Spaghetti Squash Casserole and Whole 30 program

April 1st I started a new program to hopefully help me lose some weight and feel better.  One of the doctors that I work with and she is also my personal doctor was telling us about this program that she started and how much better she feels and how most of her aches and pains are gone.  She is the same age as I am and I have lots of aches and pains.  This diet consists mainly of no grains, no dairy  no legumes and no sugar.    At first I wondered what I was going to eat, but decided to give it a try... It is only 30 days.

The program is called Whole 30 and you are eating real foods ~ meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, some fruits and good fats.  My biggest question when I read this statement was real foods ~ meats?  I am not sure I would consider meat as real food, unless you are buying it from a local farmer, who then probably grain feeds their animals...  But then again I am not a big red meat eater anymore and I love fish.

As I was reading this program, I did have to chuckle over the statement they had "Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip”."  They don't know me very well, and I could possible do a face plant in a box of doughnuts, well maybe it will be on purpose but I will have slipped .... But I am going to try my hardest and stick to this.  I will give you updates as I go along and bring you recipes that I make, hoping that they are ok with this program. 

Here is the first recipe that I made:

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

adapted from Taste of Home

1 lb ground chicken

2 cups spaghetti squash

1/2 cup minced onions

1 can Red Gold tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 garlic minced

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp fresh parsley

1/2 cup diced peppers

1/3 cup diced mushrooms

1/3 cup diced celery
Daiya cheese - small amount or you could use regular cheese.

Preheat oven to 350

Cut spaghetti squash in half, place in dish upside down with about 1 inch of water in it and cook for approximately 20-30 minutes until soft.  Set aside for a few minutes to cool.  Using fork scoop out squash seperating strands.

While spaghetti squash is cooking, brown chicken, remove fat.  Add onions and garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes until they are tender.  Add tomatoes and tomato sauce oregano and fresh parsley.  Cook until liquid has diminished some.  Add spaghetti squash, peppers, mushrooms and celery.
Place all into casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.  
I added a handful of Daiya cheese and placed back in oven for a few minutes until melted.  You could use regular cheese if you would like.  Enjoy!
** I like my spaghetti squash with a little crunch so I don't cook until completely soft.  I just cook until I can get a fork through the outside of the squash.
**you could use regular spaghetti instead of spaghetti squash
** to make vegetarian exclude meat.
** any ground meat would work in this recipe.

✻ღϠ₡ღ✻   Marlys

(¯`✻´¯)
`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻ Enjoy your day....`*.¸.*✻✿*.¸.*✻

Links:  Ugly Duckling Party

Salmon Croissant or Bread stick Casserole for breakfast

I am always on the look out for great breakfast recipes and I think I finally found something that is wonderful and fairly easy to make. You do have to plan ahead of time as it does take sometime to get it ready and cook... but once it is baking... just sit back and enjoy the smells.  I have made this recipe twice.  The first time I made it was with Pillsbury garlic bread sticks and it was yummy but the temperature the original recipe said I think was too hot and the bread stick got too brown for my liking.  The second time I made them, I used large buttery croissants and turned the temperature down and they worked out wonderfully.
My husband preferred the garlic bread stick one and I plan to make them again with the bread sticks at the lower temperature and see what happens.  I will let you know when  I do it.

Salmon Croissant or Bread stick Casserole

adapted from All Recipes Croissant and Salmon Breakfast Casserole

6 garlic bread sticks or 5 buttery croissants (large size)

1/4 cup onions chopped

1/3 cup mushrooms chopped

1/4 cup red peppers chopped

1 tbsp oil 

7 eggs beaten

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp dill 

1 tbsp garlic if using croissants

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

1 cup Monteray Jack and Colby Cheese shredded

3 -4 oz smoked salmon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bake garlic bread sticks or croissants as directed on package.  Cut up half of the bread sticks into small pieces or the bottoms of the croissants and place in the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan.  Place the other bread sticks and tops of croissants to the side.  

Saute onions, mushrooms and peppers in oil until golden and place on top of the broken pieces of bread sticks or croissants.  Spread cheese and salmon over mixture.  In separate bowl mix eggs and milk until frothy add thyme, dill, garlic (if using),and salt.  Pour this mixture over top of everything.  Arrange the left-over bread sticks or croissants on top, pressing into egg mixture.  Bake for 45 -50  minutes until eggs are set and croissants or bread sticks are brown.  Serve hot.

ready to go into the oven

the bread sticks came out very brown.  I also used a smaller
dish.  The second time I used a 9 x 9 pan and
it worked perfectly.

made with bread sticks...

made with croissants.

This dish would also be great for lunch with a nice salad or a light dinner.  You could change the meats, veggies and also the spices to make it your own.  The possibilities  are endless.  Enjoy!

                                                                  

Kielbasa and Vegetable Casserole

Washing dishes is one of my worst jobs and I wish upon a star every night that the dish fairy would come down and wash my dishes. But does she come.... NO! I am not so lucky and I have to wash my own dishes.

So, the days that I feel really lazy I make meals that are one dish so that I don't have so many dishes to wash...

 But then most of the time I leave those few dishes for the next day, so there is always a sink load to wash anyways. I do have a dishwasher but as there is only 2 of us, most of the time it is easier to just to wash them then basically wash them and load them into the dishwasher... yes, I prewash my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

I have found a one dish meal that is so good ~~  Kielbasa and vegetable casserole that I found on Allrecipes.com.    But like most of the recipes that I use... I don't really do what it says so, here is what I do and every time I make it, it has different vegetables in it.

Use your imagination and make this dish truly yours. 

Kielbasa and vegetable casserole

Kielbasa and Vegetable Casserole

The original recipe calls for frozen veggies but I use both fresh and frozen.  I have never made it with just fresh vegetables but I am thinking you may want to add a little water if you do make it with just fresh veggies.  Let me know if you do.  So, this is how I made it this time

Ingredients:

5 -6 mini potatoes cut into even smaller pieces

5-6 baby carrots diced

mushrooms - I just put a handful in

small wedge of cabbage

1/4 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup frozen broccoli

onions to taste

3 tbsp butter (this time I tried a little less then the original recipe).. I cut it up in 6 small slices

1tbsp (or so) greek seasoning

1 tbsp (or so) maggi liquid season

1/4 cup cheese ( I use a little less... just sprinkle some on top)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place kielbasa and veggies in oven safe dish (I use my 9X9 glass pan).  Place butter strategically around veggies.  Add greek seasoning and maggi liquid seasoning (I just sprinkle both on top).  Cover with tinfoil and place in oven.  Cook for 50 minutes or until vegetables are soft.  Take out of oven and sprinkle cheese on top and place back in oven for about 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve.

after cooking for 50 minutes, remove tinfoil

ready to go into the oven

add cheese and cook for another 5 minutes until cheese
is melted.

enjoy!

We usually eat only this when I make it but it would also be good with fresh bread... The last time I made this it must have tasted pretty good because I had taken out a small portion and left the rest for my husband and went to work.. When I came from work the pan was empty and in the sink.... Once again no dish fairy came to my house.

                          Til next time <3 <3 <3  Marlys

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