Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs

Ever tried that strange looking squash named spaghetti squash?

What's that all about anyway?

Let me tell you!  Spaghetti squash has a mild flavor, (slightly sweet) it's easy to cook, and is a great replacement for spaghetti.  To prepare the squash you have to cut it in half and clean out the seeds, and stringy pulp.  Much like a pumpkin.  Then you roast it and when it is done it will be soft and tender.  To make the "spaghetti" you just take a fork and scrap the flesh out of the shell and it will separate into strands that look like spaghetti.  Easy!

Today's dish is part of my "Eat Well 2013" motto because this dish is low in calories and carbs.  Replacing your typical pasta with spaghetti squash allows you to get more servings of veggies and fiber in your diet.  Plus it tastes good.  Even the kids will love it.  What a great way to get them to eat more veggies, right?  This version includes meatballs for protein along with a quick marinara sauce to top the squash with.  

The marinara has a little kick from the cayenne pepper, so if you are feeding the kiddos, omit or use less.  I love the heat myself.  It lends another depth of flavor to a simple sauce.  

For the meatballs, you could make homemade using my meatball recipe.  Better than that to make this a quicker dish to prepare, make the meatballs and freeze them for use later on.  This will allow you to take out the amount of meatballs that you need (about 3 per person is good) and thaw them in the microwave before adding them to the sauce.  Or if you want more convenience you could by frozen meatballs, beef or turkey, and thaw them and add to the sauce as well.  Whatever works best for you.  

All in all, this dish is healthy, smart, and super tasty!  Hope you enjoy my version.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs

Makes: 4 servings

Prep:  20 mins

Bake:  50 mins

1 2 pound spaghetti squash, halved and seeded

Nonstick cooking spray

12 meatballs, cooked (from meatball recipe) or store bought

1 T dried Italian seasoning, crushed

2 14 ½ oz cans crushed tomatoes

½ t crushed red pepper

1 t Italian seasoning

½ t salt

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly coat the cut side of the spaghetti squash with cooking spray.  Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a large cookie sheet or baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until squash is soft.  Allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Using a fork scrape the insides of the squash to separate the strands.  Place in a medium bowl.

For meatballs:  Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray.  Preheat skillet over medium-high heat.   Add meatballs and cook until browned, turning occasionally to brown evenly.  (If using frozen meatballs, thaw using the microwave first then add to the skillet.)  Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring sauce to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken.

Divide squash among plates and top with meatballs and sauce. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. 

Flavors of Morocco

It's no secret I love Williams-Sonoma and attend many of their classes.

Last week we got to explore the flavors of Morocco.  A wonderful way to put spice in your life and to try some flavors unique to North Africa.  The class did not disappoint.  Just take a look at the tagine above.  Isn't it beautiful?  They are selling them in the store, so you can pick one up if you like (picture courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.com)!

We tried some of the classic flavors and spices used in Moroccan cuisine such as:

Harrisa - a spicy puree of tomato, olive oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, and spices.
Ras el Hanout - a unique spice blend with a rich aroma.  Similar to a curry blend.
Preserved Lemons - These were salty tart, and we found that the lemons are brined for at least a week.
Couscous - a semolina pasta used to accompany meat.
Mint - this herb is used in a variety of dishes from salads to tea.

One the menu was:

Spiced Couscous

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Olives

Moroccan-Style Meatballs

(Pictures courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.com)

They were all delicious but I think I liked the meatballs the best. Made with lamb, but could easily be made with ground beef and be just as good.  In fact, I think these would be perfect as snacks for Super Bowl Sunday this weekend!

We also sampled their Apricot Tagine Sauce, which is an excellent way to start trying Moroccan Cuisine.  

Go global and explore this country's bold flavors.  They are tasty, easy to prepare, and healthy.  Enjoy!

Twice-Baked Potato Pizza

We have some big games coming up on TV soon. 

How many of you watch the Super Bowl?

Do you like to watch the game, or do you just like to see the commercials, and the half time show?

Either way, it is always fun to gather friends and family around and munch on yummy food.  Any excuse to cook and eat right?

This recipe is what I call “manly” food.  It just has that bar food feel to it.  Perfect for a party on the big game day. 

 

I was in the store the other day and saw a new item.  It was Progresso’s Recipe Starters.  Have you seen them yet.  They are actually soups, with a thick consistency that you can use as a base for other recipes.  There were several choices to choose from so I grabbed the Three Cheese cooking sauce and another one and off I went.  Now, what to make with this Three Cheese cooking sauce?  I scanned the recipes suggested on www.pillsbury.com and found several.  The one that caught my eye, because it was so different, was the Twice Baked Potato Pizza.  I can’t recall that I’ve ever had a potato on a pizza before.  Again, I’m a traditionalist, but I’m breaking free.

So I decided to try this out.  It’s really a pizza of sorts, but also tastes like potato skins.  Quite easy to make using a refrigerated pizza crust, and pre-sliced potatoes.  You don’t end up using all the three cheese sauce so you will have some left to use in another recipe.  I was thinking cheese biscuits…

 

All in all this was a tasty treat!  One that any guy would love, and perfect to serve a crowd.  I will certainly have this on my list of items to make come Super Bowl Sunday.  Hope you will too!

Twice-Baked Potato Pizza

adapted from: www.pillsbury.com

1  can (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust

1  can (18 oz) Progresso Recipe Starters creamy three cheese cooking sauce

2  cups refrigerated homestyle potato slices (from 20-oz bag such as Simply Potatoes)

6 bacon slices cooked and crumbled 

1 ½  cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Garnishes:  (if desired)

Diced seeded tomatoes

Sliced green onions

Heat oven to 425°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll pizza dough on cookie sheet; press into 15x12-inch rectangle. Bake 5 minutes or until light golden brown.

Spread 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the cooking sauce evenly over partially baked crust (using more sauce will make crust soggy). Arrange potato slices in single layer over sauce. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with tomatoes and green onions. Serve.