Curry Mee – Malaysian Vegetable and Noodle Soup

Again, quite a bit of time has passed since I last added a recipe. I was busy, the world was still turning, life was normal…then BAM, COVID-19. So now I have A LOT of extra time and energy and I am returning to my recipe blog. I made an amazing soup yesterday from my favorite recipe blog, The Woks of Life. The layers of flavor, the aromatics, the warmth were all really terrific and comforting! I made some personal adjustments to the original recipe by adding more vegetables, using shrimp instead of chicken thighs (my son is still boycotting chicken- but it turned out too spicy for him anyway) and using plant-based shirataki noodles instead of egg noodles. If you want to make it vegetarian use vegetable broth instead of chicken, add salt instead of fish sauce and if you don’t eat shrimp you can eliminate it (maybe add tofu). I think it is a versatile recipe, add or subtract vegetables and proteins as you see fit.

• Servings: 4 +
• Time: 50 min
• Difficulty: easy
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Healthy take on a Malaysian yellow curry noodle soup.

Credit: Curry Mee Malaysian Noodle Soup by The Woks of Life

Ingredients

• Neutral oil such as safflower or canola oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, minced
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 Tablespoon lemongrass (grated lemon zest is a good substitute)
• 1 Tablespoon red curry paste
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 large carrot, sliced in thin rounds
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 3 Tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 13.5 ounces of coconut milk
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
• 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or whatever kind you have on hand)
• 8 ounces shirataki noodles (prepare according to package directions)
• 2 cups raw bean sprouts
• cilantro leaves or basil leaves for a garnish
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Procedure

1. Heat a little oil in a medium stock pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until onions begin to soften and mixture is fragrant.
2. Add the mushrooms and carrots and cook for a few minutes.
3. Stir in the red curry paste and then add the shrimp, stirring well.
4. Turn up the heat to high and add the curry powder, turmeric, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. While the soup simmers prepare the noodles according to their instructions.
6. Add the noodles and half the bean sprouts to the soup. Stir and cook for a minute.
7. Pour soup into bowls and top with the remaining bean sprouts and cilantro (or basil) as a garnish. Add a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

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March 17, 2020

Turkey Vegetable Chili

So yesterday was mushroom barley soup and today is turkey chili, I am full-fledged into autumn now…except this is Northern CA and it will feel like summer again in a few days, but that keeps things interesting. I have made this chili recipe a few times and it is dramatically different from my beef and chicken sausage chili I posted a few years ago. I think this is lighter and brighter, not quite a rich as my other chili recipe, although both are pretty light calorie-wise. I lightened-up this Food & Wine recipe by omitting the lager (didn’t want to buy a 6 pack of beer to use only one bottle to make this chili), using two pounds of ground turkey breast meat instead of three (!) pounds of turkey, added some additional vegetables among other small tweaks. I hope you enjoy it!

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 45 minutes active and 1 1/2 hours cooking
• Difficulty: easy-medium
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Adapted from Food & Wine's Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili - a light and vegetable-laden chili for a cool autumn day.

Adapted from Food & Wine’s Turkey and Pinto Bean Chili  

Ingredients

• Safflower oil
• 1 large sweet onion, cut in a small dice
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in a small dice
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut in a small dice
• 2 pounds ground turkey breast
• 2 Tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
• 2 – 28 ounce cans of low-sodium chopped tomatoes with the juice
• 1 cup of low-sodium vegetable stock or broth
• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 cans of low-sodium cannellini beans (or great northern or white kidney beans), drained and rinsed

Procedure

1. Heat a large dutch oven or pot on Medium-high. Add a small amount of oil and coat the bottom of the pot. Add the onion, carrots, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the turkey and cook for about 10 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked.
2. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, chipotle chile powder, black pepper, and salt  to the mixture and stir for one minute until well-mixed and fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes, stock/broth, cider vinegar, and the beans. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Stir occasionally.
4. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat and serve in bowls. Garnish with chopped chives or onions if desired.

NOTE: This also works well to follow recipe up to step 3, then once you add the beans put the mixture into a slow cooker, set on medium and leave it to cook for the day. I do this in the mountains, so it is about 45 minutes preparation and then dinner is ready when I come home from skiing! 

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October 3, 2019

chopping the onion

cooking the turkey and the vegetables

Chili simmering

finished product!

