“Spaghetti” with Ricotta & Cherry Tomatoes is fresh and flavourful! This simple whole food dish is easy to prepare and only requires 6 simple ingredients. It’s the perfect dish during the summer months when fresh basil and cherry tomatoes are abundant. Gluten & grain free + low-carb.
After my recent trip to Italy, I’ve been feeling even more inspired to create healthier gluten free versions of some great Italian spaghetti dishes. This time around, I decided to experiment with one of my favourite cheeses growing up, ricotta!
I don’t consume dairy on a regular basis, but when I come across fresh, high-quality cheeses (like the ricotta cheese from Quality Cheese in Woodbridge) it’s an absolute MUST have!
There are a few ricotta inspired recipes I’ve been itching to try, but I wanted to start with this one since you can still find fresh tomatoes and basil in stores.
So, if your body can digest dairy well and you’re looking for a flavourful whole food “spaghetti” dish to try, I definitely recommend this one. It’s low carb, gluten & grain free!
What you need for “Spaghetti” with Ricotta & Cherry Tomatoes:
"Spaghetti" with Ricotta & Cherry Tomatoes is fresh and flavourful! This simple whole food dish is easy to prepare and only requires 6 simple ingredients. It's the perfect dish during the summer months when fresh basil and cherry tomatoes are abundant.
Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds with spoon. Bake at 400F for 30-40 min (first 10 min bake with flesh down, then turn so skin is down for remaining time). Fork should pierce skin easily when squash is cooked. Use a fork to scrape out the strands of squash when done.
When spaghetti squash is almost done, heat olive oil in saucepan (medium heat) and add garlic, tomatoes and salt.
Cook for a few minutes until tomatoes soften and garlic begins to brown and then remove garlic cloves.
Add ricotta cheese and 1 cup of hot water to tomato sauce and stir. Let reduce for a few minutes.
Add spaghetti squash to saucepan. Toss and cook for 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat, toss in basil and serve.
Notes
Note on spaghetti squash: Cooking time varies depending on the size of the squash. Check regularly to avoid overcooking the squash. You want the noodles to be ‘al dente’.
Vegetable “rice” is a great low-carb, gut friendly and nutrient-dense substitute for grains like rice, quinoa and couscous. It’s extremely versatile and can be used as a base or side for so many dishes. AIP, keto, paleo & plant-based
Here are a few great ways to add vegetable “rice” to your menu …
1. Use it as a side to salmon, steak, chicken or another protein source.
4. Add “rice” and a can of wild salmon, sardines or tuna to a container, and take it with you to work for a healthy lunch.
5. Eat it on its own as a mid-day snack — vegetable “rice” tastes great cold too, so just grab the leftovers from the fridge and enjoy!
I like to make a batch of this “rice” ahead of time and add it to different meals throughout my week. It makes meal prep super easy – and adds tons of flavour and nutrients to my meals!
Vegetable "rice" is a great low-carb, gut friendly and nutrient-dense substitute for grains like rice, quinoa and couscous. It’s extremely versatile and can be used as a base or side for so many dishes. AIP, keto, paleo & plant-based
Chop vegetables into large chunks, place on baking sheet and coat with oil and salt.
Bake for 45-minutes.
Put cooked vegetables and vinegar/lemon juice in a food processor and process into a rice-like consistency. I recommend using the pulse function so you don't over-process. You may need to do this step in two batches.
Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings are not only irresistibly good, but they’re healthy too! The flavours are right on–not too salty and not overpowered by vinegar–and will leave you salivating for the next wing. This simple wing recipe is gluten free, low-carb, keto & paleo.
Look for pastured chicken that has been ethically raised in open pastures with NO antibiotics, drugs or GMOs. Wild Meadows Farm is a great place to find high-quality meat that you can get delivered to your door!
I also recommend using heat stable avocado oil, which has a smoke point of 500F. You can safely bake your wings in the oven at a high temperature without worrying about creating toxic fumes or harmful free radicals.
What are you waiting for? Give this awesome wing recipe a try!
Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings are not only irresistibly good, but they're healthy too! The flavours are right on--not too salty and not overpowered by vinegar--and will leave you salivating for the next wing. This simple wing recipe is gluten free, low-carb, keto & paleo.
Preheat oven to 400F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pat dry wings with paper towel, add to a large bowl and coat with avocado oil.
Add pepper and 1 tsp. salt to bowl and toss wings so they are evenly coated.
Place wings on baking sheet in a single layer (try to leave some room between wings) and bake for 45 minutes.
While wings are cooking mix vinegar, paprika/cayenne, garlic powder and 1 tsp. salt in a large bowl.
Remove wings from oven and turn oven to 'broil'. Add wings to the large bowl with vinegar and toss until the wings are evenly coated.
Place wings back on the baking tray, put the tray on the top rack of the oven and broil until the wings get crispy again (3-5-minutes depending on how hot your broiler gets).
Remove from oven, place on platter and spoon the remaining vinegar sauce from the bowl over the wings. Garnish with parsley.
This Cold Matcha Latte is a great way to start your day or to give you a gentle mid-day energy boost! Made with just 3 simple ingredients and in less than 3-minutes. AIP, paleo, low-carb & plant-based.
DID YOU KNOW? Matcha Green Tea can help to support weight loss.
According to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consuming green tea increased thermogenesis, (the body’s rate of burning calories) from 8-10% to 35-43% of daily energy expenditure.
So what causes this increase in thermogenesis?
