The Nourishing Gourmet

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Nourishing Frugal Recipes

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pie

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Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pie

By Andrea, from It Takes Time

With just four ingredients, you can create this kid-friendly real food Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pie for $10!

Spaghetti squash is the basis for this simple kid-approved recipe. This popular alternative to pasta is a variety of winter squash with a mild taste and is low-carb. It is quickly transformed into a crust that can be topped with a variety of vegetables, cheeses, and tomato. This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free!

I purchased all three ingredients at a local health food store. I like Bionaturae tomato paste because it’s organic and packaged in glass. I love Applegate meat products for their commitment to real food and label transparency.

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pie ingredients for $9.46

Where ever you derive your ingredients for this meal, your family will love it!

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pie

  • 1 medium/large spaghetti squash
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter or ghee.  (Olive oil may be substituted.)
  • 1 egg
  • 4 ounces tomato sauce or diluted tomato paste
  • 4-6 nitrate-free pepperoni
  • sea salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • optional pizza seasonings

Directions

Pierce whole spaghetti squash with knife or fork.

Place in shallow baking dish with water.

Bake at 400 degrees till soft.

Cut and remove flesh. Discard seeds and skin.

Place squash in nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze to remove moisture.

Place squash in a bowl. (You’ll need 3-4 cups of flesh. If you have extra, save for another use.)

Add lightly beaten egg and desired seasonings.

Blend thoroughly.

Press into pie plate.

Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with tomato sauce and pepperoni. (Feel free to add raw milk cheese, onions, or vegetable toppings.)

Cook in the oven for another five minutes till done.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pie
 
 
This kid-approved recipe is readily made with just 4 ingredients. Add or subtract depending on dietary needs and preferences.
Ingredients
  • 1 medium/large spaghetti squash
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter or ghee. (Olive oil may be substituted.)
  • 1 egg
  • 4 ounces tomato sauce or diluted tomato paste
  • 4-6 nitrate-free pepperoni
  • sea salt
  • black pepper
  • optional pizza seasonings
Instructions
  1. Pierce whole spaghetti squash with knife or fork.
  2. Place in shallow baking dish with water.
  3. Bake at 400 degrees till soft.
  4. Cut and remove flesh. Discard seeds and skin.
  5. Place squash in nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze to remove moisture.
  6. Place squash in a bowl. (You’ll need 3-4 cups of flesh. If you have extra, save for another use.)
  7. Add lightly beaten egg and desired seasonings.
  8. Blend thoroughly.
  9. Press into pie plate.
  10. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.
  11. Remove from oven and top with tomato sauce and pepperoni. (Feel free to add raw milk cheese, onions, or vegetable toppings.)
  12. Bake for five minutes till done.

 

Beef and Butternut Squash Chili

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Beef and Butternut Squash Chili

By April Swiger, Contributing writer

Comfort food at its finest – this unique chili recipe is satisfying, nourishing, and quick to put together for any night of the week. Vitamin A, C, and beta-carotene-rich butternut squash serves as a delicious base for this recipe, making it hearty enough to prepare without any additional grains (something our family has experimented with eliminating recently). This winter gourd is my favorite for cold-weather recipes, and a staple in my kitchen until spring starts to make its appearance.

Chili is my go-to recipe for crowds, and I typically make it 3-4 times a month for my family. It’s a relatively simple meal, especially for busy moms who desire to cook nourishing food for their families. Put everything in a pot, let it simmer, and serve it with a variety of yummy toppings. To be honest though, my typical recipe was beginning to bore me. I served chili with rice, roasted potatoes, tortillas, organic corn chips, you name it I probably tried it! It was time for a change.

Butternut squash is jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients essential to help combat cold and flu season. A mere one cup serving will give your immune system a very nice boost. On top of that, who can resist that gorgeous tangerine color? I use a strong vegetable peeler to easily take the skin off, and then quickly chop it into small pieces for this recipe.

This recipe makes a very large pot and serves our family of three a hearty dinner, as well as a filling lunch the next day. The leftovers are equally as delicious, and it freezes great as well!

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Beef and Butternut Squash Chili
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main Dish
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This simple chili recipe has a unique twist with the addition of butternut squash! It proves to be filling, nourishing, and perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 small - medium butternut squash (2-3lbs), chopped into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 cup cooked pinto beans
  • 1½ cups crushed tomatoes (I love the BPA free Pomi cartons during the winter when fresh tomatoes aren’t as accessible)
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 3 cups broth
  • OPTIONAL: Cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, chopped green onions, etc.
Instructions
  1. Place the chopped onion, beef, and butter in a large pot. Cook on medium high heat until the meat is browned and completely cooked through.
  2. Meanwhile, peel and chop the squash, garlic, and gather the rest of your ingredients.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients (garlic, squash, beans, tomatoes, spices, broth) to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45-60 minutes until the squash is soft.
  4. Top with your favorite chili toppings. I love avocado and cheddar cheese!

 

Cranberry Turkey Monte Cristo (a yummy way to use Thanksgiving leftovers)

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Cranberry Turkey Monte Cristo (a yummy way to use Thanksgiving leftovers)

By April Swiger, Contributing Writer

This sandwich is a perfect way to use up your Thanksgiving day leftovers. The sweet flavor of French toast and cranberry sauce is coupled with savory melted cheese and leftover turkey slices. You can easily make this dairy free by omitting the cheese, and switching out the milk for coconut milk, and butter for coconut oil. It will still be a savory sweet treat for the days after your holiday feast!

