Easter Eats 2013
It’s hard to believe I go back to school already today, but then again, I did only have one week off. Anyway, I feel settled in again after my trip home to Michigan, and had a lovely weekend. It felt so good to not have any schoolwork and besides that, the weather was in the 70s! It felt incredible and I did my best to soak up the vitamin-D!
Look at all those daffodils in our back yard! Sun and green grass too! Hooray for spring!
Because this is already going to be a lengthier post, I’m going to recap about our Easter dinner and then talk about my Saturday in Tuesday’s post. Here’s a little precursor about Saturday though: sauerkraut tasting!
I mentioned on Friday that I was thinking of making deviled eggs, and so I did. I didn’t want to make a big batch, so I made just enough for Jesse and me to eat. I had never made deviled eggs before, but have looked at many recipes and eaten them before, so I knew the basic idea. These turned out great, and Jesse and I sat out on the patio in shorts and t-shirts while eating them. We also enjoyed some chardonnay in our new wine glasses that my aunt and cousin sent as a shower gift, and had some pleasant conversation.
For dinner, we had a petite ham from US Wellness Meats with a homemade glaze, pineapple chutney, a spinach salad and cooked asparagus. We had a cake for dessert, which you’ll see my note about at the bottom of the post. Recipes are listed below.
For the small-batch deviled eggs:
- 4 hard-cooked pastured eggs, peeled
- 1.5 Tbsp macadamia nut oil mayo
- 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
- Paprika for garnish, optional
- Slice eggs in half, lengthwise and carefully scoop the yolks out into a bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork and then add the remaining ingredients, except the paprika. Mix well and spoon into a small zip-lock baggie.
- Snip one of the corners from the baggie and pipe yolk mixture back into the egg cavity.
- Before serving, garnish with paprika, if using.
Small-batch deviled eggs.
For the ham and glaze:
- 1 2.5 lb US Wellness Meats sugar-free ham
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 1 Tbsp orange juice
- Pinch of cloves
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ham in a foil-lined roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the glaze ingredients. After 30 minutes, brush half the glaze on the ham. Roast for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and brush on the remaining glaze. Bake for another 10 minutes.
The chutney was inspired by a Whole Foods recipe, but modified to my liking. It was a wonderful accompaniment to the ham and together, it was out of this world (and the glaze was not overpowering or super sweet). I hadn’t tasted ham probably since early high school and boy, was it good! I’d buy this US Wellness Meats ham again in a heartbeat! Compassionate-raised pasture ham is hard to come by, especially one that is both sugar-free and nitrate-free. This is a major win.
For the chutney:
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
- 2/3 cup orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer for 10-20 minutes, until mixture has thickened.
- Remove cinnamon stick and serve warm atop of ham.
Glazed ham with chutney, spinach salad and browned asparagus.
The salad idea came together while grocery shopping for Easter dinner…on Easter Sunday. Ha, we never made it to the store on Saturday, like we usually do, so we had to go on actual Easter day. I expanded upon my salad idea as I assembled it at home, and the result was refreshing and summer-like.
For the spinach salad:
- 2 cups raw spinach
- 1/2 cup curley parsley, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
- 2 Tbsp chopped raw cashews
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 2 Tbsp Tessemae’s lemon garlic dressing (Whole Foods carries this line now! So excited!)
In a large bowl, mix together everything, but the dressing. Just before serving, mix in the dressing.
Easter dinner.
If you really want to know what I did for the asparagus, I melted 2 Tbsp of grass-fed butter over medium heat. Then, I added a bundle of asparagus (woody ends removed) and seasoned with sea salt and pepper. I tossed the asparagus occasionally and allowed it to brown and caramelize a bit. Once tender, after 5-7 minutes, I removed from heat.
We had a delicious chocolate cake for dessert that I will post about later in the week. I think there’s enough recipes here for one day!
I’d love to hear about your Easter, and what you cooked and ate! Feel free to share!
Baked Bananas and Squash
Baked bananas and butternut squash.
