Guest Post by Sophie Van Tiggelen – Roasted Bone Marrow

Sophie Van Tiggelen is an autoimmune warrior, foodie, self-trained Paleo chef, and photographer. She blogs at A Squirrel in the Kitchen, where her mission is to demonstrate that you can eat gourmet meals on the autoimmune protocol! Her French heritage shines through in her simple, yet creative cooking style and her recipes are doable even for beginning cooks. Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, she regained health and vitality while eating colorful and nutritious food on the elimination diet. Stress management and regular practice of moderate exercise are also an important part of her healing journey. She lives now in Colorado with her husband and their three teenage girls. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

You may have used marrow bones at some point to make bone broth at home.  A good, gelatinous broth is a staple of the Paleo diet and well known for its beneficial properties.  But did you know that you can also eat the bone marrow?  Just like you would eat a steak or a chicken leg! In addition to being incredibly healthful, it is also absolutely succulent.

Why is bone marrow good for you?

Bone marrow is a fatty, nutrient dense, energy rich superfood.  It is high in vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and lipids. Bone marrow is known for improving brain function, maintaining healthy bones, supporting the immune system, reducing inflammation, and repairing the gut lining.  Wow, I want all of this for myself!  How about you?  It is very important to consume marrow bones only from organic and grass-fed animals.  Since toxins are stored in fat cells and fatty areas (such as bone marrow), you don’t want to end-up eating the toxic overload of conventionally raised animals.  A good place to find high quality marrow bones is your local health food store (like Wholefoods) or a local farmer.

Succulent, you said?

Absolutely, and I will show you how to prepare roasted bone marrow in a way that will have you licking your little fingers!  Traditionally, one would scrape the marrow from the bone and spread it on a piece of toasted bread.  Since I have been on the Paleo autoimmune protocol for several years now, bread is a distant memory.  I am sure you are the same as me.  So I looked for an ingredient in my arsenal that would pair well with roasted bone marrow, and I found it!  Spaghetti squash is the perfect accompaniment for the soft and buttery texture of marrow; they complement each other to form a distinctive and tasty dish.

Time Saving Tip

I usually serve roasted bone marrow as an appetizer because the portions are smaller.  If you want to save time, you can bake the spaghetti squash in advance and reheat what you need when you serve this dish.  For two servings, you will need to reheat approximately 2 cups of spaghetti squash.

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes + 15 minutes
• Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 small spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound (16 ounces) organic, grass-fed marrow bones (approximately 8 pieces)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 big clove of garlic, crushed and minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side down in a gratin dish and add one inch of tap water.
3. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the skin of the squash gives when you push it with your finger. Remove from the oven and set aside, keeping warm.
4. Grease the bottom of a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and arrange the bones so they don’t overlap.
5. Season with a pinch of salt and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the sides of the marrow are bubbling slightly. You don’t want the marrow to melt completely.
6. Remove the skillet from the oven and scoop out the bones with a slotted spatula. Set aside.
7. Combine the garlic and cilantro with the still sizzling olive oil.
8. Prepare two plates and form four little nests with the spaghetti squash on each plate (keep the leftover squash for another recipe). Place a piece of bone marrow on top of each nest and finish with a generous serving of garlic and cilantro sauce! Bon appétit!