Mushroom Barley Soup

Today actually felt like autumn, so I decided to make soup. I had a hard time coming up with the right soup that both my son and I would eat and I finally decided on mushroom barley soup. It is a vegetarian version, I remember loving my aunt’s mushroom barley soup as a kid, but I remember it having beef chunks in it. Since I decided to make this vegetarian I made a side of homemade meatballs to add some extra food for the growing teenager. We were both happy this way and there was plenty of leftover soup for lunch tomorrow and for freezing for future meals.

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: about 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-medium
• Print

Fairly quick and healthy vegetarian soup for a chilly day

Credit: Mushroom Barley Soup from Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 8 cups of Vegetable Stock or Broth (or Beef Stock if you aren’t making it vegetarian)
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, cut in a small dice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup pearled barley
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Heat a large saucepan with a little safflower oil. When hot, add the carrot, fennel, and onion. Saute for about 3 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms and saute 5 more minutes.
3. Add the garlic, oregano and thyme, and saute one more minute.
4. Add the stock or broth and barley.
5. Bring to a boil, stir and then cover and simmer over moderately low heat for 30 minutes or until the barley is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve in bowls. Enjoy!

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October 3, 2019

Fresh Summer Corn Soup with Crab

I have made this recipe all summer and it is really delicious! It is like summer in a bowl. It is a recipe from the New York Times Cooking site and I have modified it slightly by leaving out the cream, butter and jalapenos, and adding crab. It has a pretty short list of ingredients and is very light and healthy. I will say that shucking 12 pieces of corn can take some time, so it isn’t quick, but healthy natural food is often not quick, but worth the extra time.

• Servings: 6+
• Time: about 1 1/2 hours
• Difficulty: medium
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Fresh corn, crab and summer in a bowl

Credit: The New York Times Cooking – I can’t post a link because you have to pay for their website now, so I no longer have access to it 

Ingredients

• 12 ears of corn
• 1 sweet onion, small dice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 yellow or orange bell peppers, small dice
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of fresh crab, shelled
• 8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade them

Procedure

1. Remove the husk from all of the corn.
2. Cut the corn off the cob and put the cornless cobs in a large stockpot. Fill the stock pot with 16 cups of water, bay leaf, peppercorns and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and turn down heat to medium and lightly boil for 30 minutes.
3. While the corn cobs are boiling, cut the vegetables.
4. Saute the onion and bell pepper with a little oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot until it is soft and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the corn and saute for 10 more minutes.
5. Add 6 cups of the corn stock to the corn mixture (avoiding the peppercorns and bay leaf). stir and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Puree about half the soup, so it turns creamy, but you still have a lot of vegetable chunks. Pour into bowls, garnish with fresh crab and basil. Enjoy!

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com    August 19, 2019

Healthy New England Clam Chowder with Cauliflower- updated

Recipe updated Oct. 11, 2019. Added carrots, made it with chicken broth instead of vegetable for a more pleasant color and added more photos. Served it for dinner and all really liked it!

Happy New Year! When I made the Loaded Baked Potato-Style Cauliflower soup recently, my son and I decided that the same base would probably be really good as a clam chowder, and I could even make it completely dairy-free for those who prefer that. I love New England style clam chowder but it traditionally has a lot of milk and cream and butter…so I have not made it in many years and I am not inclined to order it in a restaurant because it is usually loaded with even more butter and cream than I would make at home. I am not lactose-intolerant, but I think that my morning latte and some cheese is enough dairy for me each day.  This soup turned out rich and creamy without any dairy! I am so amazed at what one can do with cauliflower, so my cauliflower obsession continues along with my squash obsession (check out this amazing Parmesan Crusted Delicata Squash recipe from Skinnytaste – I can’t get enough of this — crispy like a high-quality french fry but so much better for you!).  I am giving Cooking Light credit for inspiring me to create this soup from their cauliflower soup. Let me know what you think!

Healthy New England Clam Chowder with Cauliflower

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: about 40 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Rich, creamy and still very healthy cauliflower-based clam chowder soup.

