Category Archives: Mastermind 23

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and add the diced butternut squash. Season with the spices, salt, pepper, and olive oil and toss. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until tender and beginning to char. 5 minutes before the squash is done, remove the tray from the oven and add the can of black beans that have been strained and rinsed. Add an extra pinch of salt and bake the tray for another 5 minutes. 

Soak the cashews in about a cup of boiling water for 10-30 minutes. 

After the cashews have soaked, drain them and add all the crema ingredients to a food processor. Blend for 2 minutes until creamy. Taste for seasonings and adjust salt/pepper accordingly.  

In a bowl, add the avocado, minced garlic, lime, salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until it is the texture of guacamole. Taste for salt and pepper.

To assemble: 

Warm your tortilla of choice, then layer the avocado mash, arugula, the roasted squash / bean mix, and top with a big spoonful of the chipotle sauce. Garnish with a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

Pour 3/4 cup of boiling water over the cashews and let sit for 10-30 minutes.

Using a fork, stab holes around the outside skin of the spaghetti squash. Microwave for about 7 minutes to start, then open the microwave and re-stab that squash with a fork to let out steam. Microwave for another 5-8 minutes (this will depend on the size of your squash. If it is still very hard after 7 minutes it will need at least another 7. If it is getting soft at the halfway mark then you’ll only need to microwave it for another 4-5 minutes). You’ll know it’s done with the fork can easily pierce through all sides of the squash. Once the squash is done, cut it in half lengthwise to cool.  

Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the onion. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onions and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to brown. Add in the minced garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Turn the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring the tomato paste frequently (its ok if brown bits form to the pan). Next, add the vodka. Stir the mix with a spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Next add in the canned tomatoes and stir. Cook for another 5-10 minutes on low heat. 

To a large food processor or blender, add the cashews that have been soaked with the water they were soaking in. Blend for 2 minutes until creamy. Next, add the tomato mix and blend until smooth. 

Add the mix back into the large pan and cook for a few minutes on low. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt/pepper accordingly.

While the sauce simmers, scoop out the inside seeds of the spaghetti squash with a spoon. Next, take two forks and shred the squash flesh into “spaghetti”. Add the shreds into the simmering sauce. Next, add the cheeses and stir. Add spinach and stir for 3 minutes until wilted. Taste for seasonings. 

For the shrimp:

Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat.

Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel. Add shrimp in a single layer to the pan. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for about 90 seconds and then flip the shrimp once the bottom has just started to turn light pink.

Season the other side with salt and pepper. Cook for another 90 seconds, then add the white wine. Let simmer for another minute and turn off the heat. You will know the shrimp is fully cooked once it has just turned light pink. Enjoy!