Spaghetti Squash & Red Pepper Meatballs

Happy early Passover to all of my fellow Jewish and non-Jewish readers who may be celebrating! Lexi and I celebrated tonight by going to Zaftigs in Brookline. I have to admit it was the first time I ever ordered gefilte fish at a restaurant, but it was delicious! I even tried the homemade beet horseradish, but sadly I still found that violently disgusting (sorry Zaftigs). 

Last week when Lexi came over for dinner, we made spaghetti squash with meatballs. Channelling my Italian roots (aka spending a lot of time with the Martinos) comes pretty naturally to me, or so I thought. This dinner was delicious, but the initial taste of the meatballs was a bit bizarre to say the least. When I asked Lexi how they were, she said "they taste Jewish". A week later, we still don't know exactly what that meant, but I did decide against naming them mini Jew balls. If you're daring, try them out, and let me know what you think! FYI - the longer they sat in the fridge, the better they got. Apparently mini Jew balls taste better with age! Happy Passover everyone :)

Spaghetti Squash & Red Pepper Meatballs: Serves: 4, Prep time: 30 min, Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients:
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 red pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 6 large button mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1 Tbsp. coconut flour

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and bake face down for 45 minutes
3. Meanwhile, add pepper, onion, and mushrooms into the food processor, and pulse until finely chopped
4. Mix ground turkey, pepper mixture, chopped garlic, and coconut flour until well combined
5. Place 16-20 meatballs on a foil-lined cookie sheet
6. Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through
7. When squash finishes, string it out of the skin with a fork
8. Serve squash with your favorite homemade tomato sauce (thanks Lexi!), and top with meatballs

  

  

  

Acorn Squash Stuffed w/ Grass-Fed Beef

Happy Chrismannukah everyone! I am so full of the holiday spirit and have been on a holiday shopping rampage for the last 48 hours. I love this time of year and can't wait to be surrounded by all of my favorite people for the holidays. 

Mal is in town, so we have been catching up and spending much needed quality time together after FIVE months apart. We graciously turned down offers to go out for a night on the town last night so we could do our old routine of eating together, watching Grey's, and chatting all night. Life doesn't get too much better than this. Tonight I am going to make this acorn squash recipe again because it is so simple and absolutely delicious. I am promising myself that I will remember to go buy cinnamon before I start cooking this time so I can pump up the flavor a bit. Try it out with your friends and family over the holidays, and add any of your favorite spices. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 2 acorn squash, halved
- 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- Cinnamon, sea salt, and pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Scoop seeds out of squash, and bake them face down in 1/2 inch of water in a baking dish for 35 minutes until soft (a fork should easily poke through the flesh)
3. While squash is cooking, cook ground beef over medium heat on the stove
4. After 5 minutes, drain all of the fat and then add the onion, garlic and spices
5. Stuff the squash with the meat mixture, sprinkle with extra cinnamon, and serve!

  

Roasted Chicken w/ Butternut Squash & Cranberries

Hello from my standing desk! I am happy to report that my back is adjusting to all of the standing, and I am feeling great. I feel completely different at the end of the day after standing compared to my old 10+ hour days of sitting. For all of the haters out there (hi Mom!), here is an interesting article from Sunday's NY Times talking about the growing popularity of standing desks and improved office ergonomics: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/business/stand-up-desks-gaining-favor-in-the-workplace.html?_r=0. 

So when I made my Fall Harvest Crockpot Chicken a few weeks back, I mentioned that I wanted to remake the dish in the oven to get a crispier take on the same flavors.  I omitted the pears this time, and the dish still came out great. This is just as easy as the crockpot version, and it is done in a fraction of the time. This is a perfect one-pan dinner. I served this with a side of roasted brussel sprouts and parsnips (recipe to come!), and it was a delicious meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 1 butternut squash (1.5 lbs.), cubed

- 1 sweet onion, sliced

- 1 cup raw cranberries

- 1.5 lbs skinless chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless are fine)

- Olive oil

- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I used convection)

2. Lay squash, onion, and chicken in a 9x12 casserole dish.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and spices, and toss until evenly combined.

4. Add cranberries on top.

5. Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on how crisp you want your dish!

