Garlic Aioli Spaghetti Squash

I have loved spaghetti squash since I was younger, when my mom would top it with a little bit of parmesan.  I wouldn't go as far to say that it is just like pasta, as some claim. You definitely don't get that dense carb satisfaction that us carb lovers desire, but with the right topping it can mimic the flavour you get from pasta, just a much lighter version! Spaghetti squash is a great alternative for those trying to lose weight, people who want/need to eat gluten free or diabetics who are trying to avoid sugar spikes from white flour pasta (as mentioned in our Turkey Bolognese recipe.)

Ingredients:
1 medium-large spaghetti squash
3 cloves of minced garlic
cooking oil
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Celsius
2. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise (be cautious-it can be quite difficult to cut through!). Scoop out the stringy bits and seeds from the middle and lay cut side down in a roasting pan that is filled with about 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Cover with tin foil and cook for around 45 minutes until the flesh is soft.

3. Once the squash is finished cooking, take 1/2 cup of the water it was cooking it in and put it aside in a measuring cup.
4. Heat a saucepan with ~1 tbsp cooking oil. Add the garlic and red chili flakes and sauté until the garlic has browned.
5. Add the reserved water, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Use a fork to gently pull the squash from the peel and create strands of the squash flesh.
7. Add the squash, along with the cheese to the simmering mixture and mix well.

I used this squash recipe to top my favourite Scalloped Tomatoes and the combo was so delicious, I didn't even feel bad going to second's and third's since it wasn't pasta! My family members, who sometimes don't prefer "healthier alternatives,"  even were fighting over who got more!

Hope you enjoy!

-A

Easy green smoothie!

Drinking my greens! 

1 🍌

Handful of 🍓 

Splash of 🍊 juice 

Splash of 💧 

2 spoonfuls of plain Greek yogurt 

Handful of kale or spinach 

Blend and enjoy! 

Creamy Sage Butternut Squash Risotto

My family loves butternut squash soup. Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, I am not a soup lover for some reason. I think I like my food with a bit more texture, so I decided to come up with a recipe that involved butternut squash, yet still had the carbs and texture I desired.
Butternut squash is a great addition to your diet. It is extremely high in many vitamins, especially vitamin A and C. Vitamin A is essential for healthy vision, among other things, and Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that is important for many aspects of your health. It is also low in calories, with only ~45 calories for 100 grams.
This recipe is a great addition to those holiday meals, such as the upcoming Easter holiday.

Ingredients:

½ of a yellow onion, chopped

2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1½ cup arborio rice
30 oz canned butternut squash (or roast and blend fresh butternut squash)
¼ red chili flakes
1 tsp salt
3½ cups of chicken stock (with no added salt)
½ cup fresh, chopped sage
¼ cup grated parmesan
pepper to taste

 Steps:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir until the onion has softened. Stir in the rice, until it is covered in the oil.
2. Pour in the chicken stock and half of the squash. Stir and add the chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the remainder of the butternut squash and sage and simmer for 5 more minutes, until the risotto is creamy. Mix in the grated parmesan and serve.

Enjoy!
-A

Turkey Bolognese in a Spaghetti Squash Bowl

Diabetes is a pretty scary disease state that is affecting so many people these days. By 2020, the Canadian Diabetes Society predicts that 1 in 3 Canadians will have diabetes and for those of you that don't live in Canada, the World Health Organization predicts that 592 million people worldwide will have the disease (all stats are from the CDA).

Luckily, if you have pre-diabetes there are things you can do to lower the chance of it progressing 

to diabetes, and if you already have diabetes (besides taking your medications) there are things you can do to help your sugars be controlled. These things are the dreaded diet changes and exercise. 

Most people think the main thing affecting the blood sugars is added sugar. Sweet foods and added sugar do indeed cause a quick increase in blood sugars but they are not the only culprits. One "hidden" source of sugar is in carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are considered equal. As we know, carbohydrates are broken down in the body to glucose ("sugar"), which is a good thing because this is what our cells use for energy! But people with diabetes, who already have excess sugar in the blood do not want to be eating carbohydrates that can cause a spike in glucose. This can happen with starchy vegetables or grains that have been processed more, i.e. white flour, white bread, etc. Eating non-starchy vegetables and grains with more fibre can help manage blood glucose levels. Fibre slows the digestion of food and slows the movement of sugar into the blood so that the spikes of sugar after a meal are reduced. 

