HEARTY MEAT SAUCE AND SPAGETTI SQUASH

This recipe is inspired by kindness.

My husband and I ran the 2012 Hood 2 Coast relay this summer. We totally scored by snagging two spots on a team with fellow ‘Industrial CrossFit’ peeps. Sweet!! Our team of 12 divided into two vans, heavily decorated with team spirit. We sent 6 team members in Van #1 to the starting line at Mt. Hood early Friday morning. By Saturday afternoon, after relaying 36 legs with less than a few hours of sleep, van #2 crossed the finish line in Seaside, OR. Within 27 hours we collectively logged 200 miles from Mt. Hood to the Coast. It was a blast! Here is a pic of our team -- Kickin’ Asphalt. Aaron and I are on the top row to the right, next to Jake our AWESOME driver – we appropriately nicknamed, Cap’n.

 

So, the Best. Thing. Ever. happened when we approached one of the major exchanges in downtown Portland. I got a text from Shawna, one of our friends from CrossFit.  She was like, “I thought you guys might be hungry, so I made dinner for your team”.  SAY WHA?! 

Shawna had prepared enough Paleo food to feed a small army!!  God bless her!! 

We pulled into our driveway. Exhausted.  The clouds parted and the angels sang as we saw the carepackage Shawna had left on our doorstep. A large bowl of spaghetti squash noodles.  A soup pot filled with rich meat sauce made with veggies from her garden.  AND!! A pan of Paleo brownies. We were one happy Paleo lovin’ CrossFittin’ family -- being well fed right smack in the middle of Hood 2 Coast.

Fast forward 3 weeks.  Freshly recovered from Hood 2 Coast, our war wounds have healed.  Only jolly good times exist in our memories.  Especially the memory of Shawna’s meal.  Jolly good!! I don’t know what stands out more. How amazing to have such a caring friend – or – her amazing MEAT SAUCE!! 

Anywho, I’ve been dreaming of this sauce for one too many nights!!  I had to make my own.  It was so fun to make spaghetti squash for the first time too.  You’re in for a real treat with this recipe!

GROCERY LIST

1 Spaghetti Squash

1 lb. Italian Pork Sausage
2 lb. 100% Grass-Fed Ground Beef
1 Green Pepper, chopped
2 Onion, chopped
6 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 large cans Crushed Tomatoes
1 small can Tomato Paste
Salt & Pepper
2 TBSP Fresh Italian Herbs or 1 TBSP dried
2 Bay Leaves

COOKING INSTRUCTION

 

In a large sauté pan, brown beef and sausage over medium heat until no pink remains.

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise.  Scrape out all seeds.  Place skin side down on baking sheet.  Bake 45 minutes.

 

Drain meat of fat.  Remove meat from pan, set aside.  In the same pan, sauté green pepper, onion and garlic 3-5 minutes.  (Add a bit of olive oil if your pan is too dry)

 

 

I am very pleased to report that my Organic herb garden is still alive and thriving!!  It turns out, daily watering really helps!  For my Italian blend I added marjoram, parsley, thyme, basil and oregano.

 

 

Add meat to the pan with sautéed veggies.  Toss in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to low and cover with a lid.  Simmer 45 minutes.

 

 

Meanwhile, when spaghetti squash is done cooking and cooled to the touch.  Take a fork and scrape the squash into a bowl.  This is the coolest thing – if you’ve never made a spaghetti squash, you’ll be impressed to see the squash naturally comes out noodle sized!!  How fun and useful is that?!

 

 

Layer the meat sauce on top the spaghetti squash.  Brace yourself, I guarantee you’ll be going back for seconds on this one!

 

 

‘Hearty Meat Sauce and Spaghetti Squash’ is perfect for the chilly Fall and Winter months.  AND a great meal to bring to friends!

From my kitchen, to yours…. Enjoy!!

