April 3rd Weekend Recipe Roundup

Here’s what I’ve been cooking up this week! In these stressful times, my family and I are definitely craving warm, soothing comfort foods. As always, our goal is to keep food as close to whole as possible and feature nutrient density as much as possible. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we have been!!!

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Pasta with bolognese is one of my favorite comfort foods, plus I love that can make a giant and freeze half in pint jars for meal planning in the coming weeks 🙂 Extra spaghetti squash also freezes well once it’s baked and flaked’. It’s also easy to make from foods that keep well so you can have a meal made with fresh food a full week after you grocery shop!

The grass-fed beef is high in zinc, B vitamins, and grass-fed meats are also full of healthy fats such as conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fats! This recipe is also high in antioxidants such as resveratrol from red wine, quercetin from onion, and lycopene from tomatoes.

Spaghetti squash adds fiber, additional B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium and other minerals to balance out this bowl of comfort into a well-rounded nutrient-dense meal. If you can’t find spaghetti squash another option is to get creative with a spiralizer and try making noodles from butternut squash, beets, zucchini, carrots, turnips, and more!

About 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Grass-fed Beef
• 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 large Carrot, sliced and quartered
• 1 rib Celery, cut in half and sliced
• 1 small Onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup Red Wine
• 5 oz Tomato Paste
• 20 oz Canned Whole Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp dried Basil
• 1 tbsp dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt
• ½ tsp Black Pepper
• 2 large Spaghetti Squash

Instructions

1. Preheat a saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil, onions, salt, pepper, and ground beef.
2. Continue sauteing meat and onions until meat is brown and ground.
3. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds longer, until fragrant.
4. Add celery and carrot. Cover and cook until carrots start to soften, about 10 minutes
5. Add red wine and tomato paste, and cook, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minutes, until wine is deglazed
6. Stir in canned whole tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Cover and bring to simmer. Simmer for 1-2 hours.
7. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.
8. Cut spaghetti squashes in half across the width and scoop out the seeds.
9. Place cut side down on a roasting pan and bake for about 45 minutes until spaghetti squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
10. Allow spaghetti squash to cook slightly before flaking out the ‘noodles’ with a fork. If this doesn’t happen easily, you likely need to cook the squash more.

Hearty Roasted Vegetable Salad

I love the combination of roasted winter veggies and spring salad this time of year, well any time of year, really! I also love how flexible this template is, feel free to substitute whatever roastable vegetables you have on hand, even frozen veggies will do, and they cut the prep time way down!

Roast the vegetables ahead of time and you can assemble the rest in a matter of minutes just before you are ready to eat.  Of course, I like to lightly reheat the roasted vegetables for the ultimate soothing salad. However you construct it, this salad that is soo much more satisfying than simple greens.

Plus, it is as nutrient-dense as it is delicious! You can seriously taste the rainbow on this one! In it, you get liver love from betaine-rich beets plus leafy greens. Olive oil, pecans, and avocado provide vitamin E and healthy monounsaturated fats, and protective polyphenols. The beets squash, Brussels sprouts, avocado, and greens all contain fiber, B vitamins and the Brussels give you a boost of vitamin C as well!

About 4 servings

Roasted Vegetables

• 2 Beets
• 1 Acorn Squash, or other winter squash
• 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ tsp Himalayan Sea Salt
• Fresh Cracked Pepper

Vinaigrette

• 6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard

Raw Salad Ingredients

• 6 cups Arugula or Salad Mix
• ½ cup chopped Pecans
• 1 Avocado
• Optional: 2-3oz Goat Cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Meanwhile cut the acorn squash in half and remove seeds, cut into segments and peel, then finally cut into 1 inch cubes
3. Peel beets and cut into 1 inch cubes. Trim brussels sprouts and cut in half.
4. Toss vegetables in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and arrange on a large baking sheet into a single layer (you can also use 2 smaller baking sheets)
5. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350, until vegetables are tender. Remove and let cool
6. Combine dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake to mix.
7. Toss greens in about ⅔ of the salad dressing, then top with roasted vegetables, pecans, avocado, and goat cheese if using. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the salad

Orange Custard Cauliflower Cake

This makes a beautiful cake in a springform pan if you have one, but it works just as well as muffins if you don’t. It is the perfect cake for any occasion, breakfast, tea time, or even after dinner. Plus, it is nutrient-dense and makes a great option for a quick meal or snack during the day. 

This cake is a good source of fiber, B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, zinc, and is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium. Cauliflower contains sulfur-containing compounds that support our detoxification and DNA expression. The orange zest also contains polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory and that fuel the beneficial microbes in our gut!

If you do make the cake, keep store it in an airtight container or bag in the fridge to prevent it from drying out too quickly. Extra muffins will keep well in the freezer for a couple of months.

8-12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 bag frozen riced cauliflower
• 6-10 dates, depending on how sweet you like it
• 6 eggs
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp arrowroot starch, can omit if you don’t have this, but it really improves the crumb of the cake
• 1 heaping tsp baking soda
• 1/3 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Combine cauliflower rice and pitted dates in a small saucepan and heat until soft
2. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350F and generously grease the sides and bottom of a springform pan. You may also wish to use a circle cut out of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. If you don’t have a springform pan, try baking in a muffin pan with muffin cups.
3. Allow cauliflower mixture to cool slightly before blending with wet ingredients (eggs through vanilla)
4. Pour wet ingredients from the blender into a mixing bowl using a spatula to capture as much as possible
5. Combine with dry ingredients until mixed through then pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 50 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing sides of springform pan and servings. If making muffins, start to test after 20 minutes with a toothpick. It can be served warm or cold.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I have! Please leave a comment below to let us know which recipes are your favorites, what substitutions you have made, and how everything turned out – we’d love to know!!!