mix thoroughly with a ladle to break up the squash a bit.
Add seasonings to the mix and salt and pepper as needed. Mix thoroughly and cook on low for about 5 minutes to simmer.
Now dice up your cooked chicken.
Pour sauce over spaghetti squash and add your chicken to the mix.
Mix well & top with bacon
I used butternut squash instead of the delicata.
Creamy Italian Dressing
- 2 Tablespoon homemade mayo
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon Italian herb
- salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a blender. If mixture is too thick add either vinegar or water. Remember your dressing will get slightly more liquidy as you toss it with your salad.
Balsamic Salad Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- pinch of salt
- pinch of celery seed
- fresh ground pepper
These are approximate measurements. Adjust to your tastes. Mix everything in a mason jar and your good to go!
Vegetable Soup
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 garlic gloves
- 2-3 large carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 can 28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes, drained and cut up
- 6-8 cups vegetable and chicken broth
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp chives
- 1 tsp marjoram
- salt to taste
- 4 cups of kale, chopped
Saute' onion, garlic cloves, carrots, and celery in avocado oil until vegetables are soft. Add tomatoes and vegetable and chicken broth. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Add diced zucchini and spices. Add kale and cook for 10 additional minutes
The “BIG” Veggie Salad
- 3 cups Mixed Greens (not iceberg, chopped)
- 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
- 1 Carrot (chopped)
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
- 1/4 Avocado (diced)
- 1 Zucchini (small, chopped)
- 1 Cucumber (small, peeled and chopped)
- 1/4 cup broccoli (chopped)
Directions: In a bowl, toss everything together with 2 tablespoons of any challenge-approved dressing.
Enjoy!
Sweet Potato, Turkey & Kale Bake
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 2 Sweet Potato (medium, cubed)
- 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil
- 1 White Onion (diced)
- 1 lb. Extra Lean Ground Turkey
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper (optional)
- 8 cups Kale Leaves (finely diced)
Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread potatoes on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Then, making sure no potatoes overlap, bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Next, add the ground turkey, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt and black pepper. Stir to combine, and break up any large pieces of turkey as it cooks.
Once the turkey is cooked, and drain excess liquid and return to heat. Stir in the kale, 1-2 cups at a time, and sauté until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside. When the potatoes are done, combine them with the turkey, and serve! Enjoy!
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To your best health,
Coach Nancy