Benedicts were practically born to help soak up bottomless mimosas on a Sunday Funday brunch. Laden with thick buttery hollandaise, perfectly poached eggs sit on thick english muffins ready to soak up yolk, sauce, and any boozy sauce you want to add to the mix.
But sometimes, you want the layers, flavors, and texture of benedict with a little less weight. That's where this healthier benedict comes into play. Responsibly sourced sausage patties top homemade spaghetti squash nests. The green sauce is packed with pureed greens to add additional nutrients while still giving that creamy saucy texture.
In this recipe, as with all recipes, it is important to source high quality and fresh ingredients. However, the sausage is the main focus. I prefer to find heritage breed pork that is raised without hormones which is why I go with Mulay's sausage. They were kind enough to donate the sausage for me to create this recipe.
This recipe calls for Mulay's Sausage breakfast sausage which has sweet and savory spices added and pairs really well with the squash, eggs, and green sauce. However, if you'd prefer a spicier version of this recipe you can opt for the Italian sausage to make your patties.
For the other ingredients, aim to buy organic or follow the dirty dozen guidelines from the EWG.
This green sauce is amazing and incredibly nourishing. It's packed with anti-oxidant-rich kale, heavy-metal-detoxifying parsley, and vitamin-c-heavy lemon.
But, what you'll focus on when eating it with your benedict is the creamy texture and light acidity. You won't miss hollandaise at all.
You can see the full recipe for this sauce here. And if you like this combo if green sauce, sausage, and spaghetti squash you might also love this green meatballs recipe!
To make this sauce, simply blend the ingredients together in a blender until evenly combined and smooth.
Instead of using english muffins, this recipe opts for a more nutrient-dense food of spaghetti squash. NUtrient density is calculated by evaluating the nutrition in vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients compared to the calories. That means that spaghetti squash is relatively low in calories and higher in nutrients compared to an english muffin.
On top of that, english muffins are often processed to be shelf-stable and can have preservatives. The real food alternative of fresh squash can be a healthier alternative.
These nests are very simple. Instead of slicing the squash hot dog style, meaning one cut lengthwise down the middle, cut it hamburger style into 1.5-inch slices. Deseed the center of each slice and lightly coat each side with olive oil before placing them on a baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Once the squash is roasted, fork out the squash noodles and form into a mini cake. You can serve it this way, or you can pan-sear the nests to give them a little more texture.
This step is optional, but I think it levels up the spaghetti squash nests to provide a slightly toasted texture, mimicking a toasted english muffin or piece of GF toast.
First, you'll form the cakes of already roasted squash as I mentioned above. Then heat up a cast-iron skillet with a little bit of coconut oil. Make sure that the coconut is hot enough to fry. You can verify this is the right temperature if a drop of water sizzles in the oil.
Then gently place the spaghetti squash cakes in the hot oil and sear for about 4 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
There are several mini-projects in this recipe. You'll need to cook the spaghetti squash and then form it into mini cakes or nests and optionally pan sear them. Then, soft-boil eggs and blend the amazing green sauce. You'll also have to create and cook the sausage patties.
The best way to do this is to start with the step that takes the most time. The first set of steps can be done in advance. If you know you'll want this benedict, you can do all of this prep work ahead of time and refrigerate the ingredients until you are ready to finish the benedicts.
A healthier and more nutrient-dense version of the classic brunch benedict that will taste just as decadent and delicious.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Slice the spaghetti squash into 1.5-inch slices (hamburger style) and deseed. Lightly coat each slice with the olive oil and place on a baking sheet
Roast the spaghetti squash slices for 45 minutes or until the squash flesh is tender and cooked through.
Blend all of the green sauce ingredients in a blender until well-combined. Reserve for later.
Remove the cooked spaghetti squash from the skin, discarding the skin. Mix the squash noodles with salt and pepper before forming the noodles into 8 evenly sized nests.
Turn oven down to 350 degrees
Evenly divide the sausage into 8 separate 2-oz balls and form sausage patties. Up to this point, you can prepare everything in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to complete the dish.
Bake sausage patties on a baking sheet at 350 for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in the skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the spaghetti squash nests. Pan-sear squash cakes for 4 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Flip nests and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the other side.
Soft boil eggs, about 7-8 minutes of boiling.
Assemble the benedicts, laying one spaghetti squash on the plate, followed by the sausage patty and finally by 1/2 of a soft-boiled egg. Drizzle with green sauce, serve, and enjoy!
* This nutrition information does not tell the whole story of food's nutritional value! Make sure to use your gut intuition on what your body needs, eat your veggies and get 30 plants a week for optimal gut health. This nutritional data is calculated based on the above values and standard brands. This information may vary. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today! Mention @EatYourWayClean or tag #EatYourWayClean!