Barlean's Week: Veal Chorizo with Broccoli Rabe & Nutty Spaghetti Squash

It's day two of Barlean's Week at A Crafty Gourmet! I ate my pudding from yesterday for breakfast and it kept be full until lunch. It was really good! Don't forget that I'm having a big giveaway of all the Barlean's products I am showcasing. Please click here to enter the giveaway.

Today for dinner, I made a spaghetti squash side dish using Barlean's Flax Oil, which is the #1 selling flax oil and one of the top 10 selling best natural products. Their oil is incredibly yummy! It has a delicious nutty taste, which I really like in squash dishes.

Flax oil also have a many health benefits. Since it is rich in Omega-3's, it helps clean the circulatory system of cholesterol and fat deposits. Paul Pritchford writes in Healing with Whole Foods: "it helps to reduce clotting, lowers lipid levels in the blood, and helps prevent damage to the heart muscle in a heart attack."  Additionally flax seeds help with sluggish digestion and clear out mucus in the digestive system. Personally, I like it for it's proven benefits for arthritis: it lubricates the joints and lessens stiffness and joint pain. I have been pain free for a few weeks now, and I've been consuming copicious amounts of Omega-3's from a variety of sources. I know it works.

As part of the giveaway, don't forget to comment about the recipe below for your chance to win the Barlean's prize pack.


Veal Chorizo with Broccoli Rabe & Nutty Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
1 cup Strauss Pasture Raised Veal Chorizo
2 cups Frozen Broccoli Rabe
1/2 Medium Sized Spaghetti Squash
1 tsp Sunny Paris Spice
1 tsp Hickory Smoked Salt
2 tbsp Barlean's Flax Oil
dash pepper






Process:
1. Precook squash the night before. Cut in half, lengthwise, cook for 30 mins at 350 degrees

2. Heat pan and add veal and cook for 6-8 mins

3. Add Broccoli Rabe and mix

4. Cook until Broccoli Rabe is hot (about another 6-8 mins)

5. Scrape squash to remove strands and place spaghetti strands into a bowl

6. Add Barlean's Flax Oil, spices, and salt and mix well

7. Place spaghetti squash on plate and place veal with broccoli rabe on top

8. Enjoy!

Celebrating Barlean's Week With An Amazing Giveaway plus Recipe for Coconut Carob Mousse!

This is a really exciting week here at A Crafty Gourmet. First I get to announce the winner of my Unbleached Paper Products Giveaway. The lucky winner is Monica! I will contact you to get your address and will ship you the prize package.

Next, this week is officially Barlean's Week! The whole week, I will be showcasing Barlean's and their wonderful lines of products, including flax oil, fish oil, chia seeds, greens powder, and their unique olive leaf extract. I'm also giving away a prize package filled with everything that I'm showcasing! Scroll to the bottom for official rules!

I have been a fan of Barlean's since I was in high school when I used the oil to make my own dressings with the flax oil, which I will share later this week. And since then, their line of products has significantly expanded and just recently, they've launched their organic chia seeds.

The chia seed is an ancient aztec superfood. It's a seed that is very high in protein and fiber, as well as heart healthy omega 3's. It's also packed with essential minerals such as phosphorous, manganese, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium.

Chia seeds have many health benefits:

1. Help you feel full: Because chia seeds absorb 10 times their weight in water, they form into a gel that helps provide the bulk in a meal and in your belly

2. Helps hydrate: The bulky gel helps provide hydration. If you're and athlete, you can mix the gel with coconut water to make your own recovery gel that will help with electrolyte balance and thirst

3. Help control blood sugar: Some studies have shown that chia seeds slow the absorption of simple sugars, and so help keep blood sugars stable.

Besides baking with them, one of my favorite ways to enjoy chia seeds is in a pudding or mousse. To highlight, how amazing these little seeds are, I've created a Coconut Carob Mousse.

Coconut Carob Mousse
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Coconut Milk (I use Native Forest because they guarantee that their cans are BPA free)
2 tbsp raw carob powder
2 tbsp maple syrup or agave or raw honey. You can also use 5-8 drops of Stevia if you prefer
2 tsp of vanilla powder or 1 tbsp of vanilla extract
1/3 cup Barlean's Organic Chia Seeds
2 tsp of Coconut Cream for Topping
5 raspberries for Topping

Process:
1. Pour milk into a bowl and mix to get rid of any clumps of coconut cream

2. Add carob powder and mix until all clumps of carob are gone. You can use the back of your spoon and push the clumps again the wall of the bowl

3. Add sweetener and vanilla and mix well

4. Add chia seeds and mix well, removing seeds from the walls of the bowl

5. Let stand in refrigerator for 10 minutes

6. Empty into a cup or bowl and finish with coconut cream and raspberries

7. Enjoy!

To be entered into the contest you must do the following things:

1. Like me on Facebook

2. Leave a one comment here for every product in the prize package (6) and let me know what interests you about it. Every comment is an additional chance to win

For more chances to win:
1. Go to Barlean's Facebook page and Like them

2. Follow me on Twitter

3. Follow Barlean's on Twitter

4. Follow me on Pinterest

5. Share with your friends and let me know via a comment (you can do this daily)

Again, you must a comment for each entry.

Contest will run from October 1st until October 15th. I will announce a winner on October 16th. Good Luck!