This is one of our favorite weeknight go-to dinners when the day has been extra demanding and we need a strengthening warm meal to sit down to. It was a perfect dinner after an exciting first day of school, especially when I wasn't able to be home during the day. What makes it so great, besides being really nourishing, is how quickly and easily it comes together. So, first I start with a high-quality jar of spaghetti sauce and add it to browned grass-fed ground beef or buffalo. Then, I start my pasta-it's only Jovial Einkhorn pasta here! This special wheat pasta has four grams of fiber and nine grams of protein per serving and as much Lutein as a whole egg. It is absolutely amazing. While these two pots are simmering away, I grab my frozen spinach and butternut purees out of the freezer so they can defrost. I have competely embraced this practice from Jessica Seinfeld's book; Deceptively Delicious. Not necessarily to hide vegetables from my children, but because adding veggie purees to most sauces obviously increases the nutrient content and makes them heartier.
Just before it is time to serve, I stir the defrosted purees into the sauce, making sure they are thoroughly incorporated. Alongside, I serve Chinese five spice steamed broccoli and a warm little french roll, with a generous dusting of parmesan over the spaghetti. Then, seemingly, right before my eyes, my boys are transformed from lifeless looking little beings to alert, content, and satisfied little boys! Besides being a nutrient powerhouse, this meal is a great source of protein, micronutrients, fiber and complex carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates help boost levels of serotonin, the brain-calming, mood-enhancing mineral which will help everyone wind down….just what we need after a super-charged day!