What goals have you set for yourself this year? To be more active? To eat healthier? To be a better you? Or maybe you love yourself exactly how you are? Either way, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to change everything in a single day. Or, it's completely okay to stay the same- if that makes you happy! Me personally, I'm committing more time to myself and spending less time on things or people who do not bring me JOY. And that includes eating wholesome and nourishing foods! I've never been huge on diets, mainly because they don't seem to be sustainable. But ever since going gluten free I have learned more about my body and what it does not like, including processed foods. I always feel my best when I am eating clean, wholesome, nourishing foods. This often entails eating LOTS or fresh vegetables, fresh meats and little to no processed ingredients. I'm not as sensitive to dairy as I am to gluten so I still include dairy in my diet but I definitely notice how I do not feel as great when I am overloading on dairy. So while I am not (and will NEVER!) give up my cheese, I will try to limit it some when needed. With that being said, my goal for the blog this year is to give you many healthy recipes that have wholesome ingredients and make you feel like your best self! Sure, we may splurge here or there for a few holidays but I will even try to give you some healthier holiday treats. The first recipe up is this chicken & spaghetti squash bake! I will tell you now, many peoples biggest hurdle with recipes like this are trying something new- like spaghetti squash. But, it's a super sneaky way to include more veggies in your diet! I am a huge fan of spaghetti squash bake recipes and cauliflower recipes because they taste delicious when done correctly and give you so much nourishment. Don't be intimidated! These are seriously some of the easiest ingredients to cook with and can make delicious and healthy meals. This recipe is no exception! The spiced chicken, spinach and mushrooms combined with parmesan cheese is such a tasty (& healthy) bite, and covered in cheese it's even better! It's perfect as a whole meal or as the main entree and served with sides or a salad. Either way, you'll be feeling satisfied and good with yourself for eating a wholesome and nourishing meal- that you also happened to easily cook! One of my main goals with starting this blog was to bring you recipes to get you more comfortable with cooking in your kitchen and recipes that are nourishing for you and your family. I hope this recipes help you find your inner chef and teach you how to have fun in the kitchen!
Serves: 2-4 (depends on serving size)
Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
4-5 medium garlic cloves, whole
1 bag fresh spinach (about 4 cups), chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, more to top
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning, more as needed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2-4 tbsp EVOO
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Slice spaghetti squash in half length wise. Use a spoon to scoop seeds out of center. Brush each half with about 1 tbsp or so of EVOO. Sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Place face down on the baking sheet, with shell side up. Place garlic cloves whole in aluminum foil and drizzle with EVOO and seal. Put on baking sheet with squash. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until just tender. Careful not to over-bake so that squash is not mushy. Remove from oven when complete and reduce oven to 350 degrees.
While that's baking, cook your chicken. Combine chicken in a bowl with spices, salt and pepper. Mix until well coated. Heat 2 tbsp EVOO in a pan over medium heat and sauté chicken until cooked through through, about 10-12 minutes or so depending on thickness. Then add in chopped spinach and mushrooms and mix well. Sauté for another 2 minutes or so until spinach is soft. Remove from heat.
Combine chicken mix, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix. Carefully, using a hot pad, hold each half of the spaghetti squash and pull it into strings using a fork. While doing this, blot with a napkin if needed to remove excess water. Once pulled, add this to the bowl and mix until well combined.
Once mixed, stuff each spaghetti squash shell with mixture until shell is full. Top each shell with mozzarella cheese and a little parmesan cheese. Place in oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Turn to broil the last two minutes or so until cheese is browned. Remove from oven, let cool & enjoy!
I hope the New Year is treating you well thus far & you have set some goals to focus on YOU this year! You deserve it!
Until next time, Cheers!
Magen Check
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