Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Herbs

I was rummaging around in my cupboards the other day, struggling to find a serving dish that I knew had to be in there somewhere, when I was startled to encounter a spaghetti squash rolling around. Oh! You're still here! How nice. It was a fortuitous find since I had very little idea what to make for dinner that night, no desire to go to the store, and an odd and unhelpful collection of produce in the fridge.

So although it's May, and in truth I did feel a little strange roasting squash in May, this ended up being a most delightful dinner. I caramelized the onions until they submitted to their sweet brown coloring and topped the squash with a healthy handful of parsley from my garden and a bit of cheese. We ate our squash with  some slightly crusty bread from the farmer's market that had been well slathered with garlic butter and then broiled for a few minutes. Simple but delicious.

Butternut and Quinoa Stew

Two points to the first person who can identify what's in the picture below (hint: reread the title of this post)...

And...you got it! Quinoa it is. Actually, it's the same quinoa that I bought when I made this recipe a shockingly long time ago. Like over a year ago. The thing is, the husband doesn't really love quinoa like he should, so I have to either bully him into eating it or disguise it. And this stew or soup or whatever you want to call it (by day two I renamed it "goulash"), happens to be very good at hiding quinoa.

Parmesan Crusted Squash

This spring was a little wild where I live. It stayed cool into mid-May and it rained a lot. It was actually quite pleasant. The only draw back is that my garden did not flourish, in fact my garden did not grow at all, with the exception of my squash. And flourish they did; so much so that I have a vine growing up the side of my house, I even had to cut it back because it was interested in taking over the front door.

With the bounty of squash I am getting, and the lack of any other vegetables, I figured I'd better come up with some good recipes. I decided to try my hand at coating and baking this particular squash, which is a yellow summer squash, and I admit, I was very pleased with the results as was my dubious husband. The squash ended up being tender with a delicious, slightly crusty, outside.

Penne with Butternut Squash, Sausage and Kasseri

Happy Valentine's Day! We wish you the happiest and most romantic of days. May all your Valentine's wishes come true. And if they don't, or if, at this point, it's not looking too promising for you, I suggest you go home and make this pasta and forget all about the lover's holiday. Because, although delicious, this pasta has absolutely nothing to do with romance. It has a lot more to do with owning a good vegetable peeler. So if your day wasn't so grand, I recommend going home to hack the heck out of some squash (even if your day was superb, you should still go chop squash. It's very therapeutic).

Then roast it and add it to some moderately spicy (or not so much, if you're pregnant) sausage and tomatoes. And then boil some salty water and cook some pasta and throw it all together with cilantro and cheese. Yes, lots and lots of cheese.

Quinoa with Moroccan Squash and Carrot Stew

Remember how I accidentally bought about 5 pounds of quinoa a few weeks ago? Remember how it's been sitting around just waiting for something good to come along? To my dismay, I've recently discovered that finding decent quinoa recipes is not nearly as easy as it is with, say, pasta. For some reason the word "quinoa" in a recipe seems to bring out the strangest sides of people and their taste buds. I've tried a few truly unappetizing dishes that didn't make it to our blog by virtue of being too close to nastiness. But I've finally found something worth sharing. 

This dish is Moroccan. It is delicious. It is orange. I should have made it for Halloween. Translated from non-ESL student lingo (I'm currently experiencing end-of-semester-overload): This delicious dish, which I really should have made for Halloween due to its astonishingly orange color, hails from Morocco. Or at least the recipe claims it's Moroccan. Having only been to Morocco for a grand total of 10 hours, I'm really no expert on their cuisine, but it smelled very Middle Eastern, being full of Middle Eastern style spices. It goes quite well with the quinoa, but if you don't happen to have an oversized bag full of the magic grain in your cupboard, rice would probably do just fine as well. 

Check back on Monday for some last minute Thanksgiving recipes!


Quinoa with Moroccan Squash and Carrot Stew
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit January 2006
Pictures by Caroline

Serves 4-6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 1 1/2-pound squash)
• 2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled carrots
• 1 15 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
• 2 cups quinoa, well rinsed
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 8 ingredients (spices). 
2. Add 1 cup broth, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Add squash and carrots. 
3. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of broth to a boil. Add quinoa and bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Serve with stew on top. 

Curried Squash and Red Lentils

Today, for the first time possibly ever, my sister ate lentils and liked them. When I invited her over for dinner, she asked me what was on the menu...and I refused to tell her. I had this sneaky suspicion that if lentils were mentioned, she would howl in protest. And since I really wanted lentils, I refused to tell her. I made her stay in the living room while I cooked and hid the ingredients when she poked her head in the kitchen.

