spaghetti squash and "meat"balls

i can't tell you how surprised i was that ALL of my kids loved this so much that they actually said they wouldn't mind if this is how we always did spaghetti and meatballs! super fast, super healthy. i used beyond meat, but obviously you could easily use regular ground beef. serve with your favorite pasta sauce or you can whip up a quick one with fresh tomatoes, some olive oil and balsamic vinegar as suggested on shape.com which is where i got the recipe.

doubling the recipe was just right for my family of seven, but since i was using beyond meat, i found that i needed to actually either triple the amount of crackers, or only use one egg.

ingredients

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

12 brown rice crackers, smashed into breadcrumb texture

8 ounces lean ground beef

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 small spaghetti squash

directions

1. Preheat broiler. Mix egg, milk, and cracker "bread" crumbs together and let sit for a few minutes.
2. Add ground beef, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper to egg mixture and mix until well combined.
3. Form meat mixture into 10 small meatballs, place on baking sheet, and broil for about 20 minutes, until meatballs are 160°F.
4. Cut squash in half, remove seeds, and place in microwave-safe dish, cut side down, with 1 inch of water. Microwave for 12 minutes until tender. Drag fork over squash flesh to get spaghetti-like strands.

cauliflower fried rice

in an effort to utilize the leftover cauliflower from this grilled cauliflower steaks recipe, i found this fried rice recipe. i was really surprised at how much i enjoyed the flavor and texture and didn't miss the actual rice in the slightest. again, this was one the entire family enjoyed. i found it at eatingwell.com. since i didn't need it to be vegan, i added a couple of eggs while cooking the cauliflower. 

doubling the recipe was about right for my family of seven of mostly light eaters. tripling it allowed us to have some leftovers. we really liked it served with hoisin sauce drizzled on top.

ingredients

* 3 T peanut oil, divided
*3 scallions, sliced
* 1 T grated fresh ginger
*1 T minced garlic
* 1/2 C diced red bell pepper
* 1 C halved snow peas
* 1 C shredded carrots
* 1 C frozen shelled edamame, thawed
* 4 C riced cauliflower (pulse cauliflower in food processor til texture is right)
* 1 or 2 eggs
* 1/3 C roasted cashews
* 3 T soy sauce or tamari
* 1 t sesame oil

directions

Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add scallions, ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, until scallions have softened, 30 to 40 seconds. Add bell pepper, snow peas, carrots and edamame; cook, stirring, until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer everything to a plate. Add the remaining 2 T oil to the pan. Add cauliflower and eggs and stir until mostly softened, about 2 minutes. Return the cooked vegetables to the pan, along with soy sauce and sesame oil and stir til combined. Serve with cashews on top.

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grilled cauliflower steaks

oh my gosh!! the entire family LOVED these! serve as-is or with a little bit of your favorite pesto spread on top. from eatingwell.com.

ingredients

* 2 large heads cauliflower
* 2 t smoked paprika
* 1 t garlic powder
* 1/2 t salt

directions

Place cauliflower heads on a cutting board, stem-side down. Using a large chef's knife, cut two 1/2-inch-thick slices from the center of each head to make 4 "steaks." (Reserve the remaining cauliflower for another use.) Brush the steaks with 2 tablespoons oil. Combine paprika, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the steaks. Grill the steaks, turning once, until tender and nicely charred, 12-14 min total.

cocoa-chia pudding

love this super healthy breakfast to switch it up some mornings! i usually have some frozen berries on hand, so if fresh ones aren't in season, there's always something to put on top. from eatingwell.com

ingredients

* 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk or other nondairy milk
* 2 T chia seeds
* 2 t pure maple syrup
* 1/2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 t vanilla
* berries and toasted almonds and even whipped coconut milk for a treat on top

directions

* Stir almond milk (or other nondairy milk), chia, maple syrup, cocoa and vanilla together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

rainbow buddha bowl with cashew tahini sauce

this is a really delicious, protein-packed, healthy option for lunch or light dinner. the entire family enjoyed this. i was lazy and used canned lentils and a brown rice/quinoa mix that costco sells. i also about tripled the amount of soy sauce. i found it on eatingwell.com.

ingredients for tahini

* 3/4 C unsalted cashews
* 1/2 C water
* 1/4 C packed parsley leaves
* 1 T lemon juice or cider vinegar
* 1 T olive oil
* 1/2 t tamari or soy sauce
* 1/4 t salt

ingredients for salad

* 1/2 C cooked lentils
* 1/2 C cooked quinoa
* 1/2 C shredded red cabbage
* 1/4 C grated raw beet
* 1/4 C chopped bell pepper
* 1/4 C grated carrot
* 1/4 C sliced cucumber
* optional toasted cashews for garnish

directions

* blend tahini ingredients til smooth
* place veggies on a bed of the grains, drizzle with sauce and enjoy!