Day 5: One Week No Meat Challenge: Spaghetti Squash

Day 5: Spaghetti Squash

Adapted from allrecipes & steamy kitchen

Original recipe serves 6

You will need:

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 tablespoons sliced black olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Place spaghetti squash with cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled

OR

Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce squash a few times with sharp paring knife (to let steam escape). Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.

2.     Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warmed through.

3.     Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm. If you choose to cook it whole for an hour, cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Suggestions:  Too improve the spaghetti squash's tenderness, you can put it in a baking dish close to its size and add 1-1 1/2 cups of water for the same baking time to make it soft and delicious! You can also put all the stringy goodness into a frying pan before tossing with veggies with olive oil, garlic, basil, parsley, and parm cheese and then transfer it to a bowl with whatever your heart desires for toppings!

Read more: http://www.steamykitchen.com/11285-baked-spaghetti-squash-with-garlic-and-butter.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spaghetti-squash-i/

Day 4: One Week No Meat Challenge:Grilled Portobello & Pesto Sandwich

Day 4: Grilled  Portobello & Pesto Sandwich

Adapted from closet cooking

(makes 1 sandwich)

You will need:
1 portobello mushroom
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1 red pepper (cut in half and roast in oven at 450 for about 10 minutes)
1 handful spinach
1 tablespoon pesto
2 slices of bread or 1 bun (

Directions:
1. Brush the mushroom with balsamic vinegar.
2. Brush the grill with oil.
3. Grill the portobello mushroom until tender, about 3-6 minutes per side.
4. Assemble sandwich.

Read more: http://www.closetcooking.com/2009/07/grilled-portobello-and-roasted-red.html

Day 3: One Week No Meat Challenge: Zucchini Hasbrowns

Day 3: Zucchini hasbrowns

You will need:
·    2 cups grated zucchini

·         2 large eggs, slightly beaten

·         2 tablespoons chopped green onion

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper

·         1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 pinch dried oregano/basil/parsley (whatever you have on hand)

·         1/4 cup vegetable oil, or as needed

·         1 garlic clove

·         a dash of chipotle powder

·       

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the drained zucchini, chopped green onions, basil, oregano, and/or parsley, one garlic clove, two eggs, salt, a healthy grind of black pepper, a dash of chipotle powder, and enough flour to pull it all together (about a half a cup or so).

2. Heat either your oil in a large skillet, and while heating, make sour cream sauce:

3. Place heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the hot pan, and cooked them for about two minutes per side, or until nicely golden brown (placing them onto a sheet pan in a 250º oven in between batches to keep them warm). Serve them up with a dollop of the horseradish cream and a few lemon wedges for squeezing over them. Perfect as an appetizer, first course, or light lunch!

*note: Make sure you use small scoops, they are better small and crispy! 

Day 2: One Week No Meat Challenge: Chick Pea Chili

Day 2: Chick Pea Chili 
Put Extra Virgin Olive Oil or coconut oil in pot and add pureed peppers, onion, broccoli until softened and then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, diced carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, chickpeas, and kidney beans (don't drain), and a teaspoon of chili spice if you like spicy!  Simmer for half hour and enjoy!

Day 1: One Week No Meat Challenge: Tofu Tacos

I'm challenging myself and you, to one week with no meat (except fish)! I'm on day four of only fruits, veggies, and tuna and I feel great, but I know there are lots of challenges to following a vegetarian diet, so I wanted to share some deliciously easy tips & recipes for you to try! I will do 7 vegetarian posts, one for each day of the week starting with Tofu Tacos below!  An as a side note, I just have to tell you that I just went to the Bay and got myself a Cuisinart Mini Prep plus processor to make chopping more efficient and I am so in love. It was on sale, but even its normal price is only 34 bucks and it works awesome, plus it comes in fun colors. If you don't have a food processor this is what you've been missing!! You can check it out here

Foods to enjoy while on a vegetarian diet

·                     Fruit: any and all fresh fruit

·                     Vegetables: any and all fresh vegetables

·                     Fish: fresh, canned in water or olive oil

·                     Legumes: dried or canned, such as kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils

·                     Eggs: preferably organic

·                     Olive oil (preferably extra virgin), Coconut oil (unprocessed)

·                     Nuts: raw unsalted almonds, walnuts, macadamias and cashews

·                     Seeds: raw unsalted sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds

·                     Green tea, white tea, weak black tea (decaffeinated)

·                     Water: from one to three litres of water per day. Try adding lemon to hot water in the AM for a natural detox. 

Day 1: Tofu Tacos

You will need:
1 pkge firm tofu
Taco shells
taco seasoning
Sour Cream
Salsa
Cheddar cheese
avocado
lettuce
tomato

Buy firm tofu and drain. Draining the tofu is very important to give its "meat-like" texture. After draining, crumble the tofu & fry in pain with olive oil until it starts to get crispy about 5 mins. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and fry 1-2 more minutes. Serve in taco's with all your fav toppings including salsa, sour cream, cheddar cheese, avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, etc!