Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

I buy strange vegetables all the time, and mostly, they just languish in the back of our fridge. But sometimes, they make it out and I wonder why I didn't think to make it sooner. Spaghetti squash was just one such example. 

When I tried to explain to T what was supposed to happen with this large yellow squash, he had no confidence in me at all. But I swear, when you bake this veggie, when you scoop out the flesh, it comes out like spaghetti noodles! It's the neatest thing. 

So, not only were we impressed by the appearance of this one, it was delicious. I'm sure there's tonnes you can do with spaghetti squash, but for this night, I simply topped it with a tomato sauce and some parmesan cheese and it was a healthy, carb-free meal. 

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut-side down on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes; until a knife can easily go through the skin. 
• Once slightly cooled, take a fork, and use the tines to scoop out flesh lengthwise. The flesh should come out easily and like noodles.
• Top with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese and serve.

Savoury Stuffed Acorn Squash

As soon as I saw this featured in a holiday spread in House and Home magazine, I knew I wanted to make it. I had never cooked with acorn squash before but I do love squash, and the "stuffing" sounded delicious with the apple and pecans. But mostly, I loved the presentation. Imagine serving this as a first course to your dinner guests? So unexpected.

Another great thing is that this is a make ahead -- always a must for me when entertaining. There is some last minute assembly and broiling of the cheese, but overall an easy and impressive dish that will certainly grace the table of my next get together.

Savoury Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 6 small acorn squash
• 1/4 cup butter, plus two tbsp 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 shallots, chopped
• 3 McIntosh apples, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tsp crumbled dried sage
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with foil. Cut squash in half lengthwise, from stem to tip, and scoop out seeds. Pat with 1/4 cup of butter and sprinkle brown sugar over the inside of each. Roast, flat side up, for 40-50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Saute shallots, apple, celery, pecans and sage until apples and celery are soft. Stir in bread crumbs and salt and pepper.
• Remove cooked squash from oven. Stuff with apple mixture. Top with mozzarella and put back in oven and broil until cheese browns. (these can be made ahead, but top with cheese prior to serving)

Recipe adapted from November 2010 issues of House and Home magazine

Squash Soup with Bacon and Asiago Crumpets

On Sundays I feel that we should be having a full "Sunday night" dinner. But even though I took out a roast out of the freezer yesterday, it still wasn't defrosted in time to make dinner tonight, so we came up with Plan B: Butternut Squash Soup and Bacon and Asiago Crumpets.

Butternut Squash Soup

I didn't have a recipe so I used my basic Leek and Potato recipe and modified it slightly. Here's what I did:

1. Cut one medium butternut squash down the middle and roasted in the oven for one hour.
2. Melted two teaspoons of butter in a large pot and added one diced onion. Let cook for five minutes.
3. Add two diced up potatoes and one and a half cartons of chicken stock. Let boil until potatoes cook.
4. Cut up squash and add to the soup. 
5. Puree with immersion blender.
6. Add 1/2 cup of cream and 1/2 cup of white wine. 
7. Add salt, pepper and splash of nutmeg.
8. Serve in bowls and add a dollop of sour cream.

Overall, a pretty basic recipe and it turned out pretty well. I think this will be a winter favourite.

Bacon and Asiago Crumpets

These were delish! I got this recipe from the Mildred Pierce Restaurant brunch cookbook. They were good and pretty easy to make, but I certainly don't need 12 of them. My husband, T, really liked these though and maybe they won't be around that long.

They had a nice flavour and had a bit of a bite to them with the asiago cheese and the scallions. I think they might be nice in the toaster too for enjoyment throughout the week.

Lessons learned:

• I can make soup without a recipe
• If a recipe calls for crumpet rings, if you don't mind a messy border, you don't need them
• Hillebrand Riesling is our new favourite wine and it went really well with the mild soup