Wow, what a morning it’s been. I’m already whooped and the day continues! I woke up tired from a poor night’s sleep, ate breakfast, studied a little and then dropped our cat, Mila, off at the vet just after 7 this morning for a procedure. After seeing her off and getting the lowdown from the vet tech, I drove straight to school for two (challenging) back-to-back finals. I felt really bad leaving Mila, especially because she was crying, scared and hungry (we couldn’t feed her after 8 p.m. last night), but it’s for her best interest. Jesse will pick her up later this evening. Poor little dear.
Now, I need to pack for my trip home to Michigan, nap (hopefully) and go to work. My flight is at 12:55 a.m. tonight, well technically tomorrow morning, so I’m going to try and sleep briefly again tonight, before going to the airport. Then, I’ll get a few hours of crummy sleep on the flight, have a 4-hour layover in Minneapolis (yuck) and then a 2-hour flight directly into my hometown of Alpena. It exhausts me just thinking about everything, but it’s only one day and I’ll make it through. Plus, I get to see my family, attend my wedding shower and not think about school since I’m officially on spring break. It’s all good stuff and the pros outweigh the cons.
Meanwhile, here’s a good, carb-y side dish for you all. Jesse and I ate it with chicken breasts and sauteed kale for dinner, which was a great combo. It’d be awesome with some eggs and bacon or sausage too. For an extra dash of yum, drizzle with coconut butter…mmm!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cubed
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 medium bananas, thinly sliced (use just-ripened bananas that are yellow, but no or few brown spots)
- Cinnamon to taste
- Dash of cayenne
- Dash of sea salt
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened pineapple or orange juice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Place squash cubes on a baking sheet and toss with the coconut oil, cinnamon, cayenne and sea salt. Add the bananas and pour pineapple or orange juice over everything. Toss again, gently, so as to not mash up the bananas. Sprinkle with more cinnamon, if desired.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until squash is tender.
Creamy Cinnamon Chicken
Creamy cinnamon chicken over mashed butternut squash.
As stated by Jesse, “this meal is like dessert.” I can’t help but agree with the accuracy of his description. After all, it’s creamy, coconutty and cinnamony, and the butternut squash adds a touch of sweetness. It’s a beautiful combination.
On another note, it’s officially my birthday week! I enjoy celebrating my birthday every year, whether I do something low-key or not. I just like birthdays. I don’t typically celebrate all week long, and honestly, don’t really have the time to do so right now, but will do something special on my actual birth day. It’s this Saturday, if you’re wondering, and I’ll be turning 28 years young. It’s going to be a hectic week school-wise, so I’m looking forward to getting there.
Anyway, happy Monday and I hope you all enjoy this recipe!
Ingredients:
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 – 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp coconut butter
- 2-3 tsp cinnamon
- 1-3 tsp coconut flour, if needed for thickening
- Butternut squash, roasted and mashed, optional
Directions:
- Melt coconut pan in a large pan over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and saute a few minutes. Mix in the cinnamon and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
- Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and the coconut butter; stir. Allow chicken to continue to cook over medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes. Thicken with coconut flour if needed and add up to 1/2 cup more coconut milk, if needed or desired.
- I recommend serving over mashed butternut squash. Alternatively, you can use a veggie of your choice.
Yields: ~5 servings
Spicy Red Velvet Brownies
Valentine’s Day spicy red velvet brownies.
I’m not a big Valentine’s person and don’t care much about the pseudo holiday, but I still always end up doing a little something for Jesse. I think it’s because I was raised celebrating Valentine’s Day, both in school and at home, and a part of me still enjoys doing something cheesy or cute. What can I say? I don’t go all out though and always keep it low key. We usually have dinner at home with a special dessert, and I like to surprise Jesse with a few special dark chocolates from a local chocolatier. Jesse sometimes buys me flowers, but not always. He says he always wants to, but our Siamese cat, Mila, loves to eat them. And then get sick. We end up having to hide the flowers in the laundry closet when we’re not home because of her. We have a very small place too and aren’t able to make any part of our home off limits, except for closets. We can’t even have plants in our house, besides bamboo, because she’ll go to town on it.