Polyphenols – plant-based compound with powerful antioxidant properties.
Matcha is an excellent source of the polyphenols – and contains significantly higher levels than regular green tea, increasing its metabolism boosting and thermogenic effects in the body.
Of course, you can’t out-matcha an unhealthy diet, BUT matcha green tea in addition to a healthy diet is a great and natural way to raise your metabolism and help support weight loss.
This Cold Matcha Latte is a great way to start your day or to give you a gentle mid-day energy boost! Made with just 3 simple ingredients and in less than 3-minutes. AIP, paleo, low-carb & plant-based.
Ciabotta (also known as ciambotta or giambotta) is an Italian vegetable stew that is a common summer dish throughout southern Italy.
Similar to the French ratatouille, this vegetable stew is made up of seasonal Mediterranean vegetables slowly cooked down with tomatoes and finished with fresh basil.
My Nonna (a.k.a. Ma) made this dish every Summer for as long as I can remember. Although she called it peperonata (which is predominately peppers and onions), she prepared it more like ciabotta with the addition of other vegetables like eggplant and zucchini.
BUT, we won’t tell Ma that I changed the name of her famous Summer dish.
My family could always rely on Ma for containers filled with this vegetable stew, especially when the garden was overflowing with zucchini and eggplant.
She’d send my Nonno out to the garden to pick all the good stuff, while she spent hours in the kitchen (a place she truly loved to be) preparing this dish and many more. Basically, my Nonno was the gardener and Ma was the chef (and not a day passed where Ma didn’t yell at Nonno for bugging her while she was trying to cook).
This dish is dedicated to my Ma... Thank you for passing on your love of cooking to me and inspiring me to create traditional Italian dishes that bring back fun family memories.
Now give this simple and delicious ciabotta a try. It’s the perfect summer time dish and works well with meat or fish.
Here’s what you need for Ciabotta (Italian vegetable stew):
Ciabotta (also known as ciambotta or giambotta) is an Italian vegetable stew that is a common summer dish in Abruzzo, as well as all throughout southern Italy. Similar to the French ratatouille, this vegetable stew is made up of seasonal Mediterranean vegetables slowly cooked down with tomatoes and finished with fresh basil.Give this simple and delicious ciabotta a try. It's a wonderful side to meat or fish.
796mlcan fire roasted tomatoes, or other canned tomatoes
3tbspolive oil
1tspsea salt, add more if desired
Black pepper, to taste
Handful of fresh basil
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the onion and garlic. Cook at medium heat until the onions are translucent. Keep stirring to prevent the garlic from burning.
Add in chopped vegetables along with the canned tomatoes and salt. Simmer on low for 1 hour. If the liquid reduces too much, add a little water.
Taste and season with more salt if needed and black pepper.
Add a handful of torn basil, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, mix and serve.
Lemon Sesame Protein Balls are perfect for a healthy mid-day snack or pre/post workout fuel! They’re are soft, chewy and very satisfying given that they’re loaded with good fats and protein. These no-bake balls are super easy to make with ONLY 4 ingredients needed!
DID YOU KNOW? Sesame seeds are beneficial for female hormones.
Sesame seeds contain phytoestrogens, plant compounds that are similar to the hormone estrogen.
Therefore, sesame seeds might be beneficial for women during menopause when estrogen levels drop. Phytoestrogens may help counteract hot flashes and other symptoms of low estrogen.
What’s more, sesame seeds are a rich source of lignan precursors. These specific compounds are produced by the microflora in the colon and have been shown to have powerful cancer-fighting effects on several specific types of cancer.
A 2012 study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that dietary lignans may act as a natural cancer treatment to reduce breast cancer risk by modifying tumor characteristics. In the study, lignan intakes were associated with a lower risk of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer. The study found that women with the highest intake of lignans compared to the lowest intake had a 40 percent to 50 percent lower chance of developing breast cancer.
All that said, if you’re looking for an easy way to add more sesame seeds into your diet, try my Lemon Sesame Protein Balls.
These protein balls are great for a healthy mid-day snack or quick pre/post workout fuel. Make a batch and store them in the fridge or freezer, so you’ll always have a healthy snack ready to pop or take with you when you’re running out the door.
Lemon Sesame Protein Balls are perfect for a healthy mid-day snack or pre/post workout fuel! They’re are soft, chewy and very satisfying given that they’re loaded with good fats and protein. These no-bake balls are super easy to make with ONLY 4 ingredients needed!
3/4cupPurePaleo Protein Powder vanilla, or PurePea Protein for plant-based version
6-8dropsfood-grade lemon essential oil , or 1.5 tsp lemon extract
2tbspsesame seeds, black or white
1/4tspsea salt
Instructions
Add sesame seed butter, protein powder, lemon oil or extract and sea salt into the food processor and combine ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape sides if needed. Mixture should be dense and smooth so it can be pressed together. If it's too wet, add more protein powder. If it's too dry, add more sesame seed butter (1 tsp at a time).
Using a teaspoon, scoop mixture and form into small balls. If balls are too sticky to form, place mixture into the freezer for 10-minutes then remove and form balls.
Roll balls into sesame seeds then place them in large shallow glass container so they're not touching one another.
Store protein balls in the fridge or freezer for a frozen treat. Once the balls have firmed up, feel free to stack them in a smaller container.
My mission is to help women heal their gut, lose weight and feel great through simple and delicious smoothies, whole food nutrition & healthy lifestyle habits.
