This breakfast carbonara with spaghetti squash is SO GOOD and such a great way to start the morning. It's full of protein and fiber, diverse nutrients from plant, fungi, and animal sources, and it's good for leftovers the next day! I just take it out of the squash ring before I put it in Tupperware.
This recipe is perfect for the menstrual phase because of the sausage, kale, and mushrooms, but also the fact that it's warm and comforting. During your menstrual phase, you want to focus on warm, comforting cooking methods to warm up your uterus. From the nutrition side, you want to stock up on micronutrients that are the building blocks of blood. Your hormones are at their lowest levels and energy is low, so keep your blood sugar steady with low GI foods.
I typically like to cut down on my red meat consumption, but I do eat it when I’m on my period. Pork is a great source of iron, vitamin B12, and protein which are important to consume at this time. Iron and B-12 are essential for healthy red blood cells, and when you bleed, your body loses iron very quickly so you want to make sure to replenish these nutrients.
Kale is high in vitamin E which helps flush out estrogen and is an antioxidant that calms inflammation. I typically prefer to cook it because otherwise it contains goitrogens (which suppress thyroid function) and can contribute to PCOS. Vitamin E also contributes to healthy progesterone levels, which is important at this time of your cycle.
Mushrooms are high in protein, magnesium, and Vitamin B6! The protein helps manage our blood sugar levels and gives us a stabilized mood, and it is one of the few plant-based proteins that contain all 9 essential amino acids, making it a great protein choice for vegetarians. Magnesium will aid cramping and Vitamin B6 helps with healthy blood cell production.
Breakfast Carbonara with Spaghetti Squash
Serves: 2 Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
1/2 tbsp butter or 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
4 oz sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup kale, chopped
3 eggs
Parmesan to taste (around 1/4 cup for me)
Red pepper flakes to serve
Process
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Wash your spaghetti squash, since you're baking it with the peel. Then cut it into 1-inch disks and remove the seeds from the center. Assemble the rings on 1-2 baking trays so that they each lie flat on the tray.
Either melt 1/2 tbsp butter or add a 1/2 tbsp of olive oil into a small dish with Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning. Brush the oil onto both sides of each ring. Then place in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes.
While the squash is cooking, and has 15 minutes left to bake, begin to prep the carbonara topping. On a dry pan over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes. You should see water coming out of the mushroom, so we're only left with the meat. Add in the sausage and a drizzle of olive oil to help it cook. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the sausage is fully browned.
Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, and continue to cook for another minute. Then add the kale and cook for 2 more minutes until it softens. Turn the heat to low.
In a small bowl, whisk the 3 eggs and parmesan. Pour it into the pan, stirring often for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Remove the spaghetti squash rings from the oven. Use a fork to gently peel back the squash from the sides, and you'll see that you now have a spaghetti-like finished product! You can either serve it in the rings, or remove the spaghetti from the squash, place it in a bowl, and serve as a large serving.
Add the sausage & egg mixture to your rings, or bowl of spaghetti squash. Top with red pepper flakes for spice and more parmesan to taste!
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