(The Whole30) "Spaghetti" with Tomato-Meat Sauce

My Mom introduced me to a book titled: It Starts With Food by Dallas & Melissa Hartwig (you can purchase an electronic version of this book on your e-reader). I haven't gotten very far into the book yet, but it "outlines a clear, balanced, sustainable plan to change the way you eat forever". Based on the building blocks of the Paleolithic diet, this book highlights the importance of eating "whole/natural" foods, such as grass-fed pasture raised meat, eggs, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. It excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, white potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar and processed oils.

This is not an "extreme" diet or a "drop weight fast" scheme. This is about cleansing yourself of the foods that can harm your body and changing your relationship with food for the rest of your life. If you want to know more about this book and The Whole 30, check out their website Whole9Life.com. Some of the testimonials are amazing!!

I've been working the program since February 1, 2013. It is only day 5 and I feel wonderful. I haven't actually had a very difficult time sticking to the "rules" so far, but I'm not expecting it to be easy. I have been craving dairy products more than any other food group excluded in the program... but I'm staying strong!

Last night I made my go-to recipe for Spaghetti sauce, but I used Spaghetti Squash instead of pasta. It was delicious and I actually think I prefer the squash to pasta since it has a bit of a crunch, which adds a nice texture to the meal.

"Spaghetti" with Tomato-Meat Sauce

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise and seeds removed

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 213ml can tomato puree
2 T tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 1/2 t black pepper
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
1/4 t ground sage
2 t Italian seasoning (or use a mixture of oregano, thyme, basil, etc)
2 bay leaves
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1lb extra lean ground beef

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all the spices together in a small jar, set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and break up into bits, brown the meat until it is cooked through. Drain fat from pan. Add green pepper, garlic and onion to the ground beef. Saute until vegetables are soft and onions are golden brown. Add half the spice mixture to the skillet, stir for 2 minutes.

Add crushed tomato, tomato puree and tomato paste to the skillet. Lower heat to medium-low and bring to a boil. Add remaining spice mixture and stir well to combine. You may want to add 1/3 to 1/2 C water to the sauce . Lower heat to low and let sauce simmer. The longer it sits, the better the flavor! Continue to stir periodically (and taste!!!) while you bake the spaghetti squash.

Place spaghetti squash halves into a baking dish, flesh side down. Pour enough water into the dish to come up 1" on the sides of the squash. Bake 40-60 minutes depending on the size of the squash. Remove from oven when rind is soft and insides shred easily with a fork.

Serve the hot tomato sauce over a steaming plate of spaghetti squash. Top with fresh cracked pepper, red pepper flakes, or your favorite brand of hot sauce!

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!