Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash

Italian food is my favorite. My favorite restaurant was Johnny Carino’s and this little local place in Branson - Rocky's. That was my go-to dinner place for any occasion. I hate to admit it, but I could eat the entire loaf of bread by myself and then probably more. Anyway – during my pre-gluten free days, I would make a pretty decent Chicken Parmesan; full of greasy bread crumbs, cheap pasta sauce and fatty, salty cheeses. This dish is NOT that. It is light, fresh and completely homemade. It is still very filling and very tasty, just less guilt! If desired, serve this with a small salad and bread sticks. Makes 4 servings

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make 4 thin pieces

2 Tbsp red wine vinaigrette
½ cup gluten free bread crumbs (make from dry bread)
¼ cup gluten free flour (all purpose, almond or coconut work great)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp basil, chopped
½ tsp oregano, chopped
½ tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 spaghetti squash
1 cup homemade pasta sauce (See mine here!)
½ cup cheese, shredded (we used dairy free)

• In a small bowl, combine chicken breast pieces and vinaigrette. Stir until chicken is coated with the vinaigrette.
• In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip the chicken into the bread crumb mixture until chicken breast is coated with crumbs.
• Place chicken breasts in a hot skillet with olive oil. Cook on each side for about 10 minutes or until chicken breasts are cooked completely through.
• While chicken is cooking, prepare spaghetti squash. I like to just cut it in a half, scoop out the seeds and steam in microwave for about 10 minutes. Once squash is done, scrap sides with a fork to make your “spaghetti”.
• In a small saucepan, heat pasta sauce until warm. On a plate, place servings of spaghetti squash, top with chicken, pour over some sauce and sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash

Try these turkey meatballs and I’ll bet you won’t miss the beef. These are moist and flavorful without a lot of fat. We serve these meatballs over spaghetti squash and top with homemade pasta sauce. These are a huge hit at our house! Plus they are quick and easy to make!

1 lb ground turkey, lean

1 egg
¼ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
¼ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Olive oil for greasing pan
1 spaghetti squash
2 cups pasta sauce (my homemade version is found here!)

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, pepper, garlic and seasonings.
• Form into 2” meatballs and put into a greased muffin pan. This makes the baking process really easy and helps the meatballs stay together.
• Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes or until cooked completely through.
• While the meatballs are baking, cook the spaghetti squash. I find the easiest way is to cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place one half of the squash, cut side down in a glass baking dish. Add in ¼ cup water, cover and microwave for about 10 minutes. Cook the other half of squash the same way.
• Using a fork, scrape out the squash “pasta” and put onto serving plates.
• Once the meatballs are done, place two or three onto the squash pasta and top with pasta sauce. If desired, throw on some parmesan cheese and some parsley.  

Homemade Veggie Pasta Sauce

Here’s another recipe that came about from our abundance of tomatoes that ripened late. This is also the last week of canning recipes (for now). This pasta sauce is full of chunky vegetables and herbs that make it perfect for any dish. We enjoy it on spaghetti squash, pizza, with turkey meatballs, whatever you’d like! It makes a very versatile sauce!

6 cups ripe tomatoes (I had about 20 medium sized ones)

1 cup eggplant, diced
1 cup green bell peppers, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil

• Cut stems off of the tomatoes and quarter them. In a large stockpot, bring tomato quarters, vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper to boil.
• Once tomatoes are cooked until very soft, blend with an immersion blender until desired consistency. 
• Add in diced eggplant, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, garlic and fresh herbs. Continue boiling until other vegetables are cooked (about 15 minutes).
•  Ladle pasta sauce into prepared jars and finish canning however you’d like.
• This can actually be eaten immediately, but it does taste a little better if it has set for a couple weeks.
• You can also puree your tomatoes before cooking by using a food processor. This would cut out the need for an immersion blender.
• If you don't like your pasta sauce chunky, you can also blend up your other vegetables to your desired consistency.
• We've done this both ways. My son loves spaghetti but doesn't like to "see" the vegetables in the sauce. So I have blended up the vegetables with the tomatoes so he's still getting the extra nutrients but doesn't know what all is in there.