Passion Project: Spaghetti Squash with Pork Sausage

Hope you all enjoyed learning about chicken through my passion project week! Now that we’re done with the bird, we’re switching to the hog. Pork is an incredible animal! It’s rich, full of flavors, and starting to steal the show on restaurant menus again. Since it’s less practical for me to buy a full pig, I won’t be posting through the week like for chicken. I will, however, select a few cuts to explore and post these.

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Acorn Squash, Brown Rice and Chickpeas Veggie Burgers

Every time I come back to the US, I’m mostly vegetarian. Why “mostly”? Well, because truth be told… I love meat! I really do. In fact I’ll even say that nothing comes close to a really well prepared, cooked, and seasoned steak. However, I do care about the ways in which animals are treated though, and since I don’t really know anything about this subject here in Philadelphia, I “mostly” avoid buying meat.

Fridge Friday: Tagliatelle with a Spicy Beef Bolognese

Mama mia! It’s been a while since I last posted a pasta recipe, which is funny considering I eat it at least once a week. I figured Fridge Friday would be a good occasion to post one, since I usually turn a lot of leftovers into pasta sauces. So for this second edition, I came up with a twist on a classic bolognese, using leftover beef.

Parma Pizza with Prosciutto, Mozzarella and a Cauliflower Crust

I know, I know… You’re probably thinking: “she definitely missed the boat on that one… Cauliflower Crust is old news!”. And you’d almost be right. After all, it has been around for a bunch of years now, so it is kind of old news. However, I found a way to challenge the “classic” recipe, by removing cheese from the crust. If this recipe is meant to be “healthy”, why make a cheesy dough? It’s no better than flour! So I decided to make my crust dairy-free, so that I could enjoy it without guilt! As you can see, I also wanted it non-soggy, so that slices could be picked up like regular pizza.

Veggie Chili with Quinoa, Mixed Potatoes, Carrots, and Beans

I know what you’re probably thinking: “Who eats chili during Spring season?” Well, if you knew Philly weather right now, you’d understand. It’s been cold, rainy, gray, and anything but spring-like. So when the weather brings me down, my favorite way to warm up is to eat a big bowl of soup, or chili. These are my go-to options, and since I’ve already posted a soup recipe, I thought I’d share a chili one for today. This veggie version really hits the spot, and the beans and potatoes completely make up for the meat. Though the list of ingredients may look slightly intimidating at first, it’s a mix of canned ingredients, and common fresh produce. Plus, the recipe is basically a “one-pot stop”, and the only tough thing is to wait for it to cook, and hold yourself from eating out of the pot when your whole house starts to smell deliciously yummy. Bon appétit!

Recipe inspired by Ambitious Kitchen.

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Prep Time: 40 min

Ingredients: Serves 2 people (at least)

• 1/2 cup dried quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion
• a handful of baby carrots
• 1/2 can tomato sauce
• 1 can black beans
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 small yellow potato
• 1 small sweet potato
• a pinch of nutmeg
• a pinch of cumin
• a pinch of cinnamon
• salt, pepper to taste
• plain yogurt (optional)

Directions:

1. Cover the dried quinoa with a cup of water, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender (about 15 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, chop the onion and the carrots in small pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, and add the diced onion with the carrots and some salt. Sauté until the onions become translucent and soft.
3. Next, add the tomato sauce, black beans, vegetable stock, quinoa, and spices. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat before you add the mixed potatoes. Bring back to a simmer, cover, and let it cook until the potatoes are done (about 30 minutes).
4. To plate, scoop the chili in a bowl, and top with a dollop of plain yogurt, fresh salt and pepper, and a healthy drizzle of olive oil!