Rebel Spaghetti

One of my favorite meals growing up as a kid was spaghetti. My mom would get the giant loaf of french bread at the store that was smothered in garlic herb butter to go with dinner and it was a hit! You had to fight for the last piece, especially with my brothers! I don't recall there being a whole lot of leftovers on spaghetti night! 

My Rebel Spaghetti is just as filling but without the gut load of pasta and bread. I leave the bread at the store and swap out noodles for spaghetti squash! Are you surprised to see another recipe with more squash?! I didn't think so.

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash

1/2 jar of Sun dried Tomatoes in oil, chopped

1 jar Artichoke Hearts, chopped (save some of the juice to make a sauce)

1 small bunch of spinach

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)

1 tsp of Oil for sautéing 

salt

pepper

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce spaghetti squash and roast whole for 40 minutes, or until soft. Cooking times may vary depending on how large the squash is. Remove and let cool. After it is cool enough to handle, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Fork out the flesh and set it aside. In a medium pan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion. Add the sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and spinach. Cook just long enough for spinach to wilt. Add the crushed red pepper, basil, parsley, and lemon juice. Add just enough of the artichoke heart just to make a light sauce. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to let the flavors come together. Toss with the Spaghetti squash. Enjoy!

This recipe is a great go to for a busy evening because it is quick! It is also very easy to change up a bit, too, if you are tired of the same ol' recipe over and over again. You can easily add a small amount of spaghetti sauce (homemade or from a jar) to make it a little more traditional. I like to add pieces of grilled tempeh to make it a little heartier. 

Baked Acorn Squash Side

It may not feel like Winter at all, but it is, which means squash is in season! I don't think I can get enough squash. Butternut, acorn, spaghetti squash, oh my!

Squash can be part of a main dish, like butternut squash ravioli, or can be a delicious side dish all by itself, like my recipe here. I enjoy how versatile squash is. There is always a new way to cook it or flavor it.

Ingredients
1 Acorn Squash
2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, deseed and chop Acorn Squash into 1 inch cubes. Put all ingredients in a small baking dish and mix to coat the squash. Bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft enough to mash. Serve with your favorite dinner!

This recipe is too fool proof and easy not to try. If you have never worked with nutritional yeast before, this is a great recipe to try it for the first time. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, so it will not react with the foods you cook it with. It has a savory flavor and it kind of reminds me of cheese. Mixing everything together after the squash gets soft lets the vegetable stock and the yeast create a sauce. I mixed mine just enough to create a sauce and keep it a little chunky.

Let me know what you think!

Mushroom Enchiladas

It's Enchilada night at the Helt-McCoy household! Yum!

Enchiladas are one of my favorite dishes to make. I love making them spicy and cheesy! This recipe is vegan and gluten free, but you can easily add chicken, use real cheese, or add anything else. Enchiladas are a very versatile dish.

I am going to post a simplified version of my recipe. My original recipe calls for homemade tortillas, homemade enchilada sauce, and a freshly made filling. Since those take almost three hours to make, including prep time, I will spare you and give you the easy recipe instead.

Ingredients
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans
1 package corn tortillas
1 brick Lisanatti almond cheese (or a mix of monterey jack and cheddar if you prefer to use real cheese)
12 small white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
paprika
cumin
cayenne
crushed red pepper
salt
pepper

I purposely didn't list the amount of spices to leave it up to you. I like to make my enchiladas very spicy so I pour on the cayenne. Fun fact, I love cayenne and its warm, delicious heat so much that I named my dog cayenne.

Preparation
I use two shallow baking dishes to ensure I have plenty of leftovers! I have yet to purchase an enchilada pan. If you have one, use it! If not, baking dishes are fine.

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare filling by sautéing the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Season the filling as you like it. Set aside. Grate cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce in the baking pan. Warm a tortilla to make it more pliable and nest it into the sauce. Scoop roughly two tablespoons of filling and two tablespoons of black beans down the center of the tortilla and roll it onto itself with the ends tucked underneath. Repeat until pan is full. Top with a little more enchilada sauce to keep them moist and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover and bake for 10-15 minutes. Since all of the ingredients are already cooked, you only really need to bake them until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted. Let the enchiladas cool and set for a few minutes after taking them out of the oven so they are easier to get out of the dish.

