New Year Glow Meal Plan: Spaghetti Squash (Pho, Lasagna, Tacos, Pesto Noodles)

Ingredients

• 2 large spaghetti squash - halved, seeds scooped out
• avocado oil or other neutral oil of choice
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup dried chickpeas - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of apple cider vinegar
• 2 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
• 5 whole cloves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 medium yellow onion - sliced into 8 wedges
• 3 garlic cloves - crushed with a knife
• 1-inch piece ginger, sliced and crushed with a knife
• 6 cups chickpea broth - from above
• any vegetable scraps like leek tops, onion skins, etc. (optional)
• 1/2 lb shiitake - hard stems separated, caps reserved
• 3 1/2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sriracha/chili sauce
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 lb Brussels sprouts - ends trimmed off, sliced in half
• 1 clove garlic - chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves (reserve a handful of leaves for the pho and tacos) - torn
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup almonds - soaked overnight in purified water
• 1 small garlic clove
• pinch of sea salt
• generous squeeze of lemon juice - to taste
• 2/3 of the amount of the Brussels Sprout Pesto - from above
• about 3 cups roasted spaghetti squash - from above
• reserved 1/2 lb whole blanched Brussels sprouts - from the pesto recipe, above
• reserved handful whole toasted pumpkin seeds - from the pesto recipe, above
• pho broth - from above
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas - from above
• shiitake caps from 1/2 lb shiitake - sliced, reserved while making pho broth
• 2-3 kale leaves - stems removed, roughly chopped
• juice from 1 lime, plus more for serving
• handful of cilantro leaves - for garnish
• ripe avocado - for garnish
• sriracha/chili sauce - for garnish (optional)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral oil of choice
• 2-3 kale leaves - stems removed, leaves torn
• 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas - all of the remaining from above
• 2 cups roasted spaghetti squash - from above
• about 1 cup vegan kimchi
• tortillas of choice - gluten-free if needed
• 1-2 ripe avocado - cubed
• cilantro - for serving
• lime slices - for serving
• sriracha or hot sauce of choice - for serving (optional)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil of choice - divided, plus more for oiling the dish
• 8-10 portobello caps
• 2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only - sliced
• 24 oz marinara sauce
• about 7 cups roasted spaghetti squash - from above
• almond ricotta - from above
• reserved 1/3 the amount of Brussels sprouts pesto - from above

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Prepare 2 baking sheets, lined with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Place the halved spaghetti squash on the baking sheets, face up. Oil thoroughly and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the squashes face down, place in the oven, and roast for 30-40 minutes,until the flesh is soft, cooked through, and noodle-like when scraped with a fork. Take care not to overcook, as the 'noodles' can turn mushy. Let cool slightly. Scrape all of the 'noodles' out of the squash skins using a fork, and store refrigerated in an airtight glass container, until ready to use.

3. 3

   Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place the chickpeas in a pot and cover with about 8 cups of purified water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Test the chickpeas for doneness. Cook longer if needed, until completely soft. Add salt to taste at the end. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid for the pho broth (below).

4. 4

   Warm a soup pot over medium heat. Add the star anise, cinnamon, coriander, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom. Toast, stirring, until fragrant, for about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté for another couple of minutes, until fragrant, and until the onion begins to get some color.

5. 5

   Carefully add the chickpea broth (it may splatter), vegetable scraps (if using), shiitake stems, tamari, brown rice vinegar, and sriracha. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Reserve the shiitake caps for when you make the pho (recipe below). Remove the pot from heat and let infuse further for at least 30 minutes, or as long as you have (overnight is best, refrigerate if letting infuse overnight). Strain the broth, discarding the solids. Keep the broth in the same soup pot, refrigerated, until ready to make the pho.

6. 6

   Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant and slightly golden.

7. 7

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and blanch for about 8 minutes, or longer, until soft throughout, but not mushy. Drain and set aside.

8. 8

   Reserve a small handful of pumpkin seeds and set aside to use as a garnish for the pesto noodle dish. Place the rest of the pumpkin seeds into a food processor, followed by a large pinch of salt and garlic. Pulse to roughly break up the pumpkin seeds.

9. 9

   Divide the blanched Brussels sprouts in half. Save one half of them whole, to use later in the pesto noodle dish, keeping them refrigerated in an airtight container. Add the other half of the blanched Brussels sprouts to the food processor, along with the cilantro, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, another pinch of salt and black pepper. Process until well combined. Slowly poor the olive oil through the feeding tube on the lid, with the motor still running. Taste for salt, adjust if needed. Use the pesto right away or store refrigerated for up to 5 days.

10. 10

    Drain and rinse the almonds. Optionally, squeeze each almond to slip off the skin for a whiter, smoother ricotta.

11. 11

    Place the almonds into the bowl of a food processor, along with the garlic, salt, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons water and pulse, until you achieve a ricotta consistency. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of water, if needed. Use right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

12. 12

    Warm a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pesto and let warm through, stirring, for about a minute. Add the spaghetti squash and toss to coat in the pesto. Add the whole Brussels sprouts and let everything heat through thoroughly, stirring. Serve right away, garnished with the whole pumpkin seeds and almond ricotta from above, if using.

13. 13

    Bring the pho broth back to a boil, add the cooked chickpeas, spaghetti squash, sliced shiitake caps, and kale. Adjust the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the kale is cooked through.

14. 14

    Remove from heat and mix in the lime juice. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve warm, with more lime slices, garnished with cilantro leaves, cubed ripe avocado, and more sriracha/chili sauce, if desired.

15. 15

    Warm the oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the kale and salt, and sauté for about 7-10 minutes, until soft. Add the chickpeas to the pan and stir around to lightly toast. Add the spaghetti squash and toss to combine. Add the kimchi and stir to combine and warm everything through. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.

16. 16

    Serve the warm veg in tortillas, topped with avocado, cilantro, squeezes of lime juice, and hot sauce (if using).

17. 17

    Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C).

18. 18

    Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add as many portobello caps as the pan can hold and fry them on one side for a couple of minutes, until golden. Flip and fry the other side. Remove and continue with the rest of the portobellos. Set them aside on a plate and drain off any water that they release.

19. 19

    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil to the same pan. Add leeks and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 8-10 minutes, until soft.

20. 20

    Oil a 10 x 1o-inch, deep baking dish or a baking dish of a similar size. Spread half of the marinara sauce over the bottom. Add half of the spaghetti squash, spreading it into an even layer. Spread half of the almond ricotta over top, in little clumps. Arrange all the portobello caps in the next layer, overlapping them as you go. Next, add a layer of the pesto and sautéed leeks. Continue with layers as follows: the rest of the almond ricotta, the rest of the marinara, and the rest of the spaghetti squash. Sprinkle the top layer with salt and pepper, and drizzle with avocado oil.

21. 21

    Cover the dish, place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400° F (200° C), uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Let the lasagna rest and cool slightly for 10-15 minutes before serving.

22. 22

    Store refrigerated, reheat in the oven or in a pan, covered, until warmed through. The lasagna gets even more flavorful after a day or two in the fridge.