Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

So, all the recipes for this one say it's supposed to taste like hashbrown casserole.  Well, don't make it to substitute for hashbrown casserole because it is NOT an adequate sub for cheesy potato yumminess.  It is an ok, healthy side.  We had it with pork chops.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, cut in half and very thinly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like it spicy
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Poke holes in the squash and place on a plate in the microwave for 15 minutes, turning half way through.
2. In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add the butter, onions, red pepper and thyme and cook until the onions are slightly brown in color. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds.  
4. Scrape the insides of the squash and combine the squash, onions, sour cream and half the cheese together and mix well. 
5. Place the mixture to a buttered baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake at 375º for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is one of those things that I'd have never thought to fix.  It's something you see in Martha Stewart or Real Simple Magazine and just think...huh, that's interesting.  But I have actually cooked it and like it!  We've had it a few times recently and it is so easy.  It's also healthy.  Definitely don't think this is going to replace pasta or cure your carb craving, but it helped me feel less guilty about eating a big dessert after dinner.  

Most are about this size:

And that seems to be just the right size for our family.  Half a squash yields:

To cook it, as directed by my sister, I pierced it with a knife a few times, set it on a plate, and microwaved it for 15 minutes.  Afterwards, slice it open and discard the inner seeds.

Remove the very inside, the seeds

The "spaghetti" is the pulp-ish part between the seeds and the skin.  I simply scraped it out with a fork onto the plate.

I've only had it with tomato sauce (red gravy for you Southern Italians), specifically chicken Parmesan, but think I'll try a few other recipes.  There must be some on Pinterest. 

**Sorry about the terrible phone pictures.  I've been lazy about using a real camera since the demise of my point and shoot.

Veggies and Rice

Served with flounder

We eat a lot of potatoes around here.  There's baked, and boiled, and oven fries, scalloped, au gratin.  I need to mix up the starch component of mealtime.  So I'm starting with rice.  I looked and looked and looked for recipes, but definitely did not want a casserole-esque type side.  I based on this on a recipe from allrecipes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup uncooked rice 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped 
• 1 cup broccoli crowns
• 2 toes garlic, minced

Directions:

1. In a saucepan saute onion and garlic in butter until tender and begin to brown. 
2. Stir in rice and stir, allowing rice to brown a little.
3. Stir in the broth, salt and pepper. 
4. Bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 13 minutes.
6. Stir in the yellow squash and zucchini. Cover and simmer 6-10 minutes longer or until rice and vegetables are tender. 

Notes:

• This was light, easy and yummy and I can do it with whatever vegetables I have on hand.  I imagine tossing in some frozen peas or carrots would work well.
• It is probably enough for 3-4 servings.
• I did serve this with a little parmesan sprinkled on top.

Stuffed artichokes

 

I've been trying to keep my grandmother's spirit going around here.  We even had stewed chicken for dinner one night.

I can remember asking her for stuffed artichokes year round and she'd try to explain eating veggies when they're in season concept.  Eastertime was when stuffed artichokes would make their first showing.  

She wouldn't be happy knowing I paid $2 a piece for these, hence I only made 2, but she would be proud I minced the garlic rather than using the jarred stuff.

Ingredients:

• 2 artichokes, stem removed, bottom cut flat, top cut off, and thorns trimmed with scissors
• 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
• 1.5 cups shredded parmesean (or ramano)
• 5 toes minced garlic (I could have used more!)
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• About 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients, excluding chokes, in a large bowl.  Toss with your hands to mix thoroughly.
2. One artichoke at a time, fill the leaves with stuffing.  Gently pull leaves out and get stuffing in between leaves.  
3. After artichokes are stuffed, drizzle olive oil over each.  Make sure to get a little over every leaf.
4. Steam artichokes for 45-75 minutes until tender.  Gently pull on a leaf, and when done it will come off easily.

Notes:

• Danny used Ramono.
• Danny also put a slice of lemon on the center of each artichoke before steaming.
• You can make your own breadcrumbs.  Be sure to add seasoning in this case.
• To steam the artichokes I cover the bottom of a dutch oven with water, place the artichokes in, cover, and put int he oven at 350 degrees. I'm sure using a steamer or some other steaming methods works just fine.

Brussels Sprouts

I've owned a home, had a job, and am raising a kid, but for some reason cooking brussels sprouts is what is making me feel grown up these days.  Charlie loves them, so I guess he's grown up too.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 3 slices bacon
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 toe garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Trim stems on sprouts and remove loose leaves.
2.  Cut large sprouts in half, small sprouts remain whole.  I tried to select all tiny sprouts but I still cut most of them in half.
3. Blanche sprouts for a few minutes.  I don't think this was entirely necessary, but I think it helped them keep their color.
4. Chop bacon and cook in skillet.
5. Add shallot and garlic and cook for a minute or two.
6. Add sprouts and saute until tender.  (I suppose you could remove the bacon fat and use olive oil.)
7. Salt and pepper to taste.

First harvest

That would be one grape tomato. The grape tomatoes are being eaten and I am yet to conceded to pesticides. The creoles, however, are loaded. I have three bushes and each has 4 or so good size 'maters and lots of small fruits and blooms.

Squash!

I do my best to serve fresh fruits and vegetables with each and every meal. We eat a lot of steamed broccoli and broiled asparagus, but this is the #1 veggie here. It came from a recipe that Janet tried last summer at the lake...zucchini with breadcrumbs and some other things. I don't really remember the recipe but from that I decided to try this...


Ingredients:

• Yellow squash and zucchini squash
• Olive oil
• Shredded Parmesan
• Salt

Directions:

1. Slice squash into "chips"
2. Toss in bit of olive oil (or drizzle with oil after step 3)
   
3. Lay on a cookie sheet
4. Sprinkle with kosher salt
5. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake or broil until cheese is browned.

I usually have use large yellow and one large zucchini for the two of us.

Turning throws into a feast: Cabbage Casserole

I had designs on catching a cabbage at the parade, but believe it or not, we didn't make it to the Irish Channel for the St. Paddy's Day parade. Charlie says he's still got his fill of parades from Carnival.

And now we're having the traditional corned beef and cabbage the night before the 17th because we'll be downing hot dogs and beer (green?) at the Hornets' game tomorrow.

I'm not a big fan of cabbage, and neither is Charlie, but anything with sausage is good, right? This is a variation of one from the newspaper. It called for ground pork OR sausage OR half and half. Going with all sausage was a no brainer over here.


Cabbage Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 large cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 pound sausage
• 1 large yellow onion
• Garlic
  
• Parmesan cheese
• bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper
  

Directions:

1. Brown onion, garlic, and sausage.
2. Add can of Rotel and cook mixture for about 10 minutes.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
   
4. Core and chop cabbage.
5. Add to sausage mixture and cover.
6. Cooke until cabbage wilts.
7. Place in a 9x13 baking dish and cover with cheese and breadcrumbs.
8. Bake.
   

Next time I may try a variation that called for 1/4 cup water, 1 cup rice, and a cheese sauce made with cheddar, milk and butter poured over the top before baking.

Pretty yummy. We'll have leftovers tomorrow, after the game, along with corned beef turned into Ruebens!