Spaghetti Squash with Clams

Linguine with clams used to be one of my FAVORITE dishes pre grain-free phase. And it's one thats very special to me as my dad makes it for Christmas eve dinner every year. Why it took me so long to figure out how to make it with spaghetti squash I have no idea!

If your squash is "crunchy" after following the below directions saute for a little longer. Oven temperatures may vary and I've had it turn out both over and under cooked.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 large spaghetti squash
12 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound clams, scrubbed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions:

There are two ways to prepare spaghetti squash. The quicker, easier way is in the microwave. Poke holes in squash(es) and nuke for 10 minutes.

If you don't have a microwave, or prefer to bake the squash, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place cut sides down in 1/2 inch water in a baking pan. Bake on 375 for 40 minutes

Meanwhile, with about 10-15 minutes of cooking remaining, saute 6 tablespoons extra- olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and sauté until just golden, about 30 seconds. Add clams and 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes and sauté 1 minute. Add wine, juice, and 1/2 cup parsley and simmer, uncovered, just until clams open, 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove squash from microwave or oven. If not already cut in half do so now. Once squash has cooled, remove seeds and discard, then use a fork to remove the "noodles" from the two halves. Simmer, tossing occasionally, until noodles are just tender, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and extra-virgin olive oil, tossing to coat. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Dave and I have a lot in common when it comes to food. We are both very adventurous about trying new things and share some of the same favorites including Indian, Japanese and Italian. However, there is one glaring difference in our preferences... my least favorite type of food is his most favorite... THAI!

I have surprised him by cooking it a couple times before though, I admit, the last time was shortly after we were married in 2012. So when I saw this recipe combining his favorite with one of mine (spaghetti squash!) I knew I had found a winner. And.....it was delicious! The best "Thai food" I've ever had.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
1 large spaghetti squash
7 tablespoons oil
3 eggs
Two chicken breasts. cubed
1 large red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, diced
6-8 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce (can be found in the "ethnic food" aisle at the supermarket)
3/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half with a large, sharp knife. Remove seeds and stringy guts, and brush the cut sides of the squash with 1 tablespoon of oil. Place spaghetti squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 45-60 minutes.
To test if your squash is done, scrap the flesh with a fork. If the strands come off easily, it's done. Let the cooked spaghetti squash cool for about 5 minutes, then scrape all the flesh into a beautiful pile of spaghetti strands.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large skillet over high/medium-high heat. Once oil is nice and hot, add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
Add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Once hot, add red onions and cook for 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Add carrots, bean sprouts, and scallions to pan and cook for 1 minute. Return the cooked chicken to the pan with 6 tablespoons of the Pad Thai sauce and stir.
Move the mixture to one side of the pan, crack the three eggs and add them to the other side. Scramble the egg with a wooden spoon and cook until just set, about 30 seconds. Combine into the Pad Thai mixture.
Add cooked spaghetti squash and gently toss everything together and cook for 1-2 minutes. Taste and if Pad Thai needs more flavor, stir in the other 2 tablespoons of sauce.
Serve Pad Thai immediately with lime wedges and chopped peanuts.

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Spinach

I will be forever grateful to the person who introduced me to spaghetti squash several years ago. Back then the idea of going grain free seemed nearly impossible, especially as it meant giving up pasta. (A staple of my then diet.) But I quickly developed a taste for spaghetti squash and love discovering new ways to cook it.

Oddly Thanksgiving is one of the few times each year that I make an exception for traditional pasta as my Italian grandma prepares a bowl of rigatoni which rivals the turkey in size. Until then I will continue to prepare spaghetti squash in anticipation of the the starch fest that is Thanksgiving (though stay tuned for some healthier options:)

Ingredients: 

5 1/2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (from about 2 small)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup gluten free flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth (vegetable broth for vegetarian)
8 oz Sargento 2% reduced fat mild cheddar
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups (about 4 oz) baby spinach
1/8 cup grated parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF
Cut the squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Place squash on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour.* Separate the strands of squash with a fork and place in a medium bowl; discard shells.

Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in flour. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continually 3 - 4 minutes.
Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil and becomes smooth and thick, about 2 minutes stirring; season with salt and pepper. 

Once it becomes thick, remove from heat, add cheddar cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked spaghetti squash and baby spinach, pour into a baking dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bakeuntil bubbly and golden 25 to 30 minutes.

*If you have a microwave you can poke several holes in the squash and heat for 10 minutes before cutting in half and removing the strands.

Turkey Meatballs with Panchetta

I tend to forget how time/labor intensive meatballs are. If you come home from work hungry you may get a little "cranky" while preparing them. (Especially if you are also making spaghetti squash which is a process unto itself.)  Given this I might suggest making the meatballs over the course of two days. Day 1: Mix all the ingredients, cover, and refrigerate. Day 2: Form balls, heat in oven, eat.

