AIP paleo (so no tomato/nightshade) "Spaghetti" and Meatballs

-
A very good tomato-less option for a spaghetti-ish dish. Serves 8.


Ingredients:

  • 1 large or 2 small spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
  • 2 butternut squash, peel, remove the seeds, and cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 3 lbs. ground beef
  • salt, to taste. I probably used 3 tsp. total in everything.
  • olive oil
  • optional: whatever herbs you like for spaghetti...just add them into the butternut squash when it's finished...and maybe a bit in the meatballs as well
Directions: 
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. If you can fit two cake/roasting-type pans side by side in your oven, just use the middle/center rack. If not, use two layers (racks B and D); the spaghetti squash will be on one, the meatballs on the other. 
  2. Place the spaghetti squash skin side down in a roasting pan with 1/4 inch of water. Sprinkle with salt and just a hint of olive oil. Place in the oven and cook for 45-60 minutes, until the flesh flakes from the skin with a fork. 
  3. Place the butternut squash in a large stock pot and cover with water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer to 15-20 minutes. 
  4. Meanwhile, salt and season the ground beef and roll into meatballs. Place in the oven and bake for about 30-45 minutes, until slightly browned.
  5. When the butternut squash is finished, drain the water. Return the squash to the pot, add 1-2 tsp. salt, and mash with a potato masher (you could also throw it in a food processor...but I hate cleaning mine, so I always just use a masher. lol). 
  6. When the spaghetti squash is finished, remove the flesh from the skin with a fork. Place about 1/2 cups' worth on a plate or in a bowl, top with the butternut squash (about 1/2 cup as well), and add the meatballs on top (I did 5 for each of my children and 7 for my husband and myself). Enjoy. 

You could also add other veggies to this if you wanted to...just to bulk it up a bit...though it was fine as is. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sweet and Savory Slow-Cooked Pork Ribs

-
Image
All of my children love this dish...and my 3 y/o ate about 6-7 ribs by herself. lol Ingredients : pork ribs (get enough to feed however many people you need to feed...I bought 3 rib racks to feed my family of 6...plus enough for leftovers) 3 tbsp. honey, melted 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tsp. salt Directions :  Preheat oven to 250F.  Season ribs on both sides with salt and place in a pan (preferably a pan with a removable roasting rack...though you can use Pyrex dishes if need be). Put the fattier side facing up.  Cover with foil and place in the oven...centering as needed (so...make sure the racks are equal distance from the heat source...if you need to use multiple levels of racks).  Bake in the oven for at least 4 hours.  When the ribs are finished, turn the oven's heat up to 350F.  Mix the honey and vinegar in a bowl. Slather on the ribs and cook in the oven for a minute.  Turn the ribs over and put the honey/vinegar m...
Read more

Get Results

-
Image
I recently made it to 8 months of being mostly paleo/primal and totally gluten free. With this realization, I decided to check my weight/measurements and, in the process, found some old measurements I had taken of when I used to run 3-6 miles/day, 3-5 days/week in 2010. I typed that list up (on the left below) with my results since starting a primal lifestyle this year (on the right below) for a side-by-side comparison. I feel like I should explain that when I was running in 2010, I was eating what most people consider a healthy diet. It was basically an "everything in moderation" diet. I did eat bread back then...but it was 100% whole wheat bread that I baked myself...and I limited it to about 3 pieces/day usually. I also ate plenty of meat, fruits, and veggies and limited my refined sugar intake. As you'll see in the chart, I never really lost any weight during the entire 3 1/2 months of running. I'd been hovering around 136 lbs. since giving birth to my 2nd in Dece...
Read more

Hearty Chicken Soup

-
Image
I've never been a big fan of chicken soup for the sole reason that it's not particularly filling...unless you want to eat a whole bag of Saltine crackers with it (which doesn't happen in this house). I stumbled upon this fairly effective way of solving that quite by accident. Serves 6-8. Gluten free, casein free and primal-friendly. A simple recipe...but delicious nonetheless... Ingredients : 1 whole chicken 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 6-8 cups of chicken broth 2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 tsp. basil 1/2 tsp. oregano any other veggies you like (onions, celery, peas, etc.), sliced/chopped into whatever size(s) you like Directions : Place the whole chicken in a stock pot, cover with water, and boil uncovered until cooked through (about 1-2 hours)...skimming off the nasty bits that rise to the top. Remove from the liquid and allow to cool until able to pick the meat from the bones. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and whatever oth...
Read more