Butternut Squash Casserole

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! There is a lot to catch up on - I am back in Boston after a few wonderful days with my family. It was so great to see everyone as always, and I feel very thankful to have such an incredible family. 

This was my first Paleo thanksgiving, so it was quite different from a food perspective this year. I had to pass on the stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, mac & cheese, cornbread, marshmallow sweet potatoes, and about 500 desserts, but I made some great paleo-friendly recipes and was able to focus more on the real meaning of thanksgiving. Recipes will be posted all week, and the first one is a quick and easy butternut squash casserole. I am cooking a mini round 2 paleo thanksgiving tomorrow, and I will be serving the leftovers of this along with my first attempt at a turkey. Details will follow... enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 5 lbs butternut squash, cubed
- 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (plus more for dusting)
- Sea salt, pepper, garlic, powder, & cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped walnuts

Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Boil squash for 20-30 minutes until soft
3. Drain squash in a colander 
4. Add coconut oil to pot and let melt. 
5. Add squash and shredded coconut to the pot with the coconut oil, and mix with a hand blender
6. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon to taste (I like a lot of cinnamon!)
7. Put pureed squash in a casserole pan, and then top with chopped walnuts and some extra shredded coconut and cinnamon
8. Bake for 40 minutes. If nuts start browning, you can cover the pan with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.

  

Fall Harvest Crockpot Chicken w/ Butternut Squash, Cranberries, & Pears

Only three days left until Thanksgiving, and I can't wait! This week has been so fantastic with visits from Kelsey (hadn't seen her in 13 years!), Sarah & Mark, Mal tonight, and the Rozier/Topche crew on Wednesday. So many wonderful people to see, so little time! I am very much in the Thanksgiving spirit and created this great Fall recipe with locally sourced ingredients. You can pick up all of these ingredients from your local farmers market and throw it together in no time in the crockpot. You can make this recipe with or without broth. I went with broth this time to get a slighty soupy experience. Next time I am going to make this as a roasted dish in the oven to get everything nice and crispy. The part II version will be after Thanksgiving (and after I buy myself a dutch oven!). This will be Mal's welcome meal when she arrives from Ithaca tonight after a six hour drive. A little fall harvest crockpot chicken and some wannabe rice pudding, and we will be back in business! Only four more hours to go...

Ingredients:

- 1 butternut squash (1.5 lbs.), cubed

- 1 sweet onion, sliced

- 1 bosc pear, sliced

- 1 cup raw cranberries

- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

- 1 cup veggie or chicken broth (optional)

- 2 bay leaves

- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Layer squash cubes at the bottom of the crockpot.

2. Put half of the onions, pears, and cranberries on top. 

3. Add 1 bay leaf and some spices

4. Arrange a layer of chicken on top of the spices

5. Add another layer of spices and the second bay leaf on top of the chicken

6. Add the remaining onion, pear, and cranberries

7. Pour the broth over the mixture (this isn't necessary - I like it because it makes it a little bit soupy) 

8. Cook on high for 3 hours and then low for 90 minutes

    

Roasted Delicata Squash

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the random woman at the farmer's market who told me how delicious delicata squash is. She was an innocent shopper and just thought I should know that delicata squash is "reliably sweet" and never disappoints. She said to cut it, scoop the seeds, and then roast slices with the skin on. I couldn't say no, so I bought two squash and tried it out. This recipe will make your kitchen smell like cinnamon heaven in less than five minutes of cooking time. Leaving the skin on gives it a unique crunch, and this is by far my new favorite squash. Kids (and adults) will love eating this as a snack, and if you are paleo like me and avoid sugar, this hands down can be eaten as dessert. I will definitely pick up a few more next week to roast for Mal when she comes to visit! Counting down the days...

Side note - I just finished an amazing interview with Jordan Brown, the CEO/Founder of Hu Kitchen in NYC. Stay tuned later this week for the interview!

Ingredients:
- 2 medium delicata squash
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- Cinnamon
- Dash of salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Wash squash and cut vertically
3. Scoop out seeds
4. Slice into 1/2-inch pieces, and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet
5. Melt coconut oil and brush the tops of the squash lightly with the oil
6. Season generously with cinnamon, and add a small sprinkle of salt and pepper
7. Flip the squash and repeat steps 5&6 on the other side
8. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping squash half way. They should smell super sweet and be nice and crisp on both sides. You eat the entire thing (including the skin) - you will not be disappointed with these!