The smells, as usual, were tantalizing. She guessed that it was something Indian. But not until everything was in the pot and almost ready to be served did she discover the star of this vegetarian dish. Although apprehensive at first, after her first bite, she was hooked. She admitted that she could hardly tell there were lentils involved at all. The warm flavor of the curry combined with the earthy lentils and sweet squash was just too good of a combination to pass up.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Sometimes Caroline and I get together and cook on Tuesday nights so we can watch the Biggest Loser while we eat. Usually we prepare a full course meal complete with meat, vegetables, and a sumptuous dessert. But we're watching the Biggest Loser- people exercising to the point of exhaustion and eating healthy, super low-fat meals while we chow down on chocolate fudge torte! Talk about guilt! So tonight being the second to last episode, we decided we should eat something a little more health-conscious. Aside from the 2 different types of cookies we made, tonight's meal was a low-fat, gluten free, vegetarian success.


I was initially wary of the apples in this soup. But it actually creats a subtle sweetness that completments the nutmeg-y butternut. Serve as a light main course with a green salad and french bread.


Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Recipe adapted from health.com
Pictures by Caroline

1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups apple, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and chopped (about 1 large)
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic and apple; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add squash, sage, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir 30 seconds or until well-combined. Add broth, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 20 minutes or until squash and vegetables are tender.
2. Place half of squash mixture in blender with about 1/4 cup evaporated milk. Remove center of blender lid (to let steam escape); secure lid. Place clean towel over opening to avoid splatters; blend until smooth. Pour into bowl. Repeat with remaining squash and evaporated milk.
3. Pour blended squash back into saucepan and heat on medium. Serve with a scoop of sour cream or sprinkle of nutmeg.

Garden Spaghetti Squash Pasta

Have you ever had spaghetti squash? It is quite amazing actually. It looks like any other fall squash that you might find, it is equally as difficult to cut into, and its insides look similar to any other. But, once you cook it, you realize this is no oridinary squash and its name tells it all. A tender spaghetti squash will pull away from its rind in long narrow pieces, just like spaghetti noodles, it is quite remarkable!Another great thing about spaghetti squash, you can use it in place or in addition to spaghetti noodles! In this recipe I use half pasta and half squash for my noodles, but really you could use any ratio that you want. In the picture above you can see the difference between the two - now I use whole wheat noodles so the difference between the two is quite noticable. But for anyone that uses your typical white noodle, even your kids will have a hard time telling the difference.

Try it out and learn a whole new way to get one of your required servings of vegetables.

Garden Spaghetti Squash Pasta
Recipe and Pictures by Caroline
4 Servings

2 large chicken breasts, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil for pasta cooking water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ cups diced carrots
1 bell pepper, diced into 1 inch pieces
3 cups broccoli pieces
3 teaspoons dried basil
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
½ to 1 large spaghetti squash, quartered*
Spaghetti noodles*

For the vegetable sauce:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken 5-6 minutes over medium heat until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, careful not to burn. Add the carrots to the skillet and ½ cup chicken broth. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the bell pepper and broccoli to the carrots. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add the remaining chicken broth, butter, salt and pepper, and basil until the liquid is at a very low simmer uncovered. Add the chicken pieces. Continue to stir and cook at a low simmer until the liquid begins to reduce to about ½ of its original quantity and the vegetables are tender.
4. When the vegetables are tender, pour over pasta/squash combination, add the parmesan cheese, stir, and serve.

Directions for the pasta/spaghetti squash mixture:
*I left the amount of spaghetti noodles and spaghetti squash open because you can cater the ratio of squash to noodles for your family. I personally like about half pasta and half squash, but if you prefer you can just use all spaghetti noodles.
1. While your vegetable sauce is cooking heat water for the pasta, adding ½ tablespoon olive oil (this will help your noodles and squash mingle). Cook to package directions, timing to finish with your vegetables.
2. Before draining your noodles add the spaghetti squash strips and gently stir into the spaghetti noodles; drain. Pour vegetable sauce over noodles, add parmesan cheese, stir, and enjoy!

Two options for cooking spaghetti squash:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place quarters of spaghetti squash and cut side down on baking sheet in about ½” water. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until squash is tender and will easily pulls away in long spaghetti noodle like strips. Once the squash is tender, use a fork to pull squash away from the rind – you will get long spaghetti noodle like strips. Add to the spaghetti noodles as in direction (2) above.
2. Or, place quarters of spaghetti squash cut side down in a glass pie dish in about ½” water. Microwave on high for approximately 5 minutes, or until squash is tender and will easily pulls away in long spaghetti noodle like strips. Once the squash is tender, use a fork to pull squash away from the rind – you will get long spaghetti noodle like strips. Add to the spaghetti noodles as in direction (2) above.

