Chia tomato spaghetti sauce

I really wanted this post to feature spaghetti squash! 

I had a spaghetti squash delivered in my veg box and have been a little scared to use it since my first attempt a few months back was less than desirable (i.e a pile of mush)....so with trepidation I had another attempt....ahhhh the same result! When I scrape the cooked squash halves wth a fork just as I saw in many tutorial videos I came across my squash simply did not turn into elegant spaghetti style strands, but instead...more mush.

What am I doing wrong? I can only assume I am overcooking it, or maybe I need to let it cool a little before spaghettifying it?  Any advice appreciated...!

Anyway, I had to resort to a backup spaghetti plan. Sasify noodles! 

salsify (complete with earthy covered skins)

Salsify is another veg I have not used before, also delivered in the veg box. I figured I could julienne the stems (is that the right word for them?!) in a similar way to my noodle stir fry. It worked pretty well so I'm pleased. My salsify stems were quite skinny and getting a bit old and bendy so they were  harder to work with than if they were thicker. You could of course use courgettes or parsnips instead....or even spaghetti squash if you can master it!  Or if you want to go all out, just use regular spaghetti! :-)

The sauce is the star of today's post. I wanted a traditional style Italian tomato sauce flavour but with a thicker consistency since the sauce clings less to vegetable noodles compared to pasta noodles. Enter the chia seeds... achieving a thicker sauce but without altering the flavour (with a bonus 'superfood'  infusion). You could of course add other veggies to this sauce and use it top anything you like.  I also added my 'meat' balls to add some carbs to an otherwise low carb meal. 

Recipe: Chia tomato spaghetti sauce

Ingredients:

2 tsp oilve oil
400g (large tin) chopped tomatoes
2 tbs tomato puree
1 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs
2 garlic cloves- crushed
1 small white onion- chopped
handful of fresh herbs- chopped (I used basil but parsley would also work)
2 tsp ground chia seeds (ground ensures a smoother texture)

Method:

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil for approx. 5 minutes until softening. 

Add all ongredients other than chia and frash herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the chia and fresh herbs suring the final 2 minutes of cooking.

Serve immediately over the 'spaghetti' of whatever type you choose.

Notes: I stir fried my 'noodles' of salsify in a little coconut oil for approx. 5-7 minutes until they had just softened. My veggie noodle recipe is here and my meat balls recipe is here or for a quinoa version try these. 

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Crazy cauliflower risotto

A hugely satisfying bowl of comfort that’s packed with veg, low in carbs and only take 15 mins from start to finish…crazy!

I’ve really been enjoying using cauliflower in various quirky ways recently. This breakfast bake was a huge success, and I have also made some great choc-cauli muffins but need to get a good set of photos before I post that recipe (it was getting too dark when I tried before).

I have read lots of recipes in the past that use cauliflower as the ‘rice’ component of a meal but until now I hadn’t got round to trying it for myself. This recipe by Alisa Cooks caught my attention a few weeks ago and with a few modifications of my own I was ready to rock. I was really impressed how well it worked out! I think another time I may try using a dollop of cashew or almond butter instead of the ground nuts so that it becomes  even more creamy when mixed through, a little bit like this super creamy risotto.

This recipe really does fool you in that you have a massive bowl of veg but it actually feels like you are eating rice and it really fills you up! The nuts add a little fat in there too but this is a really low carb meal so I’d suggest you balance it with some good carbs at other points during the day. I ate this bowl as a late lunch after a big bowl of oats for breakfast.

Recipe: Crazy cauliflower risotto

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tbs ground almonds/cashews/pinenuts

1 heaped tbs nutritional yeast

¼ tsp salt (or to taste)

1 tbs cococnut oil/olive oil

½ sliced leek

2 cups grated cauliflower

1 crushed garlic clove

½ cup vegetable stock

½ cup peas (I used frozen)

Small handful fresh rosemary

Method

 

Process the nuts, nutritional yeast and salt together until very fine and on the verge of beginning to paste. Set aside.

Sauté the leek for 5 mins, add the grated cauliflower and sauté for a further 3 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté for a further minute.

Add the stock and the peas and simmer whilst stirring for 5 minutes (reduce by 1 minute if not using frozen peas).

Remove from the heat and stir through the nutritional yeast mixture until creamy. Serve immediately.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

5 minute low-carb noodles

Do you remember my 5 min noodle lunch? That little dish went down a storm on Foodgawker....and so here's hoping this little treat will be right up your street (I promise that wasn't an accidental rhyme!)

This time the veggies are the noodles...making this little snack not only super speedy but also low carb, perfect when you want a light bite that wont weigh you down or a veggie side dish to accompany a gourmet spread!

This dish is dedicated to my julienne peeler. I have been having such fun with my new purchase this last few days! I had been meaning to buy one for some time ever since reading this post on Oh She Glows, however I didn't come across them in the shops....thank you Amazon my saviour!

The principle here is to simply grab a 'long' vegetable and peel it!  I had fun with carrots, courgettes and parnips, but I reckon aubergine could be good, and anything else that takes your fancy and is long enough to drag the peeler down without catching your fingers.

Once you have a nice big pile of long noodley vegetabley strands, you simple fire up a pan or wok on the stove, heat a little oil and stir fry the noodles for about 5 minutes (depending on how well cooked you like them). Season and serve.....so so simple!

Ok, so I have added a little recipe below for completeness, see here even my dressing was low key to allow the flavours of the veg to really shine. I threw in some soy beans and a generous dusting of sesame seeds to carry on the Asian influence and add an extra protein kick. The colour and flavour of the parsnip was so good and really makes it seem as though you have a bowl of actual noodles.

Recipe: Veggie noodles- low carb

serves 1-2 (for a main or side)

Ingredients:

splash of toasted sesame oil (or olive or coconut oil)

1 medium/large carrot

1 medium courgette

1  medium parsnip

1/3 cup frozen soy beans

1-2 tbs sesame seeds

2 tsp soy sauce* (tamari soy or liquid aminos for GF)

Method:

Peel the veg with a julienne peeler and then add to a large frying pan with a little oil. Stir for a minute to coat and then add the frozen soy beans if using. A couple of minutes prior to serving add the soy sauce and sesame seeds.

I cooked my veg for a total of 5-6 minutes and they had a slight crunch...just the way I like them!

* for further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.