Spaghetti Squash Boats

A unique way to serve this delicious dish.
You can find many great recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.









Spaghetti Squash Boats
Ingredients:
2 ripe spaghetti squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. ground hot turkey sausage
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes
1/4 cup half and half
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup part skim Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided or Laughing Cow wedges
2 Tbsp basil, thinly sliced

Directions:
To make the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cut squash right down the middle. Scoop out all the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil. DO NOT PIERCE WITH A FORK!! Many recipes say to do this, but we are using these cuts of squash later as bowls so you want them to remain intact.
Bake squash in the oven for 45 minutes until tender.
Drizzle oil into a large skillet and saute onion and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add turkey sausage and cook until crumbled and lightly brown, draining if necessary, then add chicken broth, tomatoes, half and half, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Bring everything to a boil then cover and allow flavors to simmer on low to medium heat until spaghetti squash is ready.
Remove squash from the oven and scrape out all the strands of spaghetti using a fork.
Add all the spaghetti squash to your skillet along with a 1/4 cup of cheese. Toss well until cheese is melted and squash is fully coated with sauce.
Transfer squash mixture into your now scraped out squash bowls and top with the rest of your cheese.
Place them back in the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes until cheese is melted and squash is heated through.
Top with basil, serve and enjoy!

Thanks to eat-yourself-skinny.com for the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash the easy way.

Love this vegetable but don't want to turn on the oven? Try this unique approach.
Lots of delicious recipes in Tastes & Treasures cookbook too.

Spaghetti Squash in the slow-cooker

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash

Directions:
Place whole squash in a slow cooker (at least 4-qt. capacity). Add 1/2 cup water.
Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours, or until squash is soft.
Slice squash in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds.
Use a fork to scrape out spaghetti squash strands. Place in a strainer to drain excess moisture. Thoroughly blot dry, removing as much moisture as possible.

FYI: A 4-lb. squash yields about 5 cups cooked squash... sometimes more! The number of servings this recipe makes will vary based on your individual squash's size and yield.

Thanks to HungryGirl for the helpful idea.

Twice baked spaghetti squash

Great way to go Italian. Also try Braised Chicken over Fettuccini on page 168 of Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash (about 4.5 lbs.)
One 14.5-oz. can creamy tomato soup
1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese, room temperature
One 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
One 7-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place whole squash in the microwave and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, until soft enough to cut.

Once cool enough to handle, cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds.

To a very large baking pan (or 2 medium baking pans), add 1/2 inch of water. Place squash halves in the pan(s), cut sides down.

Bake in the oven until the insides of squash halves are tender, about 40 minutes.

Remove pans(s) but leave oven on. Once cool enough to handle, remove squash halves from the pan; place on a dry surface with the cut sides up. Set pan(s) aside.

Scrape all of the spaghetti squash strands out with a fork and transfer to an extra-large bowl. Set aside the bowl as well as the hollow squash halves. Empty water from pan(s). Return squash halves to the pan(s), hollow sides up.

In a medium bowl, combine soup, garlic, dried minced onion, Italian seasoning, pepper, and cheese wedges, breaking cheese wedges into pieces as you add them. Stir thoroughly, until mostly smooth.

Add soup mixture to the extra-large bowl of spaghetti squash strands. Add spinach, mushrooms, and basil, and mix thoroughly.

Evenly divide squash mixture between the hollow squash halves. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the tops.

Return pan(s) to the oven and bake until filling is hot and mozzarella cheese has melted, 15 - 20 minutes.

Once cool enough to handle, evenly cut each of the stuffed squash halves in half, leaving you with 4 large pieces. Serve up and enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Thanks to HungryGirl for recipe and statistics.

PER SERVING (1/4th of recipe, 1 large piece): 275 calories, 8g fat, 974mg sodium, 35g carbs, 6g fiber, 15g sugars, 14g protein

Spaghetti Squash

Not just another trendy vegetable, this squash makes a tasty substitute for pasta in your favorite recipes.

The flesh of cooked spaghetti squash shreds easily with a fork into thin strands similar to spaghetti or vermicelli.

Use it in place of penne pasta in Tastes & Treasures recipe page 89, Halibut with Penne and Basil Pesto. Or try it with or without sauces, or perhaps in a casserole.

Served with just a bit of butter and salt, spaghetti squash also is a fine substitute for rice or potatoes.

This multi-purpose vegetable has great storage potential. Buy today, then prepare and serve when it fits into your menu plans. Stored in your kitchen, this winter squash keeps for a month, but a cool, dry basement or root cellar will keep it fresh even longer.

Fat and cholesterol-free, it’s much lower in carbohydrates than conventional spaghetti. It’s also a good source of vitamins and minerals, and a good pasta substitute for people on wheat-free diets.

Basic Cooking directions: 
Helpful hint: Microwave entire squash for a few minutes first to soften it before cutting. Cut Spaghetti Squash in half first, then bake in oven.

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Wash the squash, then dry thoroughly for safer handling. Cut in half lengthwise using a large, sharp knife. Use a scoop or spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy pulpy.
3. Place the two halves cut-side down in a shallow tray or baking pan with an inch of water.
4. Bake the squash for 30 to 45 minutes. When the squash is fully cooked, the skin will give easily to the touch, and the flesh will be tender. You can use a fork to confirm that it’s done.
5. Remove squash from oven. Turn the two halves over and let cool until comfortable to handle. Use a fork to scrape out the flesh. Scrape lengthwise for best results. The squash should come out easily in long strands.
6. Add to the recipe you’re preparing, or place in a serving dish to use as a side dish.