Happy 2012! (Baked Spaghetti Squash)

Well, we are 2 days into 2012 and hopefully, everyone is off to a great New Year!  We had a really nice weekend with family and friends... and of course, food! 

 

I hope to share many more recipes in the coming year, and will likely add some different kinds of reviews as well.  Now that I have rediscovered my love of reading, I will be adding some book reviews as I plow my way through some best sellers and some older books that I missed during the years when I didn't have time to read. 

 

I also hope to get back to challenging myself with new cooking techniques, but the twist will be to make sure we are eating a healthy balance of foods that include wonderful produce and lean meats.  This speaks to the Eat. Live. Be. Reboot. challenge I've been participating in, which I will continue to share each week on Wednesdays (as long as Blogger doesn't give me grief with getting my post done!).

 

So, let's start the year off with a simple way to prepare spaghetti squash!

 

 

I have read Steamy Kitchen for quite awhile now, and happened upon a post from quite awhile back that she did on this yummy veggie.  Jaden shares how to bake it up and then add some great flavor so that you won't even notice that you've just added another veggie to your dinner and skipped the pasta! 

 

Now, I won't dare tell you that this is a perfect substitute for pasta... because the texture and taste are very different.  However, you will leave the table feeling satisfied and not overstuffed.  You'll also realize that you just did something good or yourself... an extra veggie that is filled with fiber, potassium, folic acid and Vitamin A... and for a whole cup of this nutritious veggie you will only use up 42 calories (of course, that is before you add any other ingredients!).

 

The recipe that Jaden shared is for Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter.  The biggest take-away from the process was baking the squash for an hour at 375 degrees... this softens it enough so that you can cut through it without worrying about taking off a finger as you try to cut through it. 

 

Once you have the squash baked and the strands all scraped out, there are a ton of ways you can add flavor twists to it.  I enjoyed the version Jaden shared, and then added my simple tomato sauce with sauteed chicken to it that night.  A very satisfying meal, indeed!

 

Here are some other recipes I came across while searching for ways to prepare spaghetti squash (and I have another one sitting on my counter now... which one should I try next?):

• Joanne Eats Well with Others has a recipe for Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Garlic Sauce and Ricotta
• The New York Times recipe for Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Basil
• Cookin' Canuck shared a recipe for Spaghetti Squash with Gorgonzola, Dried Cherries and Pecans as a guest post for Savoring the Thyme

 Or perhaps you have a recipe that I simply must try... please do share!  I got My Oldest to eat it last week and I'd love to find a few more recipes to add to my go-to list!

 

 

 

Please note that all photos and content belong to Patsy Kreitman, unless otherwise noted. If you want to use something please ask first.