This recipe was inspired by Elana’s Pantry Purple Velvet Torte. It was my first time making a dessert with beets, and I will say, it worked out very well. There’s still a little bit of beet flavor, but the honey tones it down and the cocoa makes for a nice complement. Additionally, these are incredibly moist. That would actually be how I’d describe the brownies if I could only pick one word. Maybe red (or reddish) too, if I could pick two words.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups red beets, chopped
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter, melted
- 4 pasture raised eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup homemade chocolate chips
Biggest beet ever. I only needed this big beet for the recipe because it yielded so much.
Directions:
- Place beets inside a steamer basket in a pot, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.
- Once done, add the beets to a high-speed blender with the vanilla and honey. Blend a couple minutes, or until smooth and well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, cayenne, sea salt, cocoa powder and homemade chocolate chips. Blend on high for a minute or so. Then, add the melted butter and blend again.
- If the beet mixture is still warm, which it most likely will be, temper the beaten eggs by mixing a little of the beet mixture into the eggs. Once mixed, pour the eggs into the blender. This will ensure you don’t end up with scrambled eggs in your brownies! Blend for another minute, or until mixed through.
- Grease an 8×8 pan and pour batter evenly into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (it’ll still be beet red though!). Let cool for at least 25 minutes before cutting, as it takes some time for the brownies to set up. If you cut into them too early, they will fall apart.
- Once cool, cut into squares or use cookie cutters to make shapes. I made heart shapes for Valentine’s Day.
Fudgy, moist, and slightly sweet and beety.
Simple Supper Friday: Indian-Style Turkey Stew
Indian-style turkey stew, served over steamed kale.
I don’t know about all of you, but it’s been one heck of a week for me. I honestly felt like I didn’t have enough time in the day to get everything done, and was tempted to give life a call and say that I wasn’t going to show up. It’s funny, because my yoga teacher said this exact same thing yesterday morning, and mentioned that she was tempted to call in and find a sub, because she wanted a break from life. But, she didn’t…she showed up anyway and shared her honesty. She remembered the bigger picture, and the notion that when we show up on the days we feel like throwing in the towel, we often have the richest experiences.
Everything she said was so reminiscent of my week. I was drowning in assignments, studying, writing, work and projects, and wanted so badly to stop everything. I wanted a reprieve. Instead, I moved forward and did the best that I could, knowing that giving up was not an option. What good w0uld it do, and how would it benefit me? I have goals and aspirations, but challenges and struggles are always going to present themselves. It’s part of the process, and how I face these challenges is reminiscent of my character. This journey is not meant to be easy, and this week especially, I needed that reminder from my teacher to embrace it.
What do you do when you are burnt out, under a lot of pressure and feel like giving life a timeout (that worked on Saved by the Bell, but doesn’t work in real life, unfortunately)?
Meanwhile, here’s a quick and tasty recipe for your Friday. It features garam masala, a warm spice blend that I sadly forget about more often than not. Thankfully, my dear friend, Macala has reminded me about it’s loveliness on numerous recent occasions. It’s one of her favorites to add to ground meat, and I can definitely understand why. I even thought of her when using it in this recipe. Miss Macala, I appreciate you, in more ways than one!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey thighs
- 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1-2 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or butter
- Steamed greens of choice for serving (I used kale)
- Cilantro for garnish, optional
Directions:
- Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for a couple minutes. Next, add the ground turkey and break up the meat with a spatula.
- Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, and allow meat to brown for several minutes.
- Next, add the spices, diced tomatoes and coconut milk, and mix well. Continue to cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat, until mixture thickens up a bit. Then, mix in the ghee.
- Serve over steamed greens of choice (I recommend kale) and garnish with cilantro, if using.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Yes, that is bright, vibrant green grass in my backyard. You’d almost think it was spring.
Simple Supper Friday: Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken
Slow cooker apricot chicken, served atop mashed butternut squash.
Wow, what an exhausting, but good week! I am whooped and so glad that it’s Friday. I admit, I haven’t done the greatest with my sleep this week and part of it is due to poor planning. Sure, I had an extra busy week, but most of this falls back on me. I gladly take the blame. Yesterday was especially brutal on the tiredness scale, and I even took a cat-nap before going to work in the evening. I opted to get better sleep last night, put my computer away and got to bed at my preferred time. I’ve got to get myself back on track because things are only going to get more hectic!
