Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca

This was seriously so delicious, and so easy!  When I served myself I put a handful of fresh arugula in the bottom of the bowl first.  It was noted at the table that I was eating vegetables upon vegetables, topped with vegetables.  True!

Don't be daunted by this large gourd.  I just poke a few holes in it with a fork, then bake it whole at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or more if it's a big'un.  The skin will be stiff, but you'll be able to feel that the inside is soft.  That's when you pull it out of the oven.  You can do this ahead of time and leave it out on the counter because it'll hold the heat for a long time.  Cooking it first makes it so much easier to slice.  I've never been a fan of trying to put a large blade into a raw, rock hard roly poly object.  Cooking it first is the way to go.  Then it stays put on your chopping block and slicing it is a breeze and you just scoop out the seeds and create noodles with a fork -- couldn't be easier.  The "noodles" are so flavorful, there's no need for butter unless you want it.

While the roasting happened, I made a quick puttanesca with an onion, several garlic cloves, a few sliced mushrooms and some sliced mixed olives sauteed in coconut oil.  I finished the sauce with a few tablespoons of prepared arrabiata sauce (spicy marinara in a jar).  Once off the heat, I added a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  I no longer cook with olive oil since the heat converts the delicate tocopherols to a more damaging fat, which matters to those of us with autoimmune issues.  Drizzling it on top at the end works better for me and maintains the fruity, virgin flavor. 

This easy, restaurant-quality meal will be on regular rotation here.

Blender Juice

My Functional Medicine MD doesn't recommend juicing because it can create glucose spikes, but she approves of my fruitless juices (veggies only), since my sugar levels are good. 

I found a lovely papaya yesterday and decided to make papaya/celery juice, a combination that is very cleansing for the organs, while also replenishing minerals and electrolytes. Remembering my doctor's advice, I opted to use the Vitamix instead of the juicer for this.  Incorporating the natural fibers of whole fruits and vegetables takes care if the glucose issue.  We digest the sugars much more slowly this way.  This juice, a cup of papaya, a cup of celery, a little water, ice and sea salt, was much more delicious and filling than one would imagine.  My liver is smiling now!!

Watermelon Radishes!

I've always been a radish fan, so when I saw these at Whole Foods I couldn't resist.  At first they looked like slightly small turnips, but they are much larger than the radishes I'm used to.  Their humble outer appearance belies the glorious celebration of color within.  These are a little milder than red radishes, but still delicious.  They were fab atop salad and leftover basil rice. It was a great breakfast.