Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs...

So, my hero-of-a-hubby has decided to join me in the attempt to eat healthier, make better food choices and take the overall step to be healthier and lose some unnecessary weight.

We're taking small steps... by introducing ourselves to healthier alternatives. Tonight we did ground turkey meatballs, instead of ground beef. And we also did spaghetti squash instead of pasta noodles.

We know this is going to be an acquired taste... because it isn't truly an easy change to make.

However, we ate everything in front of us...


So, here we have it... a spaghetti squash.



It's easy enough to prepare... in fact, the roasted instructions can fit on the small label slapped on the face of this puppy. See?



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F... and then cut the squash in half, length-wise. (Get the BIG knife. Trust me.)



Then scoop out the seeds and other "goop" from inside. (Yes, that's the technical term.)







Sprinkle a little salt inside and roast it up... flat side down, for about 45 minutes.



And for the sauce... I used part roasted tomatoes (I had one more scrumptious container in the freezer) and part leftover sauce from a Halloween party (thanks Dawn!).


And I made my "Go To Meatballs" to give it all some heft. (My hero-of-a-hubby requires heft!) (See recipe below.) But like I said, tonight I used ground turkey instead of ground beef.


These meatballs are baked, and not fried. Another healthier choice!








When the 45 mins is up, turn the squash over and roast it for another 15 or 20 mins (or until the flesh is tender, a fork slides in and out of it easily). I added a small pat of butter and some more salt/pepper for some additional taste.





And here comes the fun part...

And like I said, it's all pretty easy. Take a fork, and pull the fork towards you, pulling the flesh of the squash through the tines. And have fun while you're doing it...



Scrape out all of the meat of the squash, down to the outer skin of the squash.





Stir it up well to combine the seasonings and butter... and dish up like you would spaghetti.



Top the squash with sauce and meatballs... top with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve up to a happy home. It really is good...

But my hero-of-a-hubby said it might still take some time to get used to it. However, let it be known (here I am - sending it out into the blog universe and sharing it with the whole world) he ate it all and he said it was better than he expected.



I think we may have a winner here...


So here is the recipe for the yummy meatballs, like I promised...


Lori Jean's "Go To" Meatballs

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 egg
½ tablespoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
pinch ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups Panko bread crumbs

Instructions
In a large bowl combine beef, onion, egg, allspice, nutmeg, salt/pepper and heavy cream. Mix until well combined. With wet hand, shape mixture into 1" balls. Roll balls in panko bread crumbs & place side by side in a shallow baking pan; cover & chill for at least 2 hours. You should have about 20-25 meatballs.

Bake at 375 for 30-35 min., or until brown - turn the meatballs after 15 min.


enjoy your time in the kitchen...