Hot Meals for Cold Days

My iphone tells me the high for Monday is -15.  I am not amused.  My primal self is telling me to locate all of my heavy sweaters and make sure they are clean, gather my blankets, chop wood, get groceries, and do copious amounts of cooking and baking so hot food is abundant.  While this weather threatens to send me into a carb-eating frenzy, here are some of my favorite healthy recipes for hot meals:

*Disclaimer 1:  I don't really do recipes, I just get ideas and then make it my own... much to the consternation of my husband...and maybe you if you try and make these recipes.  Here's my secret to cooking:  be confident and be creative!  Just go for it and see what happens!

*Disclaimer 2:  My husband is a way better cook than me so he usually does all the cooking.  But, he has complimented me on these two dishes in particular. 

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Ingredients:
Whole spaghetti squash
Cherry tomatoes
Zucchini
Onion
Green Pepper
Spinach
Avocado
Meat (I like Trader Joes flavored sausage the best, but turkey or chicken would be great too)
Pasta Sauce and/or red wine
Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. First cut the spaghetti squash in half from top to bottom.  This can be difficult, stick with it.  Scoop out all the seeds from the middle.  Brush olive oil or avocado oil over the open faced-squash and salt it.  Then turn face down and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees.  

2.  Cut up the veggies.

3.  Saute veggies in olive, avocado, or coconut oil. You can also add some red wine or a little pasta sauce to this to make it more substantial. 

4.  Season and cook the meat as you see fit :P  I like to broil meat.  If I'm using the sausage for this meal, I boil that in beer.

5.  Take squash out of the oven and use  fork to pull it apart.  It'll look like noodles.

6.  Assemble.

Tip:  don't cook the avocado, just slice it and lay it on top after everything else is assembled.  Heating avocado can diminish it's healthy properties by damaging the fatty acids. 

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
Butternut squash
Frozen cubed butternut squash
Sweet Potato
Carrots
Onion
Celery
Minced garlic or garlic powder
Yellow and green zucchini
Cherry tomatoes
Chicken breasts
Box of chicken broth
Bacon
A little pure maple syrup (None of that fake crap that doesn't even contain ANY maple syrup but can somehow still be sold as maple syrup.  This is a hot button of mine. Psh.) 
Seasoning to taste (salt for sure, Italian can also be good, and cajun and chili powder to give it a little kick)

1.  Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds, brush olive oil or avocado oil onto open-faced squash, salt, turn face down and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

2.  Cut veggies.

3.  Saute veggies in a stock pot in avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil.  I usually just do 5-10 minutes or until all of the oil is cooked into the veggies.  Season to taste.

4.  Pour in chicken broth and boil.  

5.  Place oil of your choice in a pan along with the chicken breasts and cook on the stove top.  Add to stock pot.

6.  Fry up bacon.  Add to stock pot.

7.  Heat up frozen, cubed butternut squash in the microwave.  Add to stock pot.

8.  Take the other butternut squash out of the oven.  Scoop out the squash and mash it up.  Add to stock pot.  This is what thickens the soup.

9.  Add any additional seasoning and a table spoon or two of REAL syrup for a little sweetness.  

10.  Simmer soup for about 20 minutes until everything is nicely cooked down.  

Again, take whatever short cuts or creative licensing that speaks to you. 

You'll have plenty for lunches this week!!!  Or you can freeze it and heat it up as you wish so you aren't eating the same thing all week. 


Winter Jack

If you are still looking for a way to warm up, I highly recommend this night cap:
Jack Daniels Winter Jack.  It's a whiskey with apple cider liqueur.  If you head it up for about 30 seconds and add a cinnamon stick, it really hits the spot in the winter.