Even though Monticello
technically has four distinct seasons, sometimes Mother Nature plays tricks on
the environment. 2017 saw a very short
spring, weather wise, and the summer monsoon season continued further along
than usual. Fall had only just begun
when on October 9th, the townsfolk awoke to the first snowfall;
furnaces pulsed to life while the air filled with the scent from wood burning
stoves. As suddenly as winter touched
the town, fall was back with mildly cool temperatures and the turning of leaves
to warm, golden colors.
In the kitchen, recipe
pages turned to comforting soups and casseroles; holidays just around the
calendar corner tickled the sweet tooth for cookies, pies and cakes. Fall and winter is also when we tend to
hibernate; cocooning ourselves inside with mugs of spiced apple cider or hot
chocolate. We become more sedentary, so
shouldn’t be surprised when the pounds begin moving the needle on scales
upward. Pasta is the winter downfall of
the Cokenour household; thick lasagna layered with meat sauce and cheeses;
puffy ravioli loaded with creamy cheese, and maybe I’ll sneak in some chopped
spinach into the cheese mixture. Therein
lies the key, getting vegetables into the meals to offset some of those pounds
trying to sneak onto the hips.
Spaghetti squash is an
oblong shaped (normally yellow in color, sometimes with an orange tint) winter
squash which can be easily prepared.
After cutting the squash lengthwise, use a simple spoon to scoop out the
seeds; the raw flesh is firm and the surprise comes after cooking. This type of squash can be baked, boiled,
microwaved or steamed; my personal favorite way is baking it in an oven. I have tried the microwave way, but I believe
the baking method gives the squash more flavor, especially if you allow the
ends to brown slightly. A medium sized
squash is about seven inches long and gives up about four cups of cooked
flesh. Oh, when buying a spaghetti
squash, be warned that it looks slightly like a honeydew melon, but the melon
typically has a greenish tint to it, while the squash won't.
After cleaning the squash,
preheat the oven to 375F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the
squash cut side down. Some folks say to
rub oil on the rind, but it really doesn't do a thing for the flesh inside and
the rind will soften with or without the oil.
Bake the squash for 40 - 50 minutes; the edges will begin to brown and
the flesh can easily be removed with a fork.
Clean the squash while it is still hot; hold the rind side with a folded
towel and lean the bottom against the edge of your bowl; with a downward
scraping motion pull the strands of the flesh into the bowl. See how it looks like spaghetti, and the
texture is almost the same also; the taste however is different, it does taste
like a vegetable. You can easily use the
strands in any dish you would use the pasta in; top with your favorite pasta sauce,
make a frittata, or go completely vegetarian with your recipe. Could you add a protein? Why not!?!
Small meatballs, grilled and sliced sausages, crispy bacon; treat it
like a pasta that just happens to have more vitamins and minerals than whole grains.
Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 and 1/2 cups sliced
mushrooms
1 and 1/2 cups cup sliced
zucchini
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 and 1/2 cups diced
tomatoes
3/4 chopped fresh parsley
4 cups cooked spaghetti
squash
Salt and ground black
pepper to taste
Option: grated Parmesan
cheese on top
Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a
large skillet over medium-high heat; sauté' the mushrooms, zucchini and garlic
together until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Keep stirring to keep the garlic from
burning.
Add the tomatoes, mix and
let them cook down for about five minutes, so the excess liquid can evaporate.
Add the parsley, but only
cook for one minute to allow it to wilt a little. If you want it to look more dramatic though,
instead of chopping the parsley leaves; leave them whole. Add the spaghetti squash and toss well to
make sure it gets a good coating of the vegetables and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste; depending on
how vegetarian you want this dish, you might want to sprinkle a little grated
Parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.
Makes 4 servings.
I served this to both my
husband and his mother; neither had ever had spaghetti squash before, nor knew
what it was. They ended up splitting the
four servings up between them. Good
thing I keep a jar of peanut butter in the house; made myself a sandwich for
lunch while they chowed down on the squash.
Oh well, at least I know they enjoyed it...a lot!
Mary Cokenour
