Last night, this happened.
Check out that snowfall!
We were hit with a pretty hefty snowstorm last night. I’m typically not a fan of Winter but something has changed in me this season. For the first time, dare I say I’m loving it? Maybe this morning’s beautiful, snowy sunrise had something to do with it.
J’adore la vie, baby.
Speaking of J’adore la vie, last night was one big J’adore la vie moment. Since we were stuck indoors, Dad and I made a night of it. We lit the (faux) fireplace and plopped down on the couch to watch season two of 24. We love our fix of Kiefer Sutherland! Halfway through our mini marathon, we took a break so that I could make us a dinner fit for a snowstorm! We wanted warm, comforting, and cozy … and that’s just what we got!
I’m a big fan of chunky tomato sauce and this one definitely fits the bill. I incorporated kale, okra, kalamata olives, nutritional yeast, and hemp seeds into the dish to make it extra #plantPOWERful!. I don’t incorporate okra into my meals very often but I’m so glad that I did! It’s a great source of folate, which is super important for us ladies, and adds a great texture to the dish!
Serves 2
*Note: Dad and I are minimalists when it comes to sauce. If you are a big-time sauce lover, you might want to double the sauce ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can Muir Glen red & yellow diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cup diced okra
- 4 kalamata olives, sliced into quarters
- 2 large handfuls of kale, chopped
- 2 tsp salt-free pizza seasoning
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 2 Tbsp hemp seeds (for garnish)
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- Slice spaghetti squash in half and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sprinkle with one of the minced garlic cloves and roast in the oven for 40 minutes at 450 degrees.
- While the spaghetti squash is roasting, combine all ingredients minus the okra, kale and hemp seeds in a large pot.
- Turn burner onto low heat and let it simmer, stirring every minute or so.
- Optional: If you’d like, add 1 tsp of the juice from the kalamata olive jar and omit adding the sea salt! This really punches up the flavor.
- While the sauce is simmering, place diced okra in a non-stick pan. Saute in non-stick cooking spray on medium heat for 5 minutes. Then, add the okra to the sauce and stir.
- At the 35-minute mark, add the kale and stir to combine. Feel free to taste-test and add extra of whatever you want!
- Remove spaghetti squash from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before removing the seeds and forking it out into the pot containing our chunky veggie sauce. Stir to combine.
- Pour into a serving bowl, sprinkle with hemp seed and an extra olive or two, and you’re good to go!
This is comfort food at its finest, my friends! All of the different textures made this meal extra-special. The slight crunch from the spaghetti squash and kale was divine with the softness from the chunky tomatoes and okra. The comfort and warmth of the dish make for an exquisite and satisfying meal. I hope you give it a go! Also, just as an added FYI, if you go shopping for the Muir Glen red & yellow diced tomatoes, you can find them at Whole Foods and the cans look like this:
I’m a huge fan of Muir Glen products. Their tomatoes are perfect for making a tomato sauce when you’re short on time or too impatient (cough me cough) to wait for a sauce to simmer all day.
Happy Sunday!
Stay lovely,
Heather
I LOVE the look of snow…I just hate the cold weather and wind that comes with it!! :/
That spaghetti squash bowl looks amazing. I am loving the sound of it. It has been awhile since I have cooked with spaghetti squash and I think that I definitely need to change that ASAP!
Totally agree with you there. Cold weather is so uncomfortable!
My kind of cozy meal! I thought of you the other day while I was dining at one of my favorite veg restaurants. We had quite the #plantpower spread: beet pate with cucumber slices, falafel quesadillas & a chunky tomato coconut bisque. To die for!!! xo
OH EM GEE. That sounds so incredible, Jo! Thank you for thinking of me, sweetness.
This sounds like just my cup of tea, or squash… Nutritional yeast and hemp seeds for the win! We’ve had a few days of snow here, but it’s all turning into slush in short order, which is just grey and depressing. I’m jealous of your pretty white snow!
It all turns to grey sooner or later huh?!
Love this recipe Heather! I make something similar and it is one of my favorite recipes. I just bought spaghetti squash too so I might have to try this out.
Woo hoo! Hope you try it, love.
I am always looking for good sauces for spaghetti squash. This sounds fantastic!
Mmmm tomato. I am a sauce maximus. Maximalist?
Oh boy, this is my type of dish! Spaghetti squash is my lover. That’s kind of creepy…I’m super jealous of your snow fall! We still haven’t had snow over here in Victoria, sadness! I hope it comes sometime soon! I just love snow too much.
ayyy baby! this comment made me laugh and smile. love you!
SO SO SO JUST WANTED TO SAY:
Im really glad we connected this year.
xo
Carla, that is truly a gift coming from you! I admire you so much…you’re such an amazing teacher of life.
squash bowl sounds yummy for a cold wintery night
that is a lot of snow, I do love snow but I admit I get scared of it since I am not used to it at all. I like walking in it and taking pictures but that is about it haha
Happy New Year Eve beautiful!!! love ya
xoxo
You’re so adorable, Lori! <3 I’ve never heard of someone being scared of snow but I can totally see why you would be! Being cold is no fun haha
That looks really good. I am going to make it next week!
Yay! You’ll love it, Lindsay.
It’s FINALLY getting a little colder over here. It was TOO hot for a while… sticky and not fun. This bowl looks so good! I’m trying to incorporate more meatless meals in my diet, and this looks like it may have to show up on the menu! Thanks!
Awesome, girl! I hope you try it.
xoxo
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