  

Grass-Fed Standing Rib Roast

 Today's recipe is a long-time favorite for my family: a standing rib roast. To add the paleo effect, I got a grass-fed rib roast from the John Crow Farm stand at the opening day of the winter's farmers market in Jamaica Plain. I ventured out to JP with my new friend Salin (thanks to Sanjida for introducing us!) to check out the market. Sadly, SOWA isn't hosting an indoor winter market this year, so I am going to have to check out all the others in the area. The Egleston Market was much smaller than what I'm used to at SOWA, but it did the job. The market was inside a little church, and there was a parking lot with free parking next door. There were two farm stands, two meat vendors, a few specialty vendors (cheeses, honey, cupcakes, etc.), and a section doing bike tune-ups and repairs. We bought some fresh broccoli and butternut squash along with the meat to cook a little feast. This meal was good enough to serve for the holidays. My entire house smelled like crispy roasted garlic just like my mom used to make it. It couldn't have been easier to make or more delicious to eat. If you ever want to impress a meat-lover, this is the recipe to do it!

Paleo Grass-Fed Standing Rib Roast
Ingredients:
- 3lb. standing rib roast (2 bones) - this feeds about 4 people
- loads of crushed garlic (about 4 heaping tablespoons)
- sea salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Let roast sit out on the counter for about 1 hour to bring to room temperature
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
3. Rub the roast with crushed garlic (about a tablespoon per side) - don't be shy!
4. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 then turn oven down to 350 and cook for another 70 minutes for medium rare
6. Take roast out and let sit uncovered for 25 minutes
7. Slice and drool with anticipation!

  

Mashed Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

- 1 extra large or 2 medium butternut squash (about 4 lbs.)

- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil

- Cinnamon, salt, pepper and garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Boil big pot of water

2. Wash, peel, and cube squash

3. Boil for 20 minutes until tender

4. Drain squash and mash with a potato masher or with your immersion blender

5. Add coconut oil and spices to taste (I did heavy on the cinnamon and light on the salt/pepper/garlic)

Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients:
- 1 large head of broccoli
- splash of olive oil
- salt, pepper and garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Wash and chop broccoli
3. Put broccoli in ziploc bag or bowl and add olive oil and seasonings
4. Shake/mix to evenly coat, and put on a foil-lined pan
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes for desired crispiness

Grass-fed Beef & Acorn Squash Autumn Casserole

It was time to move onto the main course after we stuffed our faces with salmon cakes and salsa. Thanks to Tim for his help scooping out all of the squash! I typically just stuff the squash with the beef/onion mixture, but I decided to do a casserole since I was cooking for so many people. It was definitely a lesson learned... it was quite a workout scooping squash, mashing all of it, mixing it with four pounds of beef, etc. Next time I will go back to the standard method of stuffed squash! I will be sure to post the recipe so you can see the difference.

Ingredients:

- 2 acorn squash, halved

- 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef

- 1 sweet onion, chopped

- 1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped

- 1 Tbsp coconut oil

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Scoop the seeds out of your squash (you can save these to roast later!) and brush with a little coconut oil

3. Put the squash on a baking pan cut side up, and add some water to the pan so the skin doesn't burn

4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a fork can easily go through the squash

5. While squash is baking, heat coconut oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic

6. In a separate pan, cook grass-fed ground beef over medium heat until cooked thoroughly (about 10 min)

7. Add drained beef to the onion/garlic mixture, and set aside

8. When squash is done (and cool enough to handle), scoop the squash out of the skins and add to a pot

9. Mash the squash with a potato masher, and then add the beef/onion/garlic mixture

10. Add cinnamon, salt, and pepper to the pot. Mix throughly and then transfer the mixture to a casserole dish

11. Bake for 20 minutes and then serve hot!

   

 

My 1st Paleo Meetup & Butternut Squash Casserole

Welcome to the historic SoooPaleo site. My blog has moved to my new website. This recipe can be now found at: http://www.intersectioncoaching.com/blog/2012/10/my-1st-paleo-meetup-butternut-squash.html Enjoy it and please contact me at ali@intersectioncoaching with any questions.