Anyway, pull out your slow cooker for this one! With some simple prep and steps, you can have this in your slow cooker in no time, but remember to plan ahead for the cooking time.
Slow cookers really are my saving grace. Plus, I can’t get enough shredded meat. It’s my favorite.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup unsweetened, unsulphered dried apricots, halved
Directions:
- Melt the 1 tsp of the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Brown on both sides for a couple minutes. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add more if needed. Add the onion and saute a few minutes, until it becomes translucent. Stir in the ginger, garlic, cinnamon and allspice. Cook and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Cook a few minutes longer, until heated through. Pour mixture into slow cooker and add the dried halved apricots. Place chicken on top of the mixture and cover.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4.
- When done, shred the chicken with two forks and mix together.
- Serve atop vegetable of choice (kale, squash, etc.). I used mashed butternut squash.
Yields: 4-5 servings
My sister bought me a couple of these beautiful plates for Christmas. The plates are Gmundner Keramik, ceramic handmade plates from the city of Gmunden in Austria. She said this company is known all throughout Europe, but naturally, the most popular in Austria. She also said this is probably the most famous design. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Thanks again, Amanda!
Baked Delicata Squash Fries
Baked delicata squash fries.
Sometimes I have moments where I’ll be sitting on the sofa, dilly dallying or working on my computer, and then suddenly get the urge to get up and make something in the kitchen…like pronto! Seriously, it’ll just happen out of the blue. I actually like when this happens though because it feels spur of the moment, fun and usually results in something delicious. Does this happen to anyone else?
These squash fries are the result of one of those moments. It’s a simple recipe and maybe something you’ve made or tried before, but for me it was new. Sure, I roast veggies and squash all the time, but this was my first attempt at squash fries…at least I think it was.
Anyway, make these and do your best to save some for your husband, wife, significant other, roomie, kids, etc. If you want though, you can keep them all to yourself and I won’t blame you one bit. I resisted eating the whole batch and saved some for Jesse. Could I have downed the whole batch? Yes, easily. But I felt like Jesse deserved to taste these cinnamon-y bites, especially because he loves delicata squash so much. I guess I’m a pretty nice person.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium delicata squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (remove seeds from center after cutting)
- 2 Tbsp melted grass-fed ghee (coconut oil works too)
- Himalayan sea salt to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
Cut like so.
Spread on baking sheet and toss with oil and spices. I know, that one on the back is a bit thick, but I didn’t want to cut myself trying to get it thinner. It’s fine, but really, I need a mandolin slicer.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place squash rounds on a baking sheet and pour melted ghee over top. Sprinkle on the cinnamon, chili powder and sea salt, and toss together.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring a couple times to prevent burning.
- Serve right away, as the fries get kinda soggy after sitting out for a while.
Cinnamon, spice and everything nice.
Soft and slightly crisp.
Pumpkin Banana Spice Cookies
Pumpkin banana spice cookies.
The pumpkin saga continues. It’s just that time of year when there’s literally pumpkin everything (I even tried pumpkin burgers last night, compliments of Civilized Caveman — they were awesome!). Being the pumpkin lover that I am, I’m okay with that.
Sometimes I don’t know why I decide to do stuff at the last second. Like yesterday evening, about 30 minutes before I had to be at the gym to help coach class, I decided to whip together these cookies. I didn’t think they’d bake as long as they did, and literally walked out the door one or two minutes after taking them out of the oven. Yes, I ate one on my way out the door too because I can’t resist a warm cookie, fresh from the oven. My kind self even grabbed one for Jesse since he was at the gym (we coached together last night). He was pleasantly surprised when I handed him a warm cookie upon my arrival. What’s even better is that he enjoyed it, despite the fact that it didn’t contain chocolate (have I told you that he’s a dark chocoholic? Well, he is. Hardcore).
*Inspiration for this recipe came from What Runs Lori.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1/3 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened almond butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 – 2 Tbsp water, coconut or almond milk (start w/ 1 Tbsp & add more if batter needs it, omit if batter is moist enough)
- 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp raw honey, optional
Cookies, ready for the oven.
