Spaghetti Squash with Sage Avocado Alfredo Sauce and Swordfish Cubes

Here's to a quick and easy weeknight meal!

 

Here's what you'll need for this meal!

• 2 pound spaghetti squash
• 1 pound swordfish cubes
• Cindy's Kitchen Mango, Coconut and Pepper Glaze
• Avocado Alfredo Sauce (directions below)
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Olive Oil
• Wine (optional for drinking!)

First, pierce rind of spaghetti squash, and microwave on high until squash skin feels soft. This should take approximately 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your squash. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until you are able to handle the squash without burning your hand!

Next, drizzle olive oil into a pan and turn on heat to high. Liberally pour your glaze over your swordfish cubes.

Place swordfish in pan and sear each side, then, turn down heat to medium and let cook until opaque, about 5-10 minutes. Be sure to turn periodically to prevent burning! Remove from heat and set aside!

By now, your spaghetti squash should be cool enough to handle. Using a large knife, cut in half and remove seeds.

Twist out strands with a fork, and place in a large saucepan, with approximately 1/4 cup of your avocado alfredo sauce (don't worry, i'll include those instructions...it's great to have on hand for last minute meals!)

Cook spaghetti squash over low-medium heat. I like to add in some ground sage and ground pepper to my saucepan as well!

Once spaghetti squash has heated through (about 5 minutes), serve with your swordfish! Grated parmesan cheese on your squash is a nice addition too!

Now for avocado alfredo sauce!

• 1 avocado
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth!

This meal is so simply to make, yet its delicious and seriously satisfying! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Happy St. Joseph's Day! Gluten Free Zeppoles!

Yesterday marked the celebration of St. Joseph's Day! What is St. Joseph's Day you ask? Its a very question! According to calendar-updates.com:


Joseph's Day is a Roman Catholic feast day commemorating the life of St. Joseph, the step-father of Jesus and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. People with very strong religious association, often those of southern Italian descent, typically celebrate St. Joseph's Day. March 19 is said to be St. Joseph's birthday.


The zeppole has become a longstanding tradition to celebrate this day of feast! Thanks were given to St. Joseph for preventing a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages.

To celebrate St. Joseph's Day, I have recruited a guest cook to dish up a plethora of gluten free zeppoles! Here's what you'll need for the filling:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine the first three ingredients. Then gradually add in your milk. 

Once your dry ingredients have dissolved completely, cook over medium heat until the mixture boils....be sure to continue stirring. Boil for one minute (while continuing to stir), then remove from heat. 

Next, add in pudding to your egg yolks, one spoonful at a time. You won't want to just pour the egg yolks in, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs!

After combining half of your milk mixture to your eggs, add in your diluted egg yolks to your saucepan...

Add in the vanilla and butter. Refrigerate until pudding has set. 

Before I began with the "puff" part of the Zeppole, I had a helper get me up to speed on how to prepare the filling! 

 For the Puff!

• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup King Arthur Gluten Free Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 4 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. 

Combine flour and xanthan gum. Add the flour all at ounce to your saucepan and stir over medium heat until the dough is not stuck to the sides of the pan and it forms a ball around the spoon.

Remove from heat and beat in one egg at a time until the batter is smooth. Add in orange and lemon zest, and continue to beat until your batter is smooth and glossy.

Use a rounded tablespoon to drop batter onto a lightly greased or nonstick baking pan. 

Bake until evenly and lightly golden brown, or for about 20 minutes. Then, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until medium golden brown and a puff, or zeppola feels very light when picked up from the baking sheet, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Cut the zeppole in half, leaving them attached on one side. Spoon the filling into the zeppole.

Dust the tops with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Gluten Free Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

Hungry? Don't have a lot of time? This meal takes only two pots/pans, so its easy clean up and a quick, hearty meal!

Here's what you'll need!

1 pound ground turkey

2 cups cooked pasta (gluten free or not!)

2 packages monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup light cream cheese

2 cans green chili

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can of black beans

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 cups tomatillo sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

fresh cilantro

First, bring one pot of water to boil for your pasta. In a separate pan, cook your chopped onion, garlic, and ground turkey in olive oil until brown, then rinse your black beans...

Add the black beans, green chili, cumin, chili powder and fire roasted tomatoes to your pan...

Cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until your pasta has finished cooking!

Combine the mixture in your pan with your cooked pasta, 1 package of cheese, 1/2 cream cheese and one cup of tomatillo sauce...

Transfer after mixing together to your pan...cover with additional cup of tomatillo sauce, cheese, and cilantro...

Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees, or until cheese is brown and bubbly!

Enjoy! :)