 

FALLS BOUNTY BEEF STEW

Ok.  Don’t laugh.  Alright, you can laugh a little – only because I am.  Maybe you’ve done this too?  Back in the day, when Aaron and I were first married – I would make Nally’s Big Chunk Beef Stew – and I LOVED it.  That’s so gross.  Don’t judge.  It was 1999 and I didn’t know any better.  If I remember correctly, I would make Jiffy’s cornbread to go with. 

We were a young couple, freshly married and ready to conquer the world.  We started our home building business and had our first baby girl named Trinity.  Aaron was on a jobsite or in the office all day and I’d be home taking care of lil’ miss.   Life was great.  And Big Chunk Beef Stew is what I would serve my hard working husband when he got home.

 And we LOVED it.  

Fast track 13 years.  Knowing what we know now, about our food industry and the benefits of eating local and in season – Paleo-fying Big Chunk Beef Stew was a must. This crockpot meal utilizes falls bounty, made with large hearty chunks of vegetables and meat. 

BONUS:  Buying your produce local and in season has great benefits to your wallet and your health. 

FALL’S BOUNTY BEEF STEW

4 cups Chicken Broth

2 cups Red Wine

1 small can Tomato Paste

3-4 lbs. 100% grass-fed Beef Stew Meat

1 Yam, peeled and chopped

1 large Onion, chopped.

4 Carrots, peeled and chopped

6 celery stock, sliced

8 Mushrooms, chopped

2 Bay Leaves

2 sprigs of fresh Thyme

Salt & Pepper

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3……!!  In a crock pot, stir chicken broth, wine and tomato paste until combined.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Cover.  Cook on low 7 hours.

 

Whala!! A tasty meal awaits. Pour into large bowls, let cool a minute or two before serving.

 

Enjoy this hearty meal with a glass of your favorite red wine.

From my kitchen, to yours…. Enjoy!

~ Mary

Paleo in a Pinch

It was nearly a year ago, when my husband and I ran a Marathon only to find by the time we reached the finish line, neither of us was pleased with our own physique. You’d think after logging 40+ miles on a weekly basis, we'd be crushing in the 6-pack department. Wrong. We knew we needed a change.

Being in our early 30’s, we felt it was time to treat our bones to Weight Lifting. We were crazy enough to give CrossFit a try. Week after week, we limped ourselves back to the gym. A month into our sadistic fitness journey we were offered a Paleo Challenge. WHAT?!? Go without Bread? Go without Milk? NEVER! But our competitive side won us over and thus our Paleo family was born.
We found it was very easy to cut Grain and Dairy out of our diet. We both felt better. We ran faster. We lifted stronger. And our kids complained and made fun. Until…..they realized, they “kind of - sort of - just don’t tell my friends” - liked Paleo too.

You see, we’re all up against the mighty machine ~ the Food Industry; who tells us that fast, cheap processed food is the way to go. WRONG. Food is fuel for your body. You can fuel on Crap, or you can fuel on Crops. I’d take Crops over Crap any day!


I’d love for you to follow my ‘Paleo in a Pinch’ Blog & FaceBook page ~ let me show you how easy it is to fuel your body, so you can perform and feel your best. I don’t claim to be a scientist or a nutritionist ~ if you have questions on the science behind a Paleo lifestyle, I encourage you to read Robb Wolfs book ‘The Paleo Solution’. What I will claim ~ I have an awesome husband and in the last 14 years, we’ve created 4 businesses in Real Estate and 3 wonderful kids. Amongst the chaos of the world, we have kept our sanity by putting our health & nutrition as a top priority. Eating Paleo, along with a healthy dose of CrossFit, has landed us in the best shape of our lives.

I know there are mega people out there, dying to bust out of their shells and regain their lives. Come on…. jump on this train with me. What have you got to lose?

I hope you enjoy Paleo in a Pinch ~ be inspired, be encouraged.

~ Mary Helmes

http://www.facebook.com/#!/PaleoInAPinch