Cookies, post-baking. I managed to snap a photo right before I had to walk out the door.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-slip baking mat.
- Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. (Note: mine took 20 minutes).
- Remove pan from oven once done and let cookies sit on the baking sheet for a couple minutes. Then, carefully remove with a spatula and place on a cooling rack.
Yields: 12-16 cookies
Soft, spiced drop cookies. They kind of taste like banana bread.
Cookie close-up.
Spiced Cranberry Relish
Spiced cranberry relish.
This has forever been my favorite cranberry recipe and it’s all thanks to my mom. I don’t know how many years ago she first made this recipe, but prior to it, I never really cared for cranberries. I wanted to like them and always scooped some on my plate because they looked pretty and fruity, but would soon be disappointed. I’d probably like a more standard cranberry recipe now, but back then, it was too tart for my taste buds. This one is by no means overly sweet, but the orange juice and spices add a nice variety to the sauce. I love the dried cherries too, especially because they plump up during the cooking process. Unfortunately, I made the relish sans cherries this time because I didn’t have any on hand. Plus, the only place I know that I can find unsweetened dried cherries is Trader Joe’s and I wasn’t about to make a special trip. For Thanksgiving though, it’ll have the dried cherries. I can’t wait to eat it on top of the local, pastured turkey I’ll be cooking … my first time cooking a whole turkey!
This has been modified slightly from my mom’s original recipe, but only in terms of the sugar. It actually calls for much more sugar than I put in (2/3 cup) and also in the form of white sugar. I cut it down more than the recommended 1/3 (or somewhere around there) when subbing liquid sugar for dry because I don’t like things as sweet, and always opt for as little sweetener as possible. Plus, there’s added sweetness from the orange juice and cherries, when using.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz fresh cranberries, rinsed
- 3/4 cup 100% pure orange juice
- 2-3 Tbsp raw honey
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of cloves
- 1/2 cup dried unsweetened cherries, optional
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Dissolving the honey with the orange juice and spices.
Directions:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine juice, honey and spices. Cook, stirring frequently, until honey is dissolved.
- Add cranberries and dried cherries, if using, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes, or until cranberries pop. Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Chill for several hours before serving.
Beautiful Oregon cranberries.
Mostly tart, but slightly sweet. These taste even better the next day.
More than anything, my favorite thing about cranberries is their beautiful, festive color.
Simple Supper Friday: Cincinnati-Style Chili
Cincinnati-style chili.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about Cincinnati chili. I’m not really sure why or how it popped into my head, but it did. I recall really liking it in my younger years, and remember first trying it when I was in elementary school — probably third or fourth grade. My mom went through a phase of making it for a while, but then it kind of fizzled out and we stuck with standard spaghetti and standard chili. I think part of why I liked it as a kid was because it involved two certain foods (that kids often love): 1. spaghetti noodles and 2. cheddar cheese. As you can guess, this version doesn’t include either of those things, though traditionally, both foods are involved in Cincinnati-style chili. Instead, I use spaghetti squash strands as noodles and garnish with chopped kale instead of cheddar cheese. In this regard, it’s not traditional midwestern-style at all, but I like to think it’s way better!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
- 1 tsp grass-fed tallow (or fat of choice)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- 1-1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup bone broth (or decent store bought)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp raw honey, optional
- 1-15 oz can of no salt added tomato sauce (I like Muir Glen Organic brand)
- 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
- Raw, stemmed kale leaves, chopped for garnish, optional
The chili mixture.
Directions:
- Melt the tallow in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion and garlic. Break up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon and cook until the most of the meat is browned, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the sea salt, spices and cocoa powder, and cook about 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, bone broth and raw honey, if using (I recommend it). Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- While chili is simmering, bake the spaghetti squash. Add about 1/4-inch of water to a pan and place squash halves skin side up in the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees F. If the squash cooks any longer than this, it often makes the strands mushy (unless you have a really big squash).
- Once the squash is done, scrape out strands for noodles and serve with the chili mixture on top. I like to mix a little dab of grass-fed butter and sea salt into my squash before scooping the chili on top, but that’s totally optional. Garnish with chopped kale, if using.
