M.M.... Meatless Monday! Spaghetti Squash!

This week for Meatless Monday I wanted to try Spaghetti Squash!  I googled around in search of a recipe- there were quite a few to choose from, but I landed on Herbed Spaghetti Squash!  It caught my eye as it uses all fresh herbs to flavor the squash.  I did change up the recipe a bit.... my adaptation is below!  It is important to note that I served this with a very generous tomato mozzarella salad so I could include protein (cheese).... the husband looked worried when I told him we were eating squash with herbs. :)

Ingredients

• 1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 1/4 pounds
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons finely chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Pierce skin of Spaghetti Squash 5 or 6 times with a sharp knife.  Put squash in pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes (or so), until the squash is easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.  Cut squash in half (the short way).   Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place the squash strands into a mixing bowl.

Heat a skillet. Add the butter, spaghetti squash, herbs, garlic salt and pepper and toss thoroughly but gently to heat and combine. Add in pine nuts at last minute.  Serve immediately with generous sprinkling of fresh parmesan on top. 


I hated cooking spaghetti squash in the past because recipes called for you to cut in half before cooking.  That is IMPOSSIBLE to me.  I am afraid to lop of a finger as it is kind of like cutting a pumpkin in half- hard!!!  The verdict... the husband rated this higher than me.  Shocking.  He gave it a 7 (said would have rated higher if it had meat sprinkled on top).  I gave it a 6.  I liked it, but it did not "woo" me.  I would say it is not a memorable meal.   I might think about it as a side dish (maybe mixed with pesto).  If you have not had spaghetti squash before- it is kind of a subtle taste with a light crunch.  


Go.... Meatless!  Check out my favorite meatless meals here, here and here!  Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

Photo from Veggie 101

Meatless Monday is back!  I was on vacation in Rhode Island last week which allowed me to get my act together....well sort of.  I made this meatless but hearty pasta dish.... Eggplant Puttancesca and it was a hit with the husband.   As I mentioned, the husband also thinks if it does not have meat that it is not a full meal, but this was thick and hearty.  I almost felt like I was eating a meat sauce.  I have made a few tweaks to the recipe which I found on the Vegetarian Times website.  In the recipe below I cut back a bit on the red pepper flakes (my mouth is still on fire) and the capers (though there were just a twinge too many).


The husband gave this recipe an 8 which is a high mark for a meatless meal!

• INGREDIENTS
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium-sized eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup sliced red onion
• 1 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)
• 1 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 3 Tbs. capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbs. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. dried chili flakes
• 1 12-oz. bag frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (I did not have this so did not include)

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, warm oil over medium heat in large nonstick saucepan. Sauté eggplant, onion and bell pepper 5 to 10 minutes, until eggplant is soft but not mushy. Add garlic, and sauté 2 minutes more. Add olives, tomatoes and capers, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in oregano and chili flakes. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer while pasta cooks.
3. Add tortellini to boiling water, and cook according to package directions, being careful not to overcook. Drain pasta, return to pot, and stir in puttanesca sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and parsley, and serve.

Get yourself to your farmers market and pick up some eggplant and whip up a batch of this stuff.  It is good... and makes hearty serving for 4!

Until next time....xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

I have not cooked much in the past week- so I don't have a recipe for a full meatless meal.  But, I do have a yummy side dish for almost any meal.   I LOVE LOVE LOVE summer in New England largely because it is farmers market season.  I love to buy things that I have never seen before.  

Recently I was examining pea tendrils at my local Saturday Farmer's Market.  The guy ripped me off a few stems and told me to taste them.  They were delicious.  It is a green with a subtle taste of pea .... which makes sense since pea tendrils are the plants that peas grow on.  

I threw pea tendrils in my salads all week, but we still had a ton.  So, I googled for a recipe and found one for sauteed pea tendrils.  I made it with some fish.....lots of subtle flavor.  Cooked up the pea tendrils were reminiscent (in look) to spinach.  

Check out the recipe!

(from Bon Appetit)

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 small garlic cloves, smashed
• 12 ounces fresh pea tendrils
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and sauté until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove garlic. Add tendrils; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and sauté until greens are slightly wilted and heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

I love a good Farmer's Market Find!  Go ahead... try something new!  Until next time...xoxo

P... Presto....I mean Pesto!

Okay, since being back at work and having a baby- time is limited!  VERY limited.  Dinner does not happen unless it is easy and unless it is planned.  As I mentioned before one thing that I do that works brillantly is that I roast a chicken every Sunday.  My favorite recipe is this one.  Roasting a chicken is great because you get two meals out of it.  The night after we roast the chicken I use the rest of the meat and put it in pasta.  I often put in in pasta with fresh pesto that I have stored in our freezer.  I got this idea from my co-worker LE who said her mom always makes her fresh pesto.

For those of you that have tuned out thinking it is too difficult.  Making pesto is the easiest thing ever.  Seriously, it is!  You just need a food processor and before you know it... voila!    I make a ton and  freeze it in small plastic containers (portion sized for one meal) and throw them in the freezer.   If you don't have small containers then you can put in ice cube trays!  If you do plan to freeze pesto- leave out the cheese until you add the pesto to pasta (or whatever).  Cheese does not freeze well!  

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

I cannot wait until summer is here and the farmers market is open.  The market always sells huge bunches of basil for cheap.  I plan to make a boatload of pesto!!!  Try it for yourself- it is delicious!  Until next time...xoxo