Spaghetti Squash Bake

Ok, so anyone who knows me well knows I HATE squash. It is the only food I dislike...at least at this level. Upon further investigation, not all squash tastes like butternut squash. Well I decided to grow some in my garden and today I made use of it in this experimental, and successful, recipe.

Cut 2 spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the "guts". Put a dallop (1/2 tbs) of butter in each half and then place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Set aside to cool

In a large frying pan saute:
1 medium size yellow onion
1 container baby portabella mushrooms-chopped
3 cloves garlic-crushed

When everything softens add:
1 large can crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper-to taste
1/2 tsp italian seasoning

Simmer on medium for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat then stir in:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Scoop and shred the inside of the squash. Combine with tomato mixture, pour into a casserole pan and top with:
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella, white cheddar and/or parmesan)

bake at 375 (uncovered) until cheese starts to grown-about 35 minutes. Top with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan if desired.

Cheesy Potatoes

These are unbelieveable good...

Potatoes:
1 bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes-thawed
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup onions-chopped (yellow or green onions are best)
2 cups cheese-shredded (cheddar and american work great)

Stir everything together and put into a greased casserole pan.

Topping:
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
1 stick butter-melted

Stir cornflakes and butter together and then spread on top of potato mixture.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes.

To make it more healthy you can use low fat soup, sour cream and cheese and you can also reduce the butter in the cornflakes.

North African Meatballs

I got this recipe from the Food Networks TV show Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian-LOVE HER! I served it over brown rice instead of the couscous she suggested.



For the full recipe and others click below:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/north-african-meatballs-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
For the North African Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup pitted and chopped briny olives
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 (14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Pinch ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Meatballs:
1 egg
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch ground cinnamon
3/4 pound ground beef
1/3 cup finely ground rolled oats or fine bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions
To make the North African Sauce:
In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and olives and cook for 1 more minute. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan, and let it reduce for a 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, canned tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and simmer to blend flavors, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To make the Meatballs:
In a medium bowl, add the egg and tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add the cilantro, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Stir in the ground beef and oats, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and combine gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Rolling with your hands, make about 32 meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter.
In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the meatballs in batches until golden on all sides. Add more oil, as needed. Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Zucchini Brownies

I found this on Recipezaar, the only change I made was I didn't salt/drain the zucchini.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Zucchini-Brownies-294932

Ingredients
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Shred the zucchini into a large bowl of salted ice water.
Let sit for 30 minutes; drain well.
Mix butter and sugar.
Add vanilla and egg and beat until smooth.
Add drained zucchini.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder.
Add the chocolate morsels and nuts, if desired.
Fold wet and dry ingredients together until just blended.
Pour into the prepared pan and even out with a spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Pots and Pans...

So I have been perfecting my collection of p & p for the last year or so and the one intrical piece I was missing was a 12" stainless saute pan. My dream was to buy an All Clad but I am pretty sure the hubby would freak if I spent $100+ on one pan so I decided to look around for something comparable. I was shocked and stoked to find the Tramontina (and that it was available at my local Walmart for $39.99!). It is rated very highly by Cooks Illustrated and is a Consumer Reports "Best Buy". They both consider it's performance compareable to the All-Clad. WooHoo!!!Well I tried her out last night and it was even better than I thought! I browned some meatballs and then made a white wine sauce out of the meat bits (deglazing) and then simmered the meatballs for about 20 minutes in the sauce. The pan temp stayed perfect and cleaned up AWESOMELY easy. I am in love with this pan!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5716483

On the subject of pots and pans...

Another one I absolutely can not live without is my Le Creuset enamalized cast iron casserole. I have used the thing for everything from roasts, chili, stew, and of course, casseroles...just to name a few. I'm not sure how well the cheaper brands work but I have definately got my moneys worth out of this one...well my mom's money, it was a Christmas present.http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-2-Quart-French/dp/B0007NIBD8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1250904856&sr=8-6