Another way to delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, in people with pre-diabetes is weight loss. Easier said than done!

Below, I included a recipe that can tackle some of these problems. It is extremely flavourful, but substitutes pasta with spaghetti squash-a non-starchy vegetable (causing less of a sugar spike), which is drastically lower in calories compared to pasta (to help with weight loss).

Look at the difference in calories and total carbohydrates for the same serving size!

This recipe also uses turkey instead of beef-a leaner meat, that helps cut down on the saturated fats and Greek yogurt instead of cream-which also helps cut down on saturated fats. 

Ingredients:

2 medium spaghetti squash

~0.5 kg ground turkey

2 tbsp cooking oil

4 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp oregano 

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1¼ cup red wine (Note: diabetics should limit alcohol, but most of it is cooked off in this recipe)

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1½ tsp pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup plain 2% greek yogurt 

Cooking the Spaghetti Squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Celsius
2. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise (be cautious-it can be quite difficult to cut through!). Scoop out the stringy bits and seeds from the middle and lay cut side down in a roasting pan that is filled with about 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Cover with tin foil and cook for around 45 minutes until the flesh is soft.

Making the Bolognese:
1. While the squash is cooking, heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a large cast iron skillet along with the garlic. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes and mix well.
2. Add 1 cup of the red wine and stir in well.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for ~10 minutes
4. Add the nutmeg, greek yogurt, the rest of the wine (¼ cup) and the basil. Simmer for another 10 minutes until it has thickened

Pull the Squash out of the oven. Separate the flesh with a fork to get the spaghetti like strands and top with the bolognese sauce. Add with a small amount of parmesan, if desired.

Enjoy!

-A

Shrimp Lettuce Boats

Balancing working full time (with my school practical rotations), working out, hanging out with friends and completing assignments can be really difficult, especially when you enjoy eating healthy and preparing most of your meals from scratch. This is one recipe I like to make when I'm in a rush, and it gives me a good balance of vegetables, protein and a high-fibre carbohydrate.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil
~12 prawns
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 of an avocado, cut into cubes
1 medium tomato, diced
3-4 large romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa (I used red but it doesn't really matter what type you use)

Steps:
1. Mix the olive oil and spices in a small bowl and set aside
2. Fry the prawns with a bit of cooking oil until they turn pink
3. Add the frozen corn and once it has almost completely cooked add the tomato, avocado, and top with the olive oil and spices.
4. On a plate lay out the washed romaine lettuce and fill evenly with the cooked quinoa. Top with the shrimp mixture.

Enjoy!
-A

Vegan Beet Cake with Avocado Frosting

In honour of Melissa's, as well as my dear friend Krysta's birthday, which we celebrated this weekend, I am going to post a healthy birthday cake option. Unfortunately, they live out of town so my family and I had ate it all before they had gotten a chance to try any, oops :).
This recipe is extremely rich and only for devoted chocolate lovers. Besides the higher sugar content, which is typical for any sweet treat, it is relatively healthy alternative to classic chocolate cake and even sneaks in some vitamins and minerals with the beets and avocados. It can even be made gluten free by substituting out the wheat germ for an extra half cup of gluten-free oat flour.

Ingredients:
Batter:
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground coffee
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup of packed beet
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Icing:
2 avocados
1/2 cup cocoa powder
~7 tablespoons of maple syrup or more depending on sweetness preference

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees celsius. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the oil to the wet ingredients.
2. Blend a cooked beet in the food processor and add to the wet ingredients. Mix well and then add the dry ingredients to the wet.

3. Line an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper and oil the edges. Add the batter. And enjoy licking the bowl, since it's egg free! The batter was actually so delicious, I think I even liked the batter more than the cake (even though that was still good). I realized after I had stuck the cake in the oven that I had gotten a little out of control licking the bowl....

Cook the cake for 35 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean.

4. Make the frosting by using a hand blender to combine all of the ingredients. Add more maple syrup as desired.

5. Once the cake is done, let it cool and then frost the cake. Use toothpicks to keep up saran wrap, and cover the cake. Keep in the fridge overnight or make it in the morning and keep it in the fridge until night and then serve.

-A