I think that’s one of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving…experimenting with the leftovers. There is so much you can do with leftover turkey meat! This is especially important for those of us on tight budgets, working hard to feed our families the most nourishing food possible. Nothing goes to waste in our home, and that includes every last piece of our Thanksgiving meal.

Any bread will work for this sandwich, and if you’re on a gluten free diet, you can easily adapt this with your favorite gluten free bread. I chose to use a slow rising sourdough bread as I love the flavor, and the health benefits from the reduction of phytates. It’s more digestible than other breads, and a very nourishing option for this recipe. Kimi has written a great post about the benefits of sourdough bread vs. yeasted bread.

What makes this sandwich so delicious are all the ingredients coming together in one bite. I find that pressing the sandwich in the pan helps make that possible. If you use cheese, this makes it even easier as it works as the “glue” to hold everything together. I don’t have a panini weight, but adapted my own unique way to press sandwiches in my cast iron skillet. Enter, the “tea pot press” below! Fill a kettle up a little less than half way, place a piece of parchment paper between it and the sandwich, and you’ll have a nicely pressed sandwich every time. Yum!

Cranberry Turkey Monte Cristo (a yummy way to use Thanksgiving leftovers)

This sandwich can easily be adapted for what you have on hand after your Thanksgiving festivities. Be creative and make it work for you and your own personal diet. Enjoy!

Cranberry Turkey Monte Cristo (a yummy way to use Thanksgiving leftovers)
 
Author:
Serves: 4 sandwiches
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Cranberry sauce, turkey, and nourishing sourdough bread all come together for a delicious post-Thanksgiving meal.
Ingredients
  • 8 Slices of sourdough bread
  • ½ Cup cranberry sauce (divided 1 tablespoon per slice of bread)
  • 8 oz of leftover turkey
  • 4 Eggs
  • ¾ Cup milk (use coconut milk for dairy-free)
  • Butter, or coconut oil, for the pan
  • Slices of cheddar or brie cheese
Instructions
  1. Lay out your bread slices and spread about a tablespoon of cranberry sauce on each slice.
  2. Assemble your sandwiches with leftover turkey, and any cheese you desire. Cheddar or brie are wonderful choices.
  3. In a container wide enough to fit your sandwich, use a fork to scramble the eggs and milk together. One at a time place the entire sandwich in the egg and milk mixture for a few seconds allowing it to soak up the contents a bit. Flip the entire sandwich and allow the other piece of bread to soak.
  4. Immediately place it in a hot skillet with butter. Flip when one side is golden brown and the cheese begins to melt. I find that it helps to weigh the sandwich down with a panini press, a brick wrapped in parchment paper, or a teapot half filled with water 😉

 

Potato Apple Soup with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola (grain-free)

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Potato Apple Soup with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola (grain-free)By April Swiger, Contributing Writer

This rustic potato soup is delicately sweet, with caramelized onions and local apples, topped with savory gorgonzola. Not only is it nourishing-to-the-max with chicken bone broth, but it’s quick to put together and very frugal for even the tightest budget! This soup is simple enough for a busy weeknight meal (it has been devoured by my three year old son multiple times this week), but also has a touch of elegance with the addition of gorgonzola cheese in place of a traditional cheddar.

We’re officially in “soup season” as I like to call it. My crockpot is bubbling every week with homemade nourishing bone broth, and my freezer is always stocked with a few quarts for when I need it. Traditional bone broth has an abundance of health benefits ranging from helping intestinal disorders to the common cold (Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, page 116-117). My husband and I drink a warm mug of broth, lightly salted, when we feel a cold coming on – and it really seems to help!

Potato soup is a favorite of mine, and I’m always looking for unique ways to serve it. I currently have twenty pounds of local apples, freshly picked from a nearby orchard. Traditionally, apples are paired with butternut squash, or sweet potatoes, but I loved the idea of a savory sweet soup with the humble russet potato and caramelized onions for extra flavor. Adding some gorgonzola on top gave it just the “bite” I was looking for.

I love keeping recipes simple, frugal, and nourishing, especially in the winter months when illnesses abound. You can’t go wrong when you use bone broth as your foundation. It’s easy to adapt this recipe for your taste as well. Add more apples or onions if you prefer it on the sweeter side, or switch out the gorgonzola for cheddar or brie.

Here are some other soups you may enjoy:

And check out Kimi’s Cookbook, (affiliate link) Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons as well!

Potato Apple Soup with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola (grain-free)
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
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This rustic soup is savory sweet and very frugal. It could easily be enjoyed all winter long!
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used russet)
  • 3 medium sized apples of your choice (about 1-1.5 lbs)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Gorgonzola cheese to top
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the sliced onions, a pinch of salt, and caramelize them for about 20-25 minutes until they are a deep golden brown. While the onions are carmelizing, peel and chop the potatoes and apples.
  2. When the onions are caramelized, add the potatoes, apples, broth, thyme and bay leaf to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
  3. Use a hand blender to puree the soup. You could also do it in batches in a countertop blender as well. I like to leave some chunks in the soup and not puree it completely.
  4. Top with a hefty portion of gorgonzola cheese crumbles.