This evening I served the enchiladas with a side of grilled zucchini. Sautéed naples (cactus) is another great side dish. If you are especially hungry or need to feed a lot of people, beans and rice are always a fitting and yummy addition.

Enjoy!

Green Pea Veggie Wrap

Eat your peas!

Do you remember your Mom telling you to eat your peas when you were a kid? Guess what?! She was right! Peas are a fantastic food. Just a half cup of peas contains 4 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrates, 125 mg of potassium, and tons of vitamin C and vitamin A.

I don't know about you, but I am impressed!

Alright, I will get off my soap box.

My lunch today was a light and refreshing veggie wrap. I wanted to try something a little different because wraps can be boring, so I turned to a favorite vegetable of mine, green peas! I started with hummus on my tortilla and topped it with peas, tomatoes and lettuce. Voila! The fresh garlic and lemon in the hummus added a lot of flavor, so the wrap was not bland at all. I feel full but not so heavy with food that it will affect my afternoon run.

What do you like to do to change an old favorite meal up a bit?

Scott Jurek's Chili

Happy Friday!

It is a little chilly out there, but that doesn't bother me at all. Today is a rest day for me, no running! I will not be cross training either. There will be plenty of cuddling with the dogs on the couch instead.True rest days are important to let your body recover and get strong for the next workout. It is difficult for me to remember how important rest days are because I am a busy body. I need to expend all the extra energy I have or I go a little stir crazy! Since I am running ten miles tomorrow and I have trained pretty hard all week, I choose to rest today so I can be strong for my beautiful morning run.

Just because today is a rest day does not mean I am not making sure I eat right. I think it is important to pay special attention to food and water intake before a long run (anything over 90 minutes, for me) so you can run strong. Making sure I stay hydrated all throughout the day and into the evening is pretty easy. I often joke that my Nalgene is my Linus Blanket. I carry it with me wherever I go! The harder part for me is eating right. I am not too concerned though, I made a giant batch of Scott Jurek's Minnesota Winter Chili! His chili recipe is a top favorite of mine! I enjoy it because it is packed with lots of vegetables and beans. It has great balance of carbohydrates and protein to get me ready to run hard! I like to add avocado on top for a little healthy fat. Yum!

I absolutely cannot take credit for this recipe. But I certainly will share it. Enjoy!

Minnesota Winter Chili
Recipe by Scott Jurek (Author of Eat and Run!)

Serves 8-10

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped onion
8–10 medium mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 jalapeño pepper or other hot pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can tomato purée
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 15-ounce can red beans, drained
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry bulgur wheat
Hot sauce or cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
Tofutti sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Add the oil to a large pot. Sauté the vegetables and spices in the oil over medium to medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Add a few tablespoons of water if the veggies begin sticking to the pot.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir and simmer for an additional 20 to 30 minutes until the veggies are cooked through.

Season with salt and, if more spice is desired, hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste. Serve sprinked with the cilantro.

 Tip: Leftover chili freezes well.

"Minnesota Winter Chili" from EAT & RUN: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatnessby Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman. Copyright © 2012 by Scott Jurek. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Buckwheat Breakfast

Good morning indeed!

How many of you choose breakfast as your favorite meal of the day? I know it's mine! Breakfast is the perfect start to a great day. You get to fuel your day with fresh food to feed your body, mind, and soul.

My favorite breakfast is simple, balanced and filling. 

1 cup Buckwheat

1/2 cup Almond milk

Banana

Nut butter 

Chia seeds

And of course a piping hot mug of coffee! 

Buckwheat is a great breakfast food because it provides quick energy to wake up your brain and get your day started. It is gluten free, too, which makes it easy for different dietary needs! Buckwheat is not a related to wheat, nor is it a grain. It is actually a seed! It has a soft, light texture and just enough bulk to keep you feeling satiated all morning. 

What is your favorite breakfast?