Credit:  Inspired by Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb (white bulb only), chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or a teaspoon of dried thyme)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• olive oil
• 1 large cauliflower, florets and stems chopped
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock/broth)
• 2 cups clam juice
• kosher salt to taste (the clam broth will have salt, so taste before salting)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon white miso
• 16 ounce package of frozen clams, shelled
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fennel fronds to garnish

Procedure

1. Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pot and heat. When oil is hot, add onion, fennel, carrots, thyme, and garlic to the pot and stir often until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, stock or broth, clam juice, pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Ladle about 80% of the soup (liquid and vegetables) into a blender, add the miso and puree until smooth and creamy. Be careful not to burn yourself on the hot liquid while blending (put a towel over the blender lid).
3. Return the blended mixture to the pot. Add clams cook over medium heat for about 5 more minutes. Taste to see if it needs more salt and pepper.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fennel fronds. Enjoy!

Notes:

• I made this today under quarantine and used what I had available, which was onion instead of fennel, added three large mushrooms and only one bottle of clam juice along with the juice from one can of clams. I discarded the juice from the other can of clams, so I would get more creaminess from the cauliflower. Worked well! I also sauteed the carrots first, and then set them aside. Then I sauteed the onions, mushrooms and garlic and added the cauliflower (followed the recipe here)…then pureed 80% of that (not the carrots), then added the carrots back in after pureeing the other ingredients. Keeps the soup whiter, like traditional clam chowder made with milk and cream.  I also added one finely diced chicken sausage (sometimes people add a little bacon – this was a sub) and a handful of chopped kale at the end. Served with a little garlic bread to make it dinner. We all enjoyed it!

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com

January 15, 2019 – updated October 11, 2019

Healthy Pumpkin Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms

Oh my gosh! This was so good. I have to give all the credit to Elena at HappyKitchen.Rocks! I followed her recipe with a few adjustments: I used canned pumpkin, as this was a last minute dinner idea and I happened to have canned organic pumpkin in my pantry (but not a whole sugar pumpkin lying around!), I added a half a chopped leek, just one large clove of garlic, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano instead of the chopped walnuts, chicken stock instead of vegetable broth and left off the pumpkin oil (no idea where that would come from?).  If you want to keep it vegan use the chopped walnuts instead of cheese and vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. My son made some homemade pumpkin spaghetti with his pasta machine, substituting a couple of tablespoons of pumpkin puree for the usual water and oil he would put in the dough. It was soooo good! I had most of mine with some leftover frozen spaghetti squash I had in the freezer, but I had to try the pasta as well. I wasn’t sure I was going to post this, so I am lacking in pictures, next time I make it I will update with more pictures.  I think this is the beginning of my usual Fall Pumpkin Crush (I made pumpkin granola yesterday)…

• Servings: 4
• Time: about 20-30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Rich, creamy and very healthy pasta (or vegetable noodles) with sautéed mushrooms and spinach topped with a savory pumpkin sauce

Credit: HappyKitchen.Rocks

Ingredients

• 1/2 leek, white part only, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 can organic pumpkin (make sure nothing else is added, especially sugar as this is a savory dish, not pie). Or a small sugar pumpkin, roasted and puréed.
• about 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer to make this vegan). The amount may vary a bit.
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 10 oz fresh spinach
• Fresh pasta of choice or spaghetti squash
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing (unless making it vegan – then try chopped walnuts or toasted pine nuts or nutritional yeast).

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the mushrooms with the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread the mushrooms in an even layer and roast until soft and golden, about 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through. Add the spinach for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
3. While the mushrooms cook, sauté the leeks and garlic for a few minutes or until they soften and become fragrant. Add pumpkin puree and small amounts of the chicken stock, until it is thinner than a soup, but still thick enough to grab onto your pasta. Cook over very low heat, stir frequently, and periodically add stock as it thickens while you cook it. Season with salt, pepper and sage.
4. Cook the pasta according to package directions (or vegetable “noodles”). Drain.
5. Mix noodles with spinach, mushrooms and sauce. Serve in bowls with freshly grated parmesan and enjoy!

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com    October 22, 2018

The finished pumpkin sauce (leftovers).

 

Spaghetti Squash with Vegetable Ragu

I am obsessed with spaghetti squash. I forgot about it all summer, but now I am seeing it on the grocery shelves and I had to buy one this week. It is just my “pastaterian” (I made that up, or a friend did, meaning he would only eat pasta if I let him) son and I for dinner tonight, and I decided I would make a big pot of vegetable ragu and add ground beef to a portion of the ragu to make it Bolognese-like for him.  This way everyone is happy with little extra effort. This provided plenty of leftover sauce to freeze for later use.

