Spaghetti "Squash" Pie

I have made traditional spaghetti pie for, oh, I don't know, about 25 years. It has always been one of my favorites. With my new found love of spaghetti squash, I thought, hmmm, why not try substituting the squash for the pasta. Couldn't think of a reason not to try it. It actually worked pretty well. I didn't have to do a lot of adjusting and the end result was quite tasty.

Spaghetti Squash Pie

1/2 cooked and shredded spaghetti squash
2 TBS. butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 well beaten eggs
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 chopped green or red pepper
2 gloves garlic grated or pressed
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

After the squash has been prepared place it in a bowl, stir in butter, add Parmesan cheese and eggs. Press the mixture into a crust in a greased (I spray with butter flavored Pam) pie pan. In a skillet saute onion, peppers, and garlic in a little olive oil. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and salt. Heat through. Spread cottage cheese on top of the squash crust. Fill pie with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (I used sliced fresh mozzarella cheese). Bake uncovered at 350 degree for 30 minutes.

Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes before slicing. Now the big difference from the pasta pie is that the squash pie doesn't quite slice as nicely. But it is still yummy! Hubby really liked it. Serve with a salad and a crusty bread and you have a great supper. Enjoy!

Spaghetti.....Squash

This time of year is perfect for a multitude of squash recipes. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a squash eater, other than pumpkin and spaghetti squash. I tried my hand at butternut squash soup. If you noticed, there is no recipe for it on the blog. I didn't like, and, although my hubby ate some of it, he wasn't wild about it either.

But spaghetti squash is a whole 'nother story. This is really a versatile gourd. Is it a gourd? Anyway, for people who are watching their carb intake, this is a great low calorie, low carb substitute for pasta. Now, you have to be aware that it doesn't really taste like pasta, and is a bit more crunchy...but it does get the job done.

I found a great way to prepare the squash on Recipezaar. Thanks Bent Slightly for the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash
1 bulb garlic
salt
pepper
olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350. With a sharp sturdy knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. I find it easier to do if I poke holes in the squash with a fork and then microwave it for about 5 minutes. It makes it a bit more tender. After you have cut the squash in half, scoop out the guts and discard. Place the halves in an oven proof dish or baking sheet. After separating and peeling the cloves of garlic, thinly slice the cloves. Layer the slices around the bowl of the squash.


Generously cover the halves with olive oil, salt (Kosher works nicely for this) and fresh ground pepper.

Place on middle rack of oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the meat separates easily with the tines of a fork. When done, let cool for at least 20 minutes. It's much easier on the hands this way. Use a fork to scoop and separate the strands. Depending how devoted you are to garlic you can either remove the slices or leave them in...date night, take them out.

And, Voila, spaghetti!

You can add just about anything you want to this. Just be sure that if you are adding a loose tomato based sauce don't mix them together prior to serving. The squash will get mushy and fall apart. Just let people add there own sauce to the top of the squash. I served it with a bolognese sauce and it turned out really well. I've used it in a hot chicken salad recipe that is yummy. I am going to try it in spaghetti pie. I will let you know how that turns out. Enjoy!

Salsa Verde

The other day as I was perusing my favorite foodie blogs, I came across a recipe for chicken enchiladas with salsa verde. Now, I've made my own version of chicken enchiladas since before there was dirt. But I had never actually tried my hand at making the green version of salsa. So, I said to myself, "Why not?" After spending several days looking at a myriad of recipes, I came up with my own version. And it wasn't half bad. My hubby found it a bit on the hot side, but then his palate is kind of wussy. Sorry, hon, but you know it's true. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can control the heat. And I will guide you through that. Actually, there's nothing to that. But I wanted to sound like the expert that I'm not. Here we go.

The Ingredients

about 2 lbs. tomatillos
4 poblano peppers
4 jalapeno peppers (you aren't necessarily going to use all these peppers but you can save what you don't use for something else)
about 1/4 bunch of cilantro
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 TBS. lime juice

I know, I know, I didn't put the onion or garlic in the photo. Oh, well.

Here's what I did to my salsa to make it a little different from most of the other recipes. I am sure others have done this, but I didn't see it. I roasted all the peppers. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and brush it with olive oil. Also brush the peppers with the oil. Place the cookie sheet in the center of the oven. Cook until fairly blackened, turning often.

While the peppers are roasting, husk and rinse the tomatillos. Place them in a pot just covered with water and cook until they change color to a dull green. I think those little tomatillos are so cute. I had never worked with them before and found them pretty darn interesting. I digress. Anyway, here's what they look like from start to finish.