Note: You could leave out the chicken, use a vegetable broth and this could be a vegetarian delight! Omit any pasta and this could be a gluten free dinner...so many options!

Spiced Roasted Squash

When I was growing up, I was a huge fan of the American Girl Dolls. My personal favorite was Samantha, but I couldn't help reading all the books for each of the dolls, even if I didn't particularly like that doll. Molly was the one I never really liked. I still don't. But I do remember reading one of the Molly books where her mother serves her mashed squash for dinner (at least I remember it as squash. It could have been sweet potatoes, but that would make this story inapplicable to my post...so let's just say it was squash). Now Molly hated squash. And one day during WWII, her mother tried to feed her squash. Molly refused, and mother told her she couldn't leave the table until she finished her squash.

So Molly waited. She stared at the squash and hoped it would disappear. It didn't. So she waited longer.

And still refused to eat the squash. By this point, it had become cold and tasteless, possibly resembling cold baby food. Yuck.

Her mother finally took pity on her. She took the nasty squash and reheated it, added a bit of cinnamon (and I imagine a bit of butter), and suddenly the nasty squash was quite delicious. And edible. So Molly ate it and bonded with her mother and everything was ok.

When I was trying to think of what I could do with the squash sitting in my cupboard, I thought of Molly's cold squash. But I thought that maybe if Molly had been given this squash, this warm, buttery, cinnamon deliciousness, she might have just eaten it in the first place.

If you like the looks of this, but want your vegetables and meat all in one dish, try the Fall Pork Dinner.


Spiced Roasted Squash
Recipe by Kelly
Pictures by Caroline

Serves 4

1 small butternut squash, quartered and seeded
1 medium acorn squash, quartered and seeded
4 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
dash of cloves
dash of salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place squash on a large cookie sheet, face down (skin side up). Pour about 1/2 inch of water onto cookie sheet and bake 30-40 minutes, or until squash is almost tender when pierced with a fork.
2. Remove squash from cookie sheet and let cool about 5 minutes. Carefully peel skin off of squash (you may have to cut a few pieces that aren't quite done yet).
3. Chop squash into 1-inch cubes. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 12 inch pan.
4. In a small bowl, melt butter. Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Pour over squash and stir.
5. Bake squash 10 more minutes, or until squash is tender.

Chicken Corn Chowder

This is one of my favorite blustery, cool day dishes, and I've been waiting to share it with you for weeks! It includes some of my favorite fall vegetables- butternut squash, and potatoes, and then, of course, bacon. Bacon makes everything taste better. Kind of like butter. If you use butter, you know it's going to be good! (Maybe not healthy, but definitely tasty!)

The original recipe suggests using a purchased roasted chicken to make the prep faster and easier. They're right- it does help speed things along and makes the soup delicious, but buying a pre-roasted chicken and pounds of fresh vegetables can get expensive. You may want to either omit the chicken (this chowder is hearty enough without it) or just broil and chop a couple of chicken breasts you have on hand.


Chicken Corn Chowder
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Octboer 2003
Pictures by Kelly

Serves about 10

10 bacon slices, chopped
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups chopped red and green bell peppers (about 2 large)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
9 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 16-ounce bags frozen corn kernels
1 cup whipping cream
4 cups diced skinned roast chicken
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.*
   
2. Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot. Add butter to pot; melt over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 cup bell peppers. Sauté until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Add flour; stir 2 minutes.
   
4. Mix in broth, then squash, potatoes, and thyme; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until squash and potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
   
5. Add corn, cream, and 1 cup bell peppers. Simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes.
   
6. Add chicken (if including) and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Ladle chowder into bowls; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

*Although the recipe doesn't call for it, because it tastes good (and because my husband is a bacon fiend) I sometimes include the bacon pieces in the chowder. If you'd like to do so, add them back in when you add the chicken in step 6.

Ratatouille (Provencal Vegetable Stew)

A good friend of mine recently gave me a large zucchini from her garden and suggested that I could use it to make Ratatouille, a vegetable stew made in France; she was also kind enough to provide me with a recipe. In the book it reads, “The classic combination of the vegetables that grow abundantly in the south of France is infinitely flexible. Use the recipe as a guide for making the most of what you have on hand.” This is exactly what I did. I replaced the eggplant with summer squash and used canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. In the end the combination of flavors was delicious, and very healthy. I would suggest eating this with some hearty bread, or even with a side of angel hair pasta to make it more filling (not very French, but I think the Ratatouille would go great with pasta).