Part of  my obsession with spaghetti squash is that when cooked it really shreds like spaghetti! On top of that it is healthy – one cup is only 42 calories, it has fiber, vitamin A, several B vitamins, as well as vitamins C, E and K.  This is pretty much the same recipe as Spaghetti Squash Parmesan with Vegetable Ragu but I am making it a separate recipe so people can find it easily. Basically the difference is baking the dish in the squash shells and topping with mozzarella cheese versus with this recipe I scoop out all the spaghetti squash and serve it like a pasta with sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Amazing how it shreds like spaghetti!

• Servings: variable
• Time: 90+ minutes
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Fun and healthy twist on spaghetti with a vegetarian pasta sauce using spaghetti squash and a hearty vegetable ragu.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, cut into a small dice
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into a small dice
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced thin
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 24 oz. can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
• 24 oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano (or fresh if it is available)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil (or fresh if it is available)
• 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Squash Preparation:

• 1 large spaghetti squash (or more if you are feeding more than 2 or 3 people)
• olive oil (spray if available)
• salt and freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Carefully slice the squash in half from top to bottom.  Remove the seeds with a spoon by scooping them out and lightly scraping the inside of the squash to get it completely seed-free.
3. Spray or rub a little olive oil on the inside of the squash and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender and slightly golden on the cut sides.
4. While the squash cooks, prep the vegetables and make the sauce by heating some olive oil in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat.
5. Sauté the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until the vegetables are softened.
6. Stir in the tomato paste and cook one minute. Add the tomatoes, herbs and a little more salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible so the sauce gets thick.
7. When the squash is tender remove it from the oven and let cool slightly.
8. Run the fork along on the inside so it divides up like spaghetti and put in a bowl. Discard the squash “skin.”
9. Serve squash strands with the vegetable ragu and a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Notes: 

• You can slice the very top and bottom of the squash to make it easier and safer before cutting it in half, or you can microwave the squash for a minute or two (poke a hole in the squash first) to soften it slightly before cutting.
• You can save time by using jarred pasta sauce, but I think that the sauce plays a very important role here, so I prefer to make my own. This recipe actually makes much more sauce than you will need, so I freeze the rest for another use. Make once and eat many more times! I put mine on homemade pizza the next day!

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com    September 26, 2018

Scooping seeds out of raw squash

Shredding the cooked squash

Prepping the vegetables for the ragu

Sautéing the vegetables

Finished Vegetarian Ragu

Ragu with meat added

Spaghetti Squash with Vegetable Ragu

Pasta with Beef Ragu

 

Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Salad with Feta

Today was a nice warm Spring day here in the Bay Area, so I thought a watermelon salad would be nice for dinner. I love watermelon and feta, although I did consider using grilled Halloumi cheese instead, but went with feta since it is a lot more economical, but I may try it next time with the Halloumi. Next was some protein to make it a complete meal in my husband’s eyes, started with chicken, but switched to shrimp to make all family members happy as my son currently is not loving chicken. I also think the salad would be good with some cherry tomatoes, but alas, my market only had small tomatoes that were a very under-ripe light red color, so I left them out. But if you have access to good vine-ripened tomatoes, include them.  Enjoy with a glass of cold Rosé from Provence!

• Servings: 4
• Time: approximately 20-30 minutes
• Difficulty: fairly easy
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Light and refreshing Spring/Summer Salad.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon white miso
• 1 teaspoon light honey
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus a Tablespoon more for the shrimp)
• 2 Tablespoons raw pinenuts
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• freshly ground black pepper
• About 4 cups cubed watermelon (about 1/2 small seedless watermelon)
• 1 large head of red leaf lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces
• About 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 Tablespoons fresh chiffonade mint (cut in fine shreds)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl mix 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.  Add the raw shrimp and let soak for 15 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3. While the shrimp brines, whisk in a small bowl, the vinegar, miso, and honey. Gradually whisk in the oil. Set aside.
4. Roast the pine nuts for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Remove Shrimp from brine and drain completely. Coat shrimp with a mixture of olive oil, garlic and pepper. Grill or Broil shrimp for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside.
6. Place about a cup of torn lettuce on each plate. Add cut watermelon, grilled shrimp, a sprinkle of feta, a sprinkle of pine nuts and pour some dressing over the salad. Garnish with chopped mint. Enjoy!