About the time you start cooking the tomatillos, the peppers will probably be done. Remove them from the oven and the cookie sheet and place in a paper bag to cool for about 15 minutes.

When the tomatillos are done cooking remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, onion, cilantro, cumin and lime juice. When the peppers have cooled peel and remove the seeds and veins. Start by adding 1 of each pepper. Believe me, you will definitely want to start on the cautious side when adding the peppers. Pulse the blender until the mixture is smooth. Then check for heat and salt. You can keep adding the peppers until your mouth can't take anymore heat. And, voila, salsa verde!

This made around 5 cups. It is a versatile salsa that you can use with chips, fish, beef, or, as I did tonight, to make chicken enchiladas. And, boy, did I have one happy hubby!

Zucchini Fries

Here's the thing. Due to a health issue, I am supposed to limit my carbs. Yeah, like that's going to happen everyday. But I try, I really do. At one point I was doing great with it and lost a nice amount of weight without feeling too deprived. And I have found some delicious substitutes for some of those carbs. Following is one of those. My hubby says they are positively addicting. And they are easy to make, and they are a great way to get kids to eat a veggie that usually causes them to gag. And, finally, it's a great way to use all that zucchini growing rampantly in your garden. (That was a lot of "and"s, wasn't it.)

Again, I really don't have quantities because it will depend on the amount you want to make and taste.

The Ingredients

oil for frying

2 zucchini
1 egg
1-1/2 cups Parmesan...the cheap kind in the can is fine for this
cayenne pepper, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, paprika all to taste

This is so easy that once you have made it you won't ever need the recipe again.

Put about an inch of oil in a skillet and heat on medium to medium high. Wash the zucchini, cut off the ends and then cut into fries.

In one bowl whisk the egg until blended. In another bowl mix together the Parmesan cheese and spices.

Dip the zucchini fries into the egg and then into the cheese mixture. Place in the hot oil. Cook until golden, usually just a couple of minutes.

Drain on paper towels, serve hot and try not to go overboard eating them before you serve them to the rest of your family.

I served these with stove top grilled pork chops and sliced tomatoes. Very low carb and very yummy.

As a side note, I have used the egg and cheese coating on pork chops and chicken, and it is delicious! If you are trying to be fat conscious don't try baking food coated with this mixture. It really doesn't work the same. Using canola oil or light olive oil is actually fairly healthy. Just be sure to drain well. Enjoy!

I LOVE Cookbooks!

My hubby is often joking that he is going to have to build another room just for my cookbooks. I can't help it...I love to collect the buggers. I get bored easily and want to keep trying a new recipes. My collection includes very old cookbooks such as the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook we were given as a wedding present, a very old Farm Journal cookbook, and very new such as the newest edition of The Joy of Cooking. I even have a 3 inch 3 ring binder with all my finds off the internet. I am constantly perusing the internet cooking websites for new jewels. OK, so I'm obsessed. It's probably cheaper than shoes. (I'm a foody, not a shoey. I know, that was bad.)

So today, I want to share one of my favorite finds with you. A little back story is needed here. I am a diabetic, and I am not always the best about my food choices. And you aren't going to necessarily find diabetic recipes here, although I do try to keep the carbs in mind. But in an effort to control my blood sugar and lose weight I started trying to really lower the number of carbs I was consuming. I also wanted this type of food to taste good and be satisfying. Who wants to live without sugar and carbs? In my quest for low carb recipes I came across this gem of a cookbook...Carb Wars Sugar is the New Fat by Judy Barnes Baker.


This is a wonderful cookbook for making delicious low carb meals. It not only has delectable recipes, but is also very informative as well as educational (please don't let that work deter you...it is not at all like a school text). The introduction has a great deal of information on the low carb lifestyle as well as the history of low carb eating and the science of it. The Getting Started section lists a variety of plans for low carb eating if you are so inclined. Both of these sections are well-written and researched.

Then you get to the yummy part. Everything from soup to nuts is included in this book. It's easy to make meat dishes low carb, or veggie dishes. But Ms. Baker has even included breads, such as popovers, tortillas, cornbread and yeast breads. She has done a tremendous amount of legwork in searching out a variety of substitutes for the traditional whole wheat flour we are all so used to using.
Her desserts are amazing...lemon bars, cheese cake and even fudge. Included is a recipe for classic cheesecake cups that is quick and simple, and a really great sugar fix. In the condiments I particularly like the bar-b-que sauce. I always make a double batch of that. I really could go on and on about this book, but you should check it out yourself either here or here. I swear you will love this book. I wouldn't lie to you! Honest!