Marvellous Microwave Spaghetti Squash

Craving a giant bowl of pasta without the carb-crash?   Spaghetti squash is a good alternative.  It's fast, easy and delicious, and it gets you that extra serving of vegetables each day.  The best part is that you can do all of the prep in your microwave and with a single plate - no need to heat up your house or your stove.  I would imagine this would also be a very kid-friendly, fun dish.

You will need:

• Spaghetti squash
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• Olive oil (optional)

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  If this is difficult to do, microwave the whole squash on high for 2 minutes or so and then cut it.
2. Scoop out the seeds.  If you like, you can wash and bake them - they are edible and yummy!
3. Take a de-seeded squash half and put it innards-facing-down on a microwave-safe plate.  Add some water to the plate, as the squash will dry up a bit in the microwave otherwise.
4. Microwave the squash half on high for 5 minutes or until done (the amount of time this takes will vary from squash to squash and microwave to microwave).
5. Use a fork to separate the squash innards into spaghetti-like strands.
6. Add spices to taste and a small bit of olive oil, if desired.
7. Enjoy!

This was a big squash, and the first few minutes in the microwave weren't enough - everything was really clumpy.

After a second round in the microwave, everything was just right.

Yellow Split Pea Soup

 I usually make this soup with green split peas, but I had a bag of yellow split peas in the cupboard and decided to give them a whirl in the slow cooker.  The result was an easy and delicious soup, with a beautiful color palette, suitable for spring.

To make the soup, you will need:

• Yellow split peas
• Salt, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to taste

1. Rinse and sort the split peas.
2. Add peas and water to a slow cooker with approximately 1 part peas to 3 or 4 parts water, so that the cooker is ~3/4 full.
3. Cook on low, medium, or high heat until the peas are fully cooked and soft.
4. Stir in salt, garlic, and red pepper to taste.
5. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Celebration Muffins

These muffins look especially festive wrapped in multicolor paper!

 These muffins are delicious, satisfying, easy, and healthy.  They are easily made gluten-free, and they clock in at about 100 calories/muffin and have almost no fat.  Each muffin is fairly generously proportioned, too, and while it may taste like a traditional muffin, it won't leave you with a sugar high followed by a sudden crash.  You may choose whether to use or omit the flaxseed - it won't affect the taste much but will make the muffin a bit less crumbly than it might be otherwise.  To make the muffins, you will need:

• 3 cups oat flour
• 1-3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 spoonful of ground flaxseed (optional, makes muffins less crumbly)
• 1 bottle of beer (for gf muffins, use a gf beer)
• salt, sweetener, and cinnamon to taste
• vanilla (optional)
• raisins to taste (I used 1.5 single serving boxes of Del Monte  raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together the oat flour and baking powder (and the flaxseed, if desired); fluff with spoon.
3. Add the beer, stir until all the clumps of oat flour get dissolved.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and taste the batter.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Pour the batter into 12 lined or greased muffin tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
6. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

Right after they leave the oven, all ready to be eaten!

You can see a few of the raisins peeking through the surface.

Creamy Banana Bread Pudding with Cinnamon

This pudding is really easy and really, really good!  The protein powder ads a flour-y consistency, which when combined with banana mash and vanilla tastes a lot like banana bread!

You will need:

• 1 banana, at least medium-ripe
• Protein powder of choice (unflavored soy works well here)
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla extract (optional)

1. Mash the banana
2. Stir in one serving of the protein powder until blended.
3. Add cinnamon to taste and a few drops of vanilla and stir.
4. Serve topped with additional cinnamon.
5. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also enjoy our deep chocolate, magic mocha, and peanut butter puddings!

Beautiful Beet Chips

I have a new chip love.  It's a healthy and beautiful baked beet chip.  However, these chips don't taste healthy at all.  They're more delicious and amazing than potato chips.  I adapted my recipe from one on Natural Noshing.  This recipe is a keeper, one I will be making again and again (and again!).  To make these chips you will need:

•  I medium-large beet
• Salt, pepper, and nonstick spray

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Clean and thinly slice the beet (I had poor control of a really dull knife, so I couldn't get perfectly thin slices or anything - doesn't matter too much, but if you can get nice thin slices you can get a really crunchy chip!)
3. Spray a baking sheet (or, if you don't feel like doing the work to clean it afterwards, line first with aluminum foil and then spray)
4. Arrange the beet slices on the foil sheet.
5. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper.  
6. Bake until desired crispness is achieved.  For me this took about 30 minutes, but keep a close eye on your beets, especially if the slices are thin.  
7. Enjoy!

Serves 1.   So good!!!  I can't wait to try these with different spice combinations. 

All ready for the oven.

Out of the oven, ready for eating!

Part of Allergy Free Wednesdays and Allergy Free Lunchbox Love.

Personal pumpkin bowls

The pumpkin, midway through the preparations.

 Fresh pumpkin is delicious and has a taste entirely different from that of the canned stuff we find on sale at the grocery store around Thanksgiving.  A smallish orange pumpkin can be cooked in the microwave.

You will need:

• 1 small orange pumpkin (2-3 lbs or less)
• Spices: pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and sweetener to taste

1. Place the whole pumpkin in the microwave.
2. Cook on high for 5 minutes on high to soften the pumpkin.
3. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the innards.  You may bake the seeds and eat them later if you like.
4. Place the pumpkin halves face down on a plate, and fill the plate with water.
5. Microwave the pumpkin halves for 10 minutes on high, or until soft.
6. Season each half to taste with the spices.
7. Mash the pumpkin and spices together with a fork.
8. Enjoy!

Note: cooking times will depend on the size of your pumpkin and the power of your microwave.  If this is your first time cooking a winter squash in the microwave, exercise caution and cook the squash for shorter periods and check up on it periodically.