Ratatouille (Provencal Vegetable Stew)
Pictures by Caroline

2 medium eggplants
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and diced
2 or 3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips*
2 large zucchini, cut into ½ inch slices
1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (I used a mixture of savory, fennel, basil and thyme)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the broiler. Cut the eggplant into ¾ inch slices, then brush the slices with olive oil on both sides and broil until lightly browned, turning once. Cut the slices into cubes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan or flameproof casserole and cook the onion over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until lightly golden, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, pepper and zucchini and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the tomatoes and eggplant cubes, dried herbs and salt and pepper and simmer gently, covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and continue cooking for 20-25 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender and the cooking liquid has thickened slightly. Serve hot or at room temperature.

*To add flavor, broil the peppers in the oven until the skins begin to blacken. Remove from broiler and place in a brown paper bag and set aside until cool. Peel off the skin, then remove the core and seeds and cut into strips. Add to the mixture with the cooked eggplant.

Pasta with Squash and Chicken

This dish is a hearty, healthy dinner. The butternut squash makes a delicious creamy sauce without the calories of the actual cream.

If you're feeling vegetarian, simply omit the chicken. It will still be a very satisfying meal. Or, for a bit of variety, you could also substitute the chicken for shrimp. Serve with a green salad or roasted potatoes with asparagus.

Pasta with Squash and Chicken
adapted from Giada's Kitchen
Pictures by Caroline

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound butternut sqaush, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1-inch pieces*
3/4 to 1 cup milk
2 tablespoons basil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound spiral pasta (or rigatoni or penne)

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butternut squash, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender and puree.
   
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, but still firm.
4. In the large skillet, combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and 3/4 cups of milk. Stir to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk if the sauce needs to be thinner. Add the chicken, basil, and cheese. Stir until warm and serve.
   

*I prefer to broil my chicken and then shred it. If you prefer, you can also boil or saute it.

Golden Squash Soup

I had this soup at a friends dinner party a couple of weeks ago. It was a cold, snowy night, and this squash soup hit the spot. Tonight I made this for dinner and served it in a bread bowl to make it more of a meal-bread and soup. I was unable to find the banana squash the recipe calls for, so I just used butternut squash and it turned out quite well I think. In the future I think I will use less curry than the recipe calls for, but I will definitely make it again. I hope you will try it and let me know what you think.

Golden Squash Soup
Recipe from Essential Mormon Celebrations
Pictures by Caroline

2 apples
2 ½ pounds banana squash (I couldn't find banana squash, so I used butternut squash)
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons mild curry powder (optional; I would suggest using about half this amount, otherwise it is quite strong)
1 cup apple juice
1 cup cream
Salt to taste

1. Peel, core, and cut apples in half (I just left the peel on the apple, and it seemed to work fine). Place apples and squash face-down on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° degrees for 1 hour.
2. Scoop out squash. Place squash, apples, and chicken broth in a blender and mix until well blended; set aside.
3. In a large cooking pot, melt butter over low heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add salt, pepper, and curry powder and stir together. Add apple juice, cream, and squash mixture. Stir and beat through. Do not boil. Salt to taste. Serve hot. Makes about 8 cups.

Fall Pork Dinner

My husband really likes pork. I really like squash. And we both really like apples with cinnamon and sugar (really, who doesn't?). You won't find a better compromise than this "fall pork dinner." Speaking of which, I should really give this dish a new name. Fall Pork Dinner? Is that the best you can come up with, Betty? It really doesn't do justice to the squash or delightfully cinnamony smells that will fill your kitchen.  But on second thought, I'm going to leave the name as is. We've been making this dinner for years now...and calling it the Fall Pork Dinner. So thus it shall remain.

Anyway. The pork gets a lovely bisquick-saltine treatment. Throw everything together in one dish and you have your meal. Now depending on the thickness of your pork, you may want to cook the squash (covered) for 10-15 minutes before adding the pork (if it's thin). Otherwise you'll end up with rock hard squash and dry-as-bones pork. 10-15 minutes before the pork is done, add the apples. And then have a taste of autumn with every bite.

Fall Pork Dinner 
Recipe adapted from bettycrocker.com
Pictures by Caroline  

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut up
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small acorn squash, seeded and cut into thin rings
2 small unpeeled red cooking apples, cut into chunks
2/3 c Bisquick 
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 saltine crackers, crushed
2 egg whites (or 1 egg)
1 tablespoon water
5-6 boneless pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until crumbly; set aside.
2. In shallow dish, stir together Bisquick mix, salt, pepper and cracker crumbs. In another shallow dish, mix egg white and water. Dip pork into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mixture.
3. Spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook pork in skillet 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until coating is brown.
4. Place pork in ungreased 8-inch square or 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Arrange squash and pork. Sprinkle with 1/2 brown sugar mixture. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes. Add apples and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar. Cook about 15 minutes more or until pork is no longer pink and squash is done through.