Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti Squash Boats

Sorry for the hiatus! Law school gets in the way of my hobbies sometimes. How annoying.

Today was my last day of class (YAY!), and in less than two weeks I will be done with finals (double YAY!), AND in less than 4 weeks, I will be married (TRIPLE YAY!). Oh, and I start a new job somewhere in between. SO, I apologize for being a less than consistent blogger. 

I have been wanting to try spaghetti squash FOREVER, and it figures that I finally decided to get it while it was out of season (read: it was a little expensive). These things are cheaper in the winter, BUT I so recommend these - they were so good! And, of course, gluten free (is anyone sick of me reminding you?).

Here's what you need (adapted from Skinnytaste)...

2 medium spaghetti squash

1 jar of your favorite marinara (I used a Trader Joe's brand)

Salt/pepper

1-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Chicken*

Italian seasoning

Reduced fat italian cheese (I used a blend, but feel free to just do mozzarella)

Parmesan cheese

*I had leftover rotisserie chicken, but you could also use grilled chicken (seasoned with some oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper).

Here's what you do...

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Split your spaghetti squash in half (easier said than done) and scoop out the seeds on the inside. Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, then roast for 60 minutes.

3. In the meantime, saute your onion and garlic in some olive oil until soft (5-7 minutes). Once it's done, mix in your chicken and set aside.

4. When the squash are done roasting, use a fork to "fluff" the spaghetti out of it. It will come off all the sides - it's really cool (at least to me).

5. Pour in a layer of marinara (I mixed it into the "spaghetti"), then your chicken/onion mixture, then another layer of sauce. Top with a good layer of italian cheese, some italian seasoning, and parmesan.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and it's warmed through. Enjoy!

These were even good leftover - and actually really simple.

I will do my absolute best to be around more, but I can't make any promises. I do have some amazing homemade cupcakes, a gluten free version of this blueberry bread, and yet another pasta recipe on the horizon. Don't give up on me!

Read More

Easy, Light Italian Pasta

Do I have to keep telling you I used gluten free pasta? I did. Brown rice fuselli pasta from Trader Joe's. It tasted normal.

There isn't really a right way to make this dish. This has been a go-to whenever we have random things hanging around the house that we need to eat. It's simple - comes together it about 15 minutes if you don't have to cook a new protein. 

We had leftover grilled chicken, so I cut it into small pieces and threw it in the skillet, but use whatever you want! If you don't have pre-cooked chicken laying around, season raw chicken with salt/pepper/garlic powder, slice it into small pieces, and saute it in the skillet with olive oil until cooked through (about 7-8 minutes). Then, follow the steps below!

Here's what you need...

1/2 lb. pasta of choice (I find the fuselli noodles above catch cheese well)

1 lb of chicken (or whatever you want!)

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, diced

10-15 grape tomatoes, sliced

1/2 tbsp dried basil

4 oz. of fresh mozzarella, sliced into pieces*

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Fresh parmesan and parsley for topping

*I have also used feta in place of mozzarella here - also delicious.

Here's what you do...

1. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large saute pan, saute garlic and onion in olive oil (use a decent about - 1 1/2 tbsp). Cook until soft (about 6-7 minutes), then add tomatoes. 

3. If you have leftover chicken (or whatever protein you want to use) throw it in now to heat through. Add basil and saute for a few more minutes.

4. Pour in the 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil into the pasta. Then, add mozzarella and stir. Then, add onion/tomato/chicken mixture and stir again. Top with parmesan and parsley and enjoy!

This simple dish packs a lot of flavor and I really can't stress how quickly it comes together - one of my favorite weeknight meals! It's also pretty light.

I have been craving cinnamon buns lately (yesterday I was craving a smoothie - what is wrong with me? NO, I'm not pregnant). These look particularly amazing. Think I can make them gluten free?! We shall see...

Read More

Homemade (Light!) Potato Salad

My world has turned gluten-free.

I don't really think this is a bad thing, however, since we've been eating gluten free (fiance has finally accepted he must do this), any time I eat gluten I react to it. 

What. the. hell. 

Apparently, this doesn't necessarily mean I'm allergic to it, however, my body is adjusting to (and apparently enjoying) not eating gluten. I had something with gluten in it the other day, like a bite, and felt sick for the rest of the day.

I hear marriage is all about sacrifices, and it seems I have sacrificed gluten for mine. Sigh.

ANYway, it finally started getting warm in North Carolina yesterday and I was dying for a summer meal. We grilled some burgers and veggies and all that was missing was potato salad. Coming from Florida, I worship the red potato salad that comes from the Publix deli (I worship anything from the Publix deli), and I have yet to find something comparable in a store in NC. SO, I made my own, and I guarantee this is WAY lighter than anything you would find in a grocery store.

Here's what you need (adapted from Southern Food)...

About 1.5 lbs of red potatoes

2 ribs of celery, chopped into tiny pieces

1/2 red onion, chopped into tiny pieces

1/2 cup mayo (I used Kraft Reduced Fat Mayo w/Olive Oil)

1/4 cup of lowfat milk

1 1/2 tbsp of white vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4-1/2 tsp ground mustard (taste it as you go)

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp pepper

Here's what you do...

1. Cover your potatoes (skins on) with water and boil for 30-45 minutes, or until you can easily pierce them with a fork. I like more of a smashed potato salad, but if you like it cut into chunks, undercook your potatoes a little. 

2. Let them cool, then put them in a bowl and use a fork to mash them up a bit. They should look like this (unless you cut them into pieces):

3. Add all the other ingredients and stir well to combine. Taste and add seasonings to your taste.

4. I highly suggest making this a few hours in advance and refrigerating it - it tastes better as the flavors sit and develop. Enjoy!

With summer right around the corner, this is a great side dish. Perfect to bring to a cook-out. And, of course, gluten free.

Best future-wife ever? I think so. Happy Sunday!!

Read More

Chicken Enchilada Pasta (made w/GF corn pasta!)

I'm on a Mexican kick. I'm also on a "use everything in my kitchen" kick.

This pasta came to be for 2 reasons:

1. I had a rotisserie chicken I needed to use up. Leftover rotisserie chicken is GREAT for recipes that call for shredded chicken. A ton of flavor, barely any work.

2. Justin had purchased gluten free corn pasta. I had read online that rice pasta tasted more like traditional pasta, and that corn pasta had a slight corn flavor (shocker) that did not always go well with traditional pasta sauces. Since enchiladas are generally made with corn tortillas, I figured this was a great excuse to try out the pasta. We used this brand:

This dinner came together in 30 minutes, start to finish. It was SO easy - perfect weeknight dinner.

Here's what you need (slightly adapted from How Sweet Eats)...

1 medium red onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped

2-4 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Dash of cayenne (if you like a little spice)

About  1-1 1/2 cups of shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)

1/2 pound of spaghetti

1 10 oz. can of enchilada red sauce*

1 1/4 cup of fresh shred cheddar cheese

*Some enchilada sauces are NOT gluten free. According to their website, the one we used IS gluten free, but definitely check the label:

Here's what you do...

1. Boil pasta according to directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

2. While pasta is boiling, saute peppers, onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pan until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Then, add spices, chicken, and enchilada sauce (basically everything but the pasta and cheese). Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes to allow flavor to develop.

4. Pour in cheese and stir to melt/combine. Then, add pasta and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Simple, delicious, and gluten free. What else could you need?

Don't forget to follow my Jillian Michaels exercise journey on gotrainingwithbeth.blogspot.com - I'm officially halfway through the program.

Happy Monday!

Read More