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June 11, 2018

Spring Cherry Pistachio Salad

Hello Spring! Here in the SF Bay Area it finally feels like spring. The weather has been wacky, felt more like fall than spring recently, but the last two days have been beautiful and warm (ok, less warm today…but I made this yesterday) so I decided to make a salad with fresh bing cherries, tomatoes, avocados and pistachios. It turned out to be a really nice and substantial salad for dinner.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Healthy spring/summer salad.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 thick slice of bacon (I used applewood smoked bacon)
• ½ cup unsalted pistachios
• 1 cup pitted cherries, quartered
• 1 avocado, diced and soaked in lime juice
• 12 ounces Mixed Baby lettuce or Romaine lettuce, torn in bite-sized pieces
• 3 white button mushrooms, sliced thinly
• ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
• ¼ cup feta cheese, small crumbles

 

Dressing:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light miso
• 1 teaspoon honey

Procedure

1. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
2. Cook the bacon slice in the oven at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until desired crispiness is achieved. Remove from oven, pat off as much grease as you can and mince.
3. While bacon cooks, lightly toast pistachios in the same oven. Approximately 5-8 minutes, careful not to burn them. Set aside to cool.
4. Wash and pit the cherries. Slice them in quarters.
5. Slice the mushrooms thinly
6. Halve or quarter the tomatoes.
7. Chop the feta.
8. Chop the pistachios.
9. Fill the large salad bowl with lettuce, then add mushrooms, tomatoes, avocados, cherries, feta, and pistachios.  Serve the dressing on the side.

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com

May 10, 2017

Roasted pistachios

Spaghetti Squash Parmesan with Vegetable Ragu

• Servings: 2-4
• Time: 90+ minutes
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Fun and healthy twist on spaghetti and parmesan dishes using spaghetti squash and a hearty vegetable ragu.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, cut into a small dice
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into a small dice
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced thin
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 24 oz. can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
• 24 oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano (or fresh if it is available)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil (or fresh if it is available)
• 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Squash Preparation:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 6 oz. bag of fresh organic spinach, chopped
• 1 cup (approx.) shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Carefully slice the squash in half from top to bottom.  Remove the seeds with a spoon by scooping them out and lightly scraping the inside of the squash to get it completely seed-free.
3. Rub a little olive oil on the inside of the squash and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender and slightly golden on the cut sides.
4. While the squash cooks, prep the vegetables and make the sauce by heating some olive oil in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat.
5. Sauté the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until the vegetables are softened.
6. Stir in the tomato paste and cook one minute. Add the tomatoes, herbs and a little more salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible so the sauce gets thick.
7. When the squash is tender remove it from the oven and run the fork along on the inside so it divides up like spaghetti.
8. Turn the oven on to Broil.
9. Microwave the spinach for one minute and press out the excess water. Divide up the spinach and parmesan in half and add to each squash half. Add about 1/2 cup of sauce and mix into the squash. Top with a little more sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
10. Place squash under broiler and cook until cheese is melted and starting to brown slightly.
11. Depending on the size of the squash and your appetite either cut each half again so they are in quarters or serve as is.  Enjoy!

Notes: 

• You can slice the very top and bottom of the squash to make it easier and safer before cutting it in half, or you can microwave the squash for a minute or two (poke a hole in the squash first) to soften it slightly before cutting.
• You can save time by using jarred pasta sauce, but I think that the sauce plays a very important role here, so I prefer to make my own. This recipe actually makes much more sauce than you will need, so I freeze the rest for another use. Make once and eat many more times! I put mine on homemade pizza the next day!
• Make it dairy-free: My daughter does not eat cheese, so I made hers without the parmesan and mozzarella and it was still very delicious.

https://healthyseasonalcooking.wordpress.com    February 24, 2018

Onions, garlic, mushrooms and bell peppers sautéing 

Cleaning the seeds out of the squash

The sauce when it was thick and finished cooking. Delicious!

Separating out the squash “spaghetti strings”

The finished product. We cut ours in quarters because it was pretty big. Worked out well, we both ate the rest for lunch the next day.