Staying healthy and feeling satiated after a meal doesn’t have to always include animal protein, in my opinion. There are countless arguments as to why it is beneficial to avoid meat and dairy but lets face it, if it doesn’t taste good then suddenly our reasoning doesn’t seem to matter that much in a time of hunger. Hunger is a very real and powerful sensation and our mind starts to do funny things if it sneaks up on us. So the key is always preparation!

Eating meat-free is no different than making a choice to eat a clean, healthy diet (which I will assume all of Stacey’s readers already know a bit about).  Planning ahead is what makes you successful in this personal goal and after awhile it just becomes an effortless habit.

Seasonal eating is also important, especially this time a year. We live in a food world where everything at any time in the food world can become available to us. Maybe that sounds appealing at first but is it really necessary?  Our bodies are beautifully designed to require and thrive on what our specific climate offers.

It’s November in Alberta so I say lets celebrate squash!!!

Spaghetti squash is packed full of fiber, Vitamin A and C, calcium, magnesium and iron. Oh did I mention it’s also low in calories?

I have been making spaghetti squash as a replacement to the pasta in pasta dishes for a few years and I am not the only fan…the kids love it! Use your own spaghetti sauce or try this hearty vegetable tomato sauce below and then top it off with a super simple cashew parm topping.

Gluten-free, dairy-free and meat-free and undeniably delicious!

Thanks to Stacey for sharing her readers with me 🙂 and I hope to see some of you over at FigandBasil.com

Emily

Harvest Tomato Sauce on Spaghetti Squash

Serves 4-6 Prep Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
2 tbsp butter (or butter substitute, I use soy-free Earth Balance)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 med yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 sm eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2” cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 leek, rinsed and chopped small
1 zucchini, chopped
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1- 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cashew cream (soak 1/2 cup raw cashews in warm water for 30mins, drain and rinse, add to Vitamix with fresh water until desired consistency) 

Cashew Parm Topping

1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp Herbamare (or sea salt)

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and place prepared spaghetti squash on baking sheet cut side down. Bake in oven for approx. 40 minutes. Then flip the squash over so that the cut side is up and bake for another 10-15 minutes. You will know it is completely cooked when you can easily pierce a fork into the middle. Once its done, remove from heat and add 1 tbsp of butter to each side and let cool.
• While the squash is baking, add the ingredients for the Cashew Parm Topping into a   small food processor and pulse until it has the texture of parmesan cheese. Set aside.
• Heat a large pan on med-high heat and add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes and add the garlic. Add chopped vegetables next (eggplant, pepper, leeks, zucchini) and cook on med-high for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Add the dried herbs and cook for 2 mins. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add nutritional yeast and cashew cream. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
• Using a fork, scrap the sides of the squash to remove the strands. I like to leave the squash in its shell and pour the tomato sauce directly on top to serve at the table. Sprinkle most of the cashew parm topping on the sauce, leaving a little extra to add once the dish has been portioned into smaller bowls.