Today we are going to be making a Pumpkin Seed Pesto Spaghetti Squash It has been an extremely exciting week for my family and I. Sunday was not only the lunar eclipse of a blood-moon, but it was also the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a holiday revered by the Chinese to celebrate the fall harvest as well as to celebrate the unity of families. We usually observe the harvest moon, light lanterns, feast together as a family and eat moon cakes. If you have never had moon cakes, you HAVE to try it. Two years ago was the first year Devin tried moon cakes and she is totally hooked. She may have eaten more moon cakes than anyone this year. Traditionally, moon cakes are circular in shape to signify the unity of family and made with a filling of white lotus seed paste containing between zero to four salted duck egg yolks. However, there are other varieties such as darker lotus seed pastes, red bean paste, and snow skin moon cakes. My personal favorite is the white lotus seed paste (Devin’s too). This year was particularly special because there was a lunar eclipse of a blood-moon. It was beautiful and mesmerizing and I was able to watch it with my son, even though he may not remember it later.
I have so many childhood memories with my cousins playing with lanterns and glow sticks during mid-autumn festival. We would walk along the city streets and look at the shops that were literally bursting with lanterns. They had traditional lanterns in every shade but blue (that signifies a death in the family so those are not included in the festival) but they also had lanterns with cartoon characters and animals. Every child would get a lantern of their own and it and play with it until it broke or the light inside stopped working. After shopping for lanterns, we would shop for moon cakes at our favorite restaurants and bakeries. We always stay loyal to a particular brand of moon cakes. Every year I show Devin and Rue (my son) pictures of Hong Kong during the festival and miss it terribly. I can’t wait to shop for lanterns and moon cakes with them on the city streets just like I did as a kid.
Now, several weeks ago, I spoke with the owner of Kasandrinos International, Tony, and he told me that he would send me a bottle of his amazing extra virgin olive oil. It is Certified Paleo product and let me tell you, this is the best damn EVOO I’ve ever had. Like a kid, I checked the mail every day. I was out with Devin one afternoon for our anniversary and like the worried mother she is, she kept checking with her mom about the baby. She mentioned a box had arrived and we rushed home (me for the oil and her for her separation anxiety). It had arrived. I felt like Christmas came early as thoughts of all the recipes I could use the oil for. Immediately, one recipe jumped to the forefront of my mind…pesto. What better way to use great quality oil for than a bright green basil pesto? Thus, Paleo Pumpkin Seed Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Tarragon Chicken. Pumpkin seeds and squashes to represent the fall harvest and some amazing EVOO from a great friend. As a testament to the recipe, squash lovers and haters alike will enjoy this. Devin hates squashes. She complained about the “squashy smell” in the kitchen as I removed the seeds from it and yet, she ate her own bowl of it and then part of mine. I take that as a compliment!
Pumpkin Seed Pesto Spaghetti Squash w/ Tarragon Chicken
1 2-3lb Spaghetti Squash
1/4 Red Bell Pepper (Diced)
1/4 Orange Bell Pepper (Diced)
1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper (Diced)
2 tbsp butter
Pesto Sauce:
4oz Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
4 Cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tarragon Chicken:
2-3 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Toasted Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
1 tsp Dried Tarragon Leaves
1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
Let’s star off by talking about our ingredients and equipment. To create a great pesto sauce, you will need fresh basil leaves, a good parmesan cheese (Optional for those who do not eat dairy), fresh garlic and the most important, a good extra virgin olive oil (Preferably cold pressed like Kansandrinos) and a mortar and pestle
Let’s get started by preheating your oven to 400°. While the oven preheats, we will marinate the chicken breasts. In a mixing bowl or a plate, massage the chicken breasts with the garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, tarragon leaves, black pepper and salt until everything is well incorporated with one another. After marinating the chicken, you can dice and prep all of the bell peppers.
The oven should be nice and hot by now. To make a good paleo “spaghetti” out of a spaghetti squash, start by cutting it in half. Now, scoop out all of the seeds and place the squashes cut side down on a roasting pan
While the squash is roasting, let’s work on our pumpkin seed pesto sauce. In the mortar, start by crushing the garlic and salt into a fine paste. Slowly add the basil leaves and grinding it down. After the basil is incorporated with the garlic, star grinding in the parmesan and pumpkin seed as you slowly drizzle in the EVOO. Tah dah! Pumpkin Seed Pesto is done.
Set the Pumpkin Seed Pesto aside, heat a skillet
Did the timer on the oven go off yet? If so, remove the spaghetti squash from the oven, take a fork and start scrapping out the flesh into a bowl. In the skillet, heat up the butter and gentle saute the bell peppers. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool. Add in the spaghetti squash and the pumpkin seed pesto and toss everything together until it is well mixed. Never cook a pesto sauce, NEVER.
Serve it up! Pumpkin Seed Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Tarragon Chicken. A damn fine meal for any occasion. To top off the chicken, you can drizzle some Kasandrino EVOO on top to add some additional healthy fats and grate some fresh lemon zest to freshen things up. Again, thank you Tony, for the amazing bottle of olive oil. To my readers, I can’t say this enough, you guys seriously need to check it out!
There it is guys, I hope you all have enjoyed my Pumpkin Seed Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Tarragon Chicken. I am always open to hearing feed back and what you guys think. Eat up, my friends!
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