Menu Monday 11/11

Monday
Leftover Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
I adapted this Skinny Taste recipe. Basically the only thing I did different was add ground turkey and a jar tomato sauce instead of homemade. It was more of a baked pasta type dish instead of lasagna, but overall it was really yummy, and I am excited to eat it again tonight

We also got a new HUGE crock pot this weekend, Dan already put it to use making some pork and veggies. The other pictures are from my spaghetti squash adventure, they do not do it justice. I should have taken a picture after it was all bubbly after coming off of the broiler! Also, I did not like this sauce. I usually get Newman's Sock-a-rooni, but they were out. The peppers were good, but the sausage was very odd. I am glad we used our own ground turkey instead.

Tuesday
Beer Can Crock Pot Chicken
I am not drinking beer, so I might as well eat it. Something like that. I am following this recipe and adding some garlic, and to be extra special we are using some of the beer we brewed awhile back. I hope this turns out well.

Wednesday
Shrimp and Veggies

Thursday
Salmon Burgers
Our local grocery store has pre-made meals, and salmon burgers are one of them. We have been looking at getting them for a couple of weeks now, so I am pretty excited to try it out!

Friday
Pork Chops with Apples, Onions, and Spinach
This is a Dan speciality, I will post pictures afterwards, it is great!

First Timer: Spaghetti Squash

Alright Ladies and Gents,
I finally bit the bullet and did it. I made spaghetti squash.

A little background, I love noodles. In order to help with my weight loss, I have basically cut them out of my diet, because I have no self control with them. I have been seeing these spaghetti squash recipes on pinterest and everyone RAVING about how it is a wonderful pasta substitute..blah blah blah I wasn't buying it.

I did a little research (aka googled how to cook spaghetti squash) and found a couple of techniques that were similar. I went here and here and basically followed instructions. We opted for some turkey meatballs and our favorite jar of pasta sauce, easy enough.

Alright, here we go.

 

I got the squash and cut off both ends in preperation to cut it. I had Dan cut it in half for me, my fingers are too pretty to cut off. Then I took a spoon and scooped out the seeds. 

 

 Just like the recipe said I brushed it with olive oil and added a semi-generous amount of salt and pepper.

 

Put it in the oven at 400 degrees for around 45 minutes. I did re-brush it with olive oil with about ten minutes left because it was looking a little dry.

Hot and fresh out of the oven.

 

 I was honestly suprised how easily it came out and how much it looked like spaghetti. I did not wait till it was cool enough to touch, because I am a rebel, and it worked wonderfully. We added a splash of olive oil and some salt and pepper before adding our sauce and meatballs.

Gordon Ramsay would kill me on presentation, but overall we made a pretty good dish.

Lindsey's Review:
I can't believe I am saying this, but it was awesome. I am already planning other dishes using spaghetti squash. The best thing is that since it is 40 calories per cup (compared to the 200 pasta usually has) you can add those not so awesome toppings (I am looking at you alfredo) and feel less guilty.

Dan's Review:
It wasn't horrible. It didn't taste like spaghetti, more like rice noodles, but it wasn't bad.