Paleo Spaghetti and meatballs!

• Meatballs:
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TBLSP chopped fresh basil (1/2 TBLSP dried)
• 2 TBLSP chopped fresh Oregano (1/2 TBLSP dried)
• 1 tsp red pepper flake
• 1/2 C diced apples or cooked quinoa
• 1 egg, wisked
• 1/4 C milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pasta:
• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 2 cups cold water
• Salt and olive oil
• Sauce:
• 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 TBLSP honey
• Same amount of fresh herbs (dried) as meatballs
• 1 tsp red pepper flake
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 C chopped/sliced mushrooms
• 4 oz can sliced black olives
• ½ zucchini squash sliced
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 1 TBSLP olive oil

Directions

1. Meatballs: Dump All ingredients for meatballs into mixing bowl. Mix by hand until all ingredients are throughout meat mixture. Heat 1 TBLSP oil in a pan. Wet hands with water and begin forming meatballs about the size of a golf ball (or smaller), trying to keep them all the same size. Place in heated skillet and cook on all sides until brown. Cook meatballs in two batches so as not to overcrowd your pan. Keep warm on stove top until sauce is done.
2. Squash: Carefully cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds. Place cut side down in 2-3 inches of water in a pot. Turn on high and put on lid. Cook for 20 minutes or until knife inserted into skin comes out easily. Drain and shred with a fork.
3. While waiting for squash to cook begin making sauce by putting 2 more TBLSPs olive oil into a sauté skillet. Toss in onions, pepper flake and garlic. Cook until translucent. Add rest of the chopped veggies, and cook three to five minutes. Add tomato, herbs and season. Add meatballs, and simmer on low stirring every once in a while. Cook for 20-30 minutes.
4. Serve with "pasta", dishing out 4-6 meatballs onto each plate. Serves 4-6.

Footnotes

• This recipe can be made vegetarian by not making meatballs and just the sauce with all the veggies and serving over the cooked squash.

Easy Pasta bake

1 Box whole wheat pasta, cooked for half the cooking time, drained
2 Zuchinni Squash diced
1/2 C mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C black olives, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 Can crushed tomatoes
1 C shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 C shredded romano cheese
1 Small onion sliced
1 TBLSP basil, fresh
1 TBLSP oregano, fresh
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook veggies in 1/2 TBLSP oil. Add diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes and herbs. Season and let cook for 5-10 minutes. Add pasta and mix, being careful not to destroy the noodles. The noodles will absorb the liquid in the sauce making them perfect. Pour into oblong, greased pan. Top with cheese. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Serve with bread and salad. Leftovers can be easily stored and re-heated. Serves 4-6 people.

*this recipe can easily have meat added to it. Just brown the beef, pork or turkey before adding the veggies.

*photo could not be taken as we ate the WHOLE thing already. sorry guys...maybe you can submit a pic when YOU make it! :)

Spaghetti Squash And Shrimp Dinner

MAIN DISH:

1 Large spaghetti squash
1/2 Pound cleaned, medium shrimp
1/4 C romano cheese grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut squash lengthwise being careful as this squash has a hard outter flesh. Scoop out seeds. Place cut side down in a pan big enough to hold both halves. Pour in enough water to come half way up squash. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 25 minutes or until fork inserted into flesh goes in easily. Meanwhile, heat up 1 tsp oil (I used bacon grease as I had cooked bacon for some Brussel sprouts). Dump in srhimp and cook until pink (try not to do this until squash is almost done as the shrimp will be tough).

Drain squash, shred flesh with fork and scoop out back into pan. Add butter, garlic salt and pepper. Toss in shrimp and cheese. Eat warm, serves 2-4 people.

SIDE:

Fried Brussel Sprouts and Mushrooms

1 package fresh Brussel Sprouts, cleaned and cut in half.
2 slices thick cut bacon, match sticked
1 lg clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil (set aside)
1 C mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, halved and sliced thin

Heat up pan, add bacon. Cook until almost crisp and then add garlic and onions. Cook until almost translucent. Add brussel sprouts. Salt  and cook until almost tender (some sprouts will caramelize) add mushrooms. Add oil if extra moisture is needed to prevent sticking. Finish cooking until mushrooms are done. Serve warm.

DESSERT

Quick Eay Ice Cream Dessert

2-4 Mounds Ice Cream Treats, Frozen
2 C berries
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 C water
1/2 TBSP aguave nectar

Clean and slice berries (strawberries), place in a sauce pan. Add water and nectar. Cook on medium until berries are breaking down and put out their juice. Add cornstarch that has been mixed with 1/8 C water. Stir in and let sauce get thick. Set aside to cool.

Place ice cream treat in bowl, top with berry sauce. Eat and enjoy!

*Whipped cream would be great as well as toasted nuts on this dish. My fiance toasted a waffle and used it as a base and as extra texture. YUM!!!

Spaghetti Squash with simple "sauce"

I large spaghetti squash.
2 strips thick cut bacon
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 C chopped walnuts (optional)
1/8 C chopped black olives
2 TBLS butter
salt and pepper to taste

Put 2-3 C cold water in a pan. Carefully cut open the squash. It has a hard flesh and the knife could slip so please BE CAREFUL! scoop out seeds from each half and place cut side down in water. Bring to a heavy simmer on stove top. Let cook, covered for 20-25 minutes (adding water if necessary) or until outer flesh can be pierced with a fork easily. While cooking, dice up bacon and cook it in small saute pan. As it begins to crisp add garlic. Add nuts and olives at the end. Set aside. Dump squash and water into colander. With flesh side up run either a spoon or fork over it creating "spaghetti". scoop out into bowl. Add butter, salt and pepper anf finally the bacon mixture. Stire gently and serve warm!

*vegertarians can easily leave out the animal products and add their own flavors. Grated Parmesan cheese adds flavor as well. If you are allergic to nuts, just add crushed crutons for crunch texture. I have also used spaghetti squash as a pasts substitue. Just add sauce of your choosing and viola! Low carb, gluten free dinner!