Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash and Peas

Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash and Peas

Ingredients:

6 ounces raw shrimp, tail off
1 cup cooked spaghetti squash
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Season the shrimp with garlic salt. Spray the pan with cooking spray, add the shrimp and cook about two minutes per side (or until pink).

2. Cook the frozen peas in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes). Toss the peas,with the spaghetti squash, olive oil and cheese. Serve the shrimp on top.

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie

       Before I get into my pie story, can we please take a moment to appreciate the incredible fluffiness of my protein pancakes this morning?!

 Holy YUM!!! These are the same as my Banana Bread Psyllium Panckes, except I used Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow protein powder.

Ok, now my post:

I hadn't bought seitan in a while, so when I saw a package of "seitan crumbles" I thought it would be fun to experiment. Seitan, or "wheat meat" is made from wheat gluten. Not only does it have a very similar look and texture as regular meat, it is also a great source of protein. One of my favorite ways to prepare seitan is to simply roast it with a little garlic powder. It's now sold as strips, crumbles, and cubes, so its easier to incorporate into your favorite recipes.

I originally thought of seasoning the seitan crumbles like taco meat. The entire idea for this recipe came together when I noticed I had a spaghetti squash that needed to be cooked, and a half a jar of salsa looking lonely in the fridge. The rest just happened. This was SO delicious and flavorful, and really simple to make! This recipe makes two meals, or four side dishes.

Browning up the seitan:

 

Squash and egg white mixture:

 

 Finished!!

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 package seitan crumbles (or 1 cup ground turkey, chicken, beef)
Cinnamon, cumin, and chile powder, to taste
1 tablespoon raisins (optional, can do more if you like)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup egg whites
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1/2 cup low-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
1.  Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add garlic and onion and cook until they begin to soften.
2. Add seitan to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the "meat" starts to brown.
3. Add spices, raisins, salsa, and cilantro and mix well.
4. Mix together squash and egg whites in a bowl. Place the mixture into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Lay the seitan mixture evenly over the squash. Bake for about 25 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the pie and bake for an additional 10 minutes (or until cheese melts).
6. Let the pie sit for about 5 minutes before serving. You can top this with plain Greek yogurt or fat-free sour cream, salsa, avocado- whatever!

I served mine as a side dish with Fiesta Lime Barramundi and roasted asparagus- YUM.

Side note: I am obsessed with Sriracha.

The Super-fast Super Omelet

I found myself making this omelet concoction pretty regularly lately. It's a great way to use up leftovers and whip up a healthy, filling meal really quickly. There's basically no rules- you just have to be willing to think outside the "omelet box". Just a few simple steps:

1. Grab some veggies (fresh, frozen, leftover- whatever! Just make sure to cook the frozen or uncooked veggies first) and some cooked sweet potato/butternut squash/acorn squash/spaghetti squash (optional but highly recommended!)

2. Throw everything into a non-stick pan and cover with your egg whites

3. Add cheese!

Yes, the sweet potato/butternut squash/acorn squash may sound odd, but they taste so buttery and creamy and delicious with the veggies and cheese! My omelet below was packed-out with superfoods- sweet potato, spinach, mushrooms, and peppers. I topped this monster omelet with parmesan cheese and plenty of paprika (obessed with this spice). You can also add some chopped up veggie burger, boca crumbles, chicken, turkey, cooked salmon, etc.- the possibilities are endless. I also love using Light Laughing Cow wedges- just dollop it on and let it melt right in (YUM).

Typing this post made me think of another egg dish I love- it's a sunny side up egg over spaghetti squash and sauteed spinach, topped with parmesan cheese. The egg yolk (AKA ooey-gooey-yolk deliciousness) serves as the "sauce" in this dish.

Who says eggs are only for breakfast?

Spaghetti Squash with Cheesy Creamy Boca Sauce!

This is one of the most fabulous comfort food-type dinners I've made in a while! This is really something you HAVE to try. I based my recipe off of this recipe by Emily Malone. Her recipe calls for mushrooms as the bulky base of the sauce, but I already had mushrooms at lunch . . . SO I replaced the mushrooms with Boca Crumbles, left out the non-dairy creamer (partially because I didn't have any) and ended up with a savory, creamy, cheesy, stick-to-your-guts sauce. Plus, I accomplished my goal of adding a "meaty" protein to round out the meal. I really liked Emily's technique for cooking the spaghetti squash; instead of scooping out the gooey seeds and membrane AFTER baking it in the oven, she cuts it open BEFORE, scoops it out, and rubs the insides with chopped garlic and a little olive oil. So I prepared mine just like that for a little over an hour and it came out perfect. While that was in the oven, I sauteed some garlic and onion in a pan with non-stick spray. I added my Boca Crumbles, cooked it for a few minutes, then poured in about 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. I let that cook down and thicken up a little, then I added about 1 1/2 T nutritional yeast :). I added a little more almond milk (about another 1/4 cup)and 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch that I previously mixed with some water (DO NOT add the cornstarch directly to the sauce). Finally, I seasoned it with a little salt and pepper- that's it!! I must say- I never got why nutritional yeast was described as "cheesey", and now I definitely do. This sauce is the reason I will definitely be incorporating it in future recipes.