Whatever you decide to do it's worth it...:)


Ingredients:
3 slices italian bread, torn into pieces
1/3 cup milk
3 oz sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 lb ground turkey
3 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp tomato paste




Directions:
Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened. Cook pancetta, onion and garlic in 1 tbsp oil with 1/2 tsp each of salt and peper in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about six minutes. Squeeze bread to remove excess milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with turkey, pancetta mixture, bread and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange in a sheet pan. Stir together tomato paste and remaining tbsp oil and brush over meatballs, then bake in oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Pumpkin and Sausage

A few months ago the display went out on my microwave. Upon further investigation I discovered that it wasn't just the display that had shorted out, it was the entire microwave. My first instinct was of course to buy a new one. But once I thought about it I couldn't remember the last time either Dave or I had used it. We laughed at the fact that a useless appliance had been taking up so much counter space in our tiny kitchen. Then spaghetti squash season returned :-P

For those of you lucky enough to have a microwave, poke holes in squash(es) and microwave for 10 minutes. Once squash has cooled, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds and scrape the strands out with a fork and transfer to an extra large bowl. Otherwise cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place cut sides down in 1/2 inch water in a baking pan. Bake on 375 for 40 minutes. Let cool, remove seeds and scrape strands into an extra large bowl.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (I used spicy chicken sausage from Trader Joes)
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 med. onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 bay leaf, dried
4-6 sprigs fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup low fat evaporated milk
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Course salt and black pepper
Romano or Parmigiano cheese for grating

Directions:
Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over med. high heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3-5 minutes until the onion is tender.
Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine to half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in evaporated milk. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer mixture 5-10 minutes to thicken sauce.
Transfer spaghetti squash into a large pot. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over the squash. Combine sauce and squash and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Baked Spaghetti Squash

I didn't think it was possible to love spaghetti squash more than I already do but this is hands down the best preparation I have come across.

It's low in calories and fat and filled with veggies which provide the only carbs. I thought about doing without the cheese but I think it's necessary to keep the filling from bubbling over the sides of the squash. In any case one serving of this delicious dish is a mere 300 calories so it's "comfort food" we can feel comfortable with!


Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small spaghetti squashes
One 14.5 can creamy tomato soup
1/2 chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp dried minced onion*
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 wedges of The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese (this is available at Trader Joes but it's not refrigerated. I found it by the wine)
One 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry*
One 7 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained*
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese

*I sauteed fresh onion, spinach and mushrooms instead

Directions:
As with all spag squash recipes I microwave instead of baking in the oven, It is MUCH quicker. However if you prefer to bake cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place cut sides down in 1/2 inch water in a baking pan. Bake on 375 for 40 minutes
-Otherwise- Poke holes in squash(es) and microwave for 10 minutes. Once squash has cooled, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds.
Scrape the strands out with a fork and transfer to an extra-large bowl.
In a medium sized bowl combine soup, garlic, dried minced onion, Italian seasoning, pepper and cheese wedges. Stir thoroughly until almost smooth.
Add soup mixture to the extra-large bowl of spaghetti squash strands. Add spinach, mushrooms and basil and mix thoroughly.
Evenly divide squash mixture between the hollow squash halves. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the tops.
Place on the pan and bake until filling is hot and mozzarella cheese has melted (15-20 minutes)

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash and Kale Gratin

Another way to sneak Kale into my diet! Yay!! And if you follow my blog you know I LOVE spaghetti squash (possibly even more than I love spaghetti) which makes this recipe a perfect blend of delicious and nutritious.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 bunch kale, 1 bunch parsley
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
3/4 cottage cheese
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
3 oz Parmesan cheese
1 cup panco bread crumbs
1 egg, 1/2 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg,

Directions:
Pre heat oven to 400
Poke holes in the squash, microwave on high for 10 minutes

While squash is cooking:
Peel, trim and grate the carrot, dice the onion
Remove kale stems and tear into bite size pieces
Pick parsley leaves to yield 3 tbsp
Chop walnuts and mix with parsley and breadcrumbs

Remove squash from microwave and allow to cool
Place cottage cheese, yogurt, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp mustard, 2 oz Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp salt in food processor and combine until smooth. Transfer to large mixing bowl.

In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add onion, carrot, garlic and saute 3-5 mins. Add kale, stir, cover and cook 5 mins. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and scoop "meat" out with a fork. Add to skillet and mix.

Add cooked vegetables to mixing bowl with sauce and mix well. Transfer to baking dish. Top with walnut parsley and bread crumb mixture and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Voila!

Italians + Pasta. The way God intended.

Since my mom’s family is Italian, pasta is all I knew growing up. In fact I think I was in high school before we added a turkey to the rigatoni at Thanksgiving dinner.   

 The thought of giving up pasta (at least temporarily until I lost the weight) was daunting. Especially since it’s so easy to make.

Luckily for me I discovered spaghetti squash which I think I may even prefer to pasta these days.

To make buy a spaghetti squash at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. (They’re HUGE so you can’t miss them!) This part of the recipe is courtesy of my friend Libby and is much easier than cooking in the oven: Poke holes in the squash with a sharp knife and toss in the microwave for 10 minutes, then let sit for 2-3 mins. Slice in half and remove seeds with a fork. Then, use the fork to peel the “meat” of the squash from the rind. It should look just like spaghetti.

You can prepare using marinara sauce or, my preference, olive oil with browned onions and garlic. Keep in mind that olive oil is “good” fat!*

Enjoy!

*Other sources of good fat include fish & fish oil, flax-seed oil, coconut oil, peanut butter, walnuts, almonds, pecans and avocado.