Spaghetti Squash Gremolata

Looking for a light alternative that also feeds your pasta cravings? This dish will sail your tastebuds across the ocean over to Italy, all while impressing your guests (and stomach) with an extremely affordable recipe.

Gremolata. Gremolata is a delicious condiment prepared with herbs and lemon zest, where you’ll find garlic and parsley leaves playing the main role. While there is no documented record for the origin, gremolata is thought to come from Milan. In this recipe, we’ve topped spaghetti squash with a homemade tomato gremolata sauce. This recipe will have you singing for a-more!

Total Cooking Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium to large spaghetti squash
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided
• 3 fresh red tomatoes diced
• 1 yellow tomato, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped and divided
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut open spaghetti squash long-ways and place open face down on a baking sheet. Once oven is all set, let the squash cook for 45 minutes. It may be ready, or might need some more time, but you’ll know when you take it out by the ease of which the strands of flesh come off the skin (oh, that sounds appetizing). 
3. While your squash is baking, drop your coconut oil in a sauce pan that is heated on low-medium. Have your garlic and tomatoes chopped and ready. When the oil has liquified, throw on yyour garlic for thirty seconds, followed by your tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper generously and mix.
4. Bring your tomatoes to a simmer and cook for ten minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in half your chopped parsley, half the lemon zest and all of your freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Taste test to make sure you have an appropriate amount of seasoning.
5. Set  bowl aside containing the other half of parsely and lemon zest. 
6.  Once your squash is ready, peel and place on a serving tray. Season lightly with salt and pepper and make sure it incorporates throughout the platter. 
7. Place your tomato sauce on top of the squash, followed by the bowl with the remnants of your parsely and lemon zes
8. If you’d like, drizzle some olive oil over the top before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Pancakes (Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon almond meal
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter, like earth balance
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar

Method:

• First you must create your flax egg. Take 1 tbsp flaxseed and mix with 1 tbsp of water. Let it sit for a few minutes.
• Mix the softened vegan butter with the brown sugar in a separate bowl until combined. Add in a sprinkle of cinnamon for flavor.
• In another bowl, mash your banana and mix with flax egg, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp flaxseed, almond milk and almond meal.
• Heat up a saute pan lightly coated with coconut oil. Once hot, drop in an appropriate amount of banana batter. While once side is frying, drizzle the sugary butter mixture before flipping. Flip, cook other side until pancakes are ready to eat.
• Serve and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee!

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 415

Carbs: 43

Fat: 35

Protein: 7

Sodium: 260

Sugar: 20

Avocado Banana Cocoa

Today’s smoothie ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 ice cubes

Benefits:

• Almond Milk: low in calories, almond milk is jam packed with vitamin E, magnesium manganese and monounsaturated fats.
• Avocado: high in healthy fats called oldie acid, linked to reduced inflammation and a great cancer fighter.
• Cocoa Powder: chocolate without the guilt-unsweetened Cocao powder are high in iron, maganese and zinc.
• Bananas: help prevent muscle cramps and those pesky Charlie horses at night.
• Maple Syrup: loaded withpolyphenols, that work as antioxidants.

Nutritional information:

Calories: 336