Fall Flavors

10/25/13

Happy Friday! Since fall is upon us (even though it feels like winter already), I thought I would try out some recipes that involve the comforting and warm autumn flavors. We had a large bag of plain almonds that have barely been touched, but by adding some cinnamon, sugar and pumpkin spices, we could not keep our hands off of them. In addition, I had always been wanting to try out spaghetti squash. Since it is a great fall vegetable, I thought it would be a perfect time to give this recipe a whirl. If you love pasta, but are trying to watch the calories, I definitely recommend trying spaghetti squash. At about 40 calories/serving as opposed to 200 calories/serving and additional vitamins such as vitamin A, potassium, and beta-carotene, it's definitely a healthy alternative. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year because I love to cozy up and indulge in all the delicious flavors of the season!

Pumpkin Spice Almonds

Ingredients:
2 Cups Raw Almonds
4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/8 Cup Sugar
3 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
4 Tbsp Honey
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine almonds, cinnamon, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, honey, vanilla extract, and salt into a bowl until almonds are completely coated.
3. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread out almonds.
4. Cook 20 minutes, flipping the almonds midway through.
5. Sprinkle additional sugar over the almonds and snack away!


Parmesan-Garlic Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 Large Spaghetti Squash
2 Tsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Capers
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/8 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
Sprinkle of Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and using a spoon, remove the seeds as you would a pumpkin.
3. Place the squash haves in a roasting pan face down and fill water up to about 1/2 inch in the pan.
Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
4. Remove pan from oven and flip the squash halves over, facing upwards. Cover the pan with foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
5. Remove from pan from oven again and let the squash cool for a few minutes.
6. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash so that you create strands of spaghetti. Once the insides have been removed, use a strainer to remove as much excess water as you can.
7. Heat a saute pan with oil and add garlic. Add the squash, parmesan cheese, oregano, capers, salt, and pepper and allow everything to heat and incorporate flavors.
8. Consistently stir the squash for about 3-5 minutes and remove from pan.
9. Add squash to a bowl, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and fill yourself up on this low calorie dish!
*If you prefer marinara sauce, you can use your favorite pasta sauce in a jar and use it with your squash instead. I gave both kinds a try and they both worked great!