Chicken florentine meatballs

I thought it was about time for me to post a recipe that contains *gasp!* meat. Yes, we still eat meat. It's delicious. But I'm going to keep the carnivorous recipes on here healthy. 


I cannot make this dish without remembering the first time I made it, when Isaac gouged his finger cutting the spaghetti squash. He was cutting it for my benefit, so I wouldn't gouge my finger. That's true love, folks. So I took him to the instacare mid-meal and ended up having a neighbor come to our apartment to get the meatballs out of the oven. They looked a little homeless when we got back, but still tasted delicious. 


So here's my brilliant tip, to save you from a similar fate. 


How to safely cut a spaghetti squash
Poke it a few times with a long knife
Microwave it whole for 5 minutes
Then cut it. 
Tada.
Side note: Substituting spaghetti squash is a great way to decrease calories and add vegetables to your meal. If you add enough sauce you can't taste the squash. Brilliant.


Chicken Florentine Meatballs
Source: Taste of Home

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground chicken (or 93/7 ground turkey--that's what I used)
• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 
  SAUCE (or just use canned sauce and add some mushrooms to it if you want):
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Hunt’s® Original Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (8 ounces) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

1. In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble chicken over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls.
2. Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 15-18 minutes or until tender.
3. For sauce, in a large nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add meatballs and heat through.
4. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands. Serve with meatballs and sauce. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition facts: (3 meatballs with sauce and 2/3 C. squash)

Calories: 303

Fat: 12g

Sodium: 617mg

Fiber: 7g

Protein: 22g