First attempt at eating clean

I bought some ingredients to make a few recipes I found online that stayed within the realms of the seminar I went to a few weeks ago. I had a friend go with me since I am very produce dumb. She showed me how to tell if something was ripe, if something was a good deal, and just really explained a lot of things to me. I have never been much of a cook. If it was quick and easy, then I made it. That translated to a lot of frozen and boxed meals. Since I need to learn how to cook with fresh ingredients, I need to become more familiar with the items I'll be cooking with. I picked up things like avocado, kale, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, lemon, spaghetti squash, red leaf lettuce, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, and celery. I made sausage, kale, and spaghetti squash boats tonight. I served them with green apple slices and unsweetened almond milk. The spaghetti squash boats turned out great! Everyone seemed to like it and it wasn't that hard of a dish to make. It took about an hour to prepare by following the instructions. I have been told that you can microwave the spaghetti squash and get the same results in a much shorter time. So if that is true, this dish could be made in probably twenty minutes. The apples were yummy of course but the almond milk was not. I'm sure that will need to become an acquired taste. All in all, the dinner was a success. I attached the recipe for your reference. Enjoy!

Sausage, Kale, And Spaghetti Squash Boats

Ingredients

• 1 medium spaghetti squash or 2 small spaghetti squash
• 1 1/2 lbs. Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch kale
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place squash in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften. Using a sharp knife cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the halves, with the cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until you can poke the squash easily with a fork. Let cool until you can handle it safely.
• 2
  Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing the center stems and either tearing or cutting up the leaves. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken sausage and break apart with a spatula to crumble. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Add the kale and stir. Cook for a few minutes more to wilt the kale. Remove from heat and set aside.
• 3
  Once cooled, scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash with a fork to shred the squash into strands. Transfer the strands into the skillet with the sausage and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among the squash shells, and then top with pine nuts and parsley to serve.

Notes

• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: Medium

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