The Primal Blueprint Cookbook (33 page)

For many people, giving up pasta is the hardest eating change to make until they discover how to turn yellow squash or zucchini into noodles. Make a batch of your favorite sauce, serve it over these summer squash noodles and you’ll be shocked at how similar the flavor and texture is to pasta. The recipe is easy, but for noodles with a firm texture plan to let them sit for a few hours before cooking. During the winter months, try serving your favorite pasta sauce over spaghetti squash. Cut the squash in half and bake it, then scoop out the inside and you’ll find out exactly why it’s called spaghetti squash.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Zucchini usually works better than yellow summer squash because it is less watery and has fewer seeds. If you do use yellow squash, first scrape the seeds out with a knife so the inside is smooth. You can peel the yellow squash or zucchini if you want to create the most realistic looking noodles possible. Otherwise, leave the peel on for the added color and ease of preparation.

Use the thin julienne setting on a mandoline or a sharp knife to slice the zucchini into thin strips similar to spaghetti. Next, the “noodles” need to dry out or the texture will be mushy when you sauté them. Ideally, leave them on your counter for at least 3 hours. If you want to prep the dish in the morning for dinner, wrap the noodles in paper towels and leave them in the fridge while you’re at work all day.

After the noodles set and lose some of their moisture, warm olive oil and garlic in a pan and sauté the noodles just a few minutes to heat and coat with oil. That’s it! Serve with any pasta sauce or sautéed vegetables.

Jambalaya is one of those great dishes that involves throwing a lot of things into a pot and letting the magic happen on its own while you eagerly wait. With this recipe you won’t have to wait long before ladling the brothy, slightly spicy blend of seafood and sausage into bowls over...rice? Nope. This is where our recipe diverts from a traditional jambalaya. A warm, soft bowl of grated cauliflower mimics the texture of rice, and the flavor is so mild you’ll be shocked by how much it tastes like rice, too. It pairs perfectly with this classic Creole favorite.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook sausage in a large, deep pot. As it browns, add a little more oil to the pan and then sauté yellow onion and bell peppers until onion becomes soft. Add garlic and spices then tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.

While it simmers, cut the cauliflower into small florets and grate in a food processor so the texture resembles rice. Add the cauliflower to the pot and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer until cooked through and pink, about five minutes. Garnish with scallions.

Bread, really, is just an edible vehicle to transport sandwich fixings (meat and vegetables) into your mouth without getting your hands messy. It’s also a slice of insulin-spiking starch that you’re better off skipping. Don’t expect this recipe for spinach bread to taste exactly like bread made with flour and yeast. Instead, it’s a moist and flavorful substitute that is certainly capable of carrying slices of meat and veggies to your mouth—it’s also delicious sliced and eaten alone.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Defrost spinach over low heat. Put in a colander lined with cheese cloth or a thin towel and wrap the towel around the spinach. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Melt butter over low heat and add pine nuts and garlic, toasting until golden brown. Pine nuts burn easily, so keep an eye on them. Put in a food processor with the basil and pulse a few times until the nuts are broken up but not completely smooth. Add spinach and salt and pulse for ten seconds. Stir in eggs. Scrape into a buttered pie pan or 7x11 baking dish. Bake 20–30 minutes, until set. Let cool, then cut.