I'm pretty sure if there is a food you can stuff, I'll find a way to stuff it.  When my grocer had freshly made chorizo I knew I had to have it.  Every so often they have treats like that, and when they do - I'm all over it.

I wanted to do create something big and bold - and these stuffed sweet potatoes were perfect.  The sweetness from the potato really balanced nicely with the kick you got from the chorizo.  If you don't like spicy flavors, you can use another type of ground meat - but if you can get your hands on some chorizo, I would highly recommend it. 

I began to brown the meat, and added to it one can of black beans (drained and rinsed), one half of a red onion and a green pepper.

Bake your sweet potatoes as you would a regular baked potato (either in the oven or microwave).  Top each sweet potato with the chorizo and black bean mixture, and any other "fixings" you desire.

I used cherry tomatoes, avocado, shredded sharp cheddar, sour cream and cilantro.  Basically, the good stuff. 

If you're looking for a vegan recipe....
            this isn't it.

Enjoy!
XoXo,
Nicole

Would you believe that I've never made or eaten spaghetti squash?  I told a friend that today and she couldn't believe it.  It seems I'm behind on this one (among many other things), but that all ended with this delicious "pasta" dish.

I love when an idea comes together.  Don't get me wrong, I am a planner - but sometimes, when menu planning, the general idea is there but it takes some trial and error in the kitchen to actually develop the recipe.  That's what happened with this dish - minus the error (thank goodness).

To be honest, that's what's happening with my life right now - I feel like a lot of things are coming together through trial and error.  I suppose everything in life, for the most part, works that way.  You just cross your fingers that the outcome is favorable - or in this case, delicious.

 

I started by cooking my spaghetti squash using this method from a popular Paleo food blog, Elana's Pantry.

Then I began making my sauce:

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T EVOO
1 package organic chicken tenders
1 t dried oregano
1/2 c dry red wine
1 can crushed organic tomatoes
1 t coconut palm sugar
2 T capers
salt and pepper

Start by heating the EVOO over medium heat, add your onions and garlic.  Make sure the temperature isn't too hot - you don't want to burn the garlic.  Season with salt, pepper and oregano, and let cook for 5 minutes until the onions start to sweat.  Add the chicken tenders to the pan and let them brown.  Flip the chicken pieces, and continue to let the onions carmelize.  You should have a nice brown color on them.

Add in your red wine and let it cook until the alcohol is burned off (when it stops smelling like alcohol).  Add the canned tomatoes and more salt and pepper, as well as the sugar and capers.  Let it simmer for about 10 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through. 

Serve over the spaghetti squash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (optional).

What's your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?

Enjoy!
XoXo,
Nicole