Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Spaghetti squash and fresh vegetables simmered with a quick marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella if you desire – easy, cheap, gluten-free and perfect for Meatless Mondays!
This was inspired after watching a marathon of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but this time we actually decided to go to the nearest DDD restaurant, The Pit Stop which was featured on the show for their spaghetti squash primavera.

As a spaghetti squash lover myself, I ordered it and loved it and knew I wanted to re-make this at home. Super easy to make and you can use whatever vegetables you like – I used broccoli, carrots and zucchini but you can use asparagus, eggplant or bell peppers. To speed this up I made the spaghetti squash in the microwave which takes only about 8 minutes to cook, but if you have more time you can make it in the oven, the directions below are for both.
Of course, I had to top mine with fresh mozzarella which was just made and still warm when I bought it this morning! Leave the cheese out for vegan, dairy-free or paleo diets, nutritional info is provided below both ways. This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, and you can easily double the recipe to make it 4 servings using a larger saute pan. You can also freeze this once cooked and reheat it in the oven for another day, enjoy!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/spaghetti-squash-primavera.html

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Strawberries

Vanilla beans, strawberries and cream make this luscious dessert worthy of a standing O!
Panna cotta is one of my FAVORITE desserts when prepared properly. It’s such an easy dessert to make and it can easily be adapted with many different flavor profiles. Although it’s usually made very rich with heavy cream, I’ve been able to play around with the ingredients through the years to give this dessert that same lusciousness, yet using much less cream.
If you need a dessert this Holiday season to impress your guests, I promise, this one is it! And since it needs at least four to five hours to set it’s the perfect dessert to make a day or two ahead.
I’ve tried so many panna cotta recipes from blogs through the years that looked so beautiful, only to be disappointed. Perhaps I’m a bit of panna cotta snob, because I know what a good panna cotta should taste like. It shouldn’t have the texture of jello, instead it should be creamy and smooth, almost pudding like in texture. I’ve tested this particular recipe FIVE times to get it perfect, so if you plan on trying this – don’t change a thing!
For diabetics, yes, this will work with Splenda or other sweeteners, and of course cut back on even more calories. So go grab a spoon and savor each spoonful of this vanilla treat.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/vanilla-bean-panna-cotta-with-strawberries.html

Blueberry Kale Smoothie

Don’t be afraid by the color of this smoothie, I promise it tastes better than it looks! The dark color is from antioxidant rich blueberries and kale (one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet). Black is the new green!
Combined with almond milk, peanut butter, ripe banana and dates, this smoothie is naturally sweet, filling and so good for you!
For those of you on Weight Watchers, I never know if I should count the fruit in my smoothies. Some say no, others say yes. I’ve decided to count the dates, but not the banana and blueberries – your call!
Here’s a helpful tip: When you’re bananas are brown, freckled and look like they’re ready to be thrown out – peel them, cut them and put them in your freezer, they are perfect in smoothies! Buy organic berries when they go on sale, and freeze them too!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/blueberry-kale-smoothie.html

Spaghetti Squash with Arugula Pesto

Hi guys! Just wanted to share an easy recipe I had for lunch today made with spaghetti squash and pesto. This took less than 15 minutes to make and was delicious.I am honored to be a guest blogger this month for Better Homes and Gardens. The task was s…
http://www.thinpedia.com/spaghetti-squash-with-arugula-pesto.html