Sausage-and-Bean Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This began several days ago, and then, just stalled.

Ugh. . .the sauce didn't taste at all as I had hoped.

I tried it again this morning and realized the beans absorbed all the good flavors, leaving it SO bland, that I almost trashed it.

Then I analyzed a bit, and realized it needed flavorful fat: -butter-, texture: -mushrooms-, acid: -tomato paste and lemon-, and for a pinch of sweetness: -coconut sugar-, smokiness: -cumin and paprika-. . .Voilà! . .Now here we are, at the end of the second try!!

NOTE: I did NOT use sour cream (shown) in the first photo. . .

Finely chop the vegetables shown, then sauté, in 2T EVOO with 4 oz. mild Italian sausage, removed from its casing:

2 big celery stalks

2/3 bell pepper

1 med. onion

3 big cloves garlic

Then stir in a can of rinsed, drained garbanzo beans that have also been finely chopped.

.~.           .~.           .~.           .~.           .~. 

Today, I sautéed these ingredients together, in the order given, with enough time to brown the mushrooms well before adding the acids.

3T butter

2T dark thick Balsamic vinegar

12oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

sprinkled with pepper, garlic salt and smokey ground cumin

1-2T tomato paste

1 lemon - zest + juice

I partially cooked the spaghetti squash by first washing and drying it well. Then in one area, I made several cuts (stabs if you will) to allow steam to escape, then wrapped the it in paper towels, and put it, with the cut side up, in the microwave. I don't remember now how long I cooked it, but I know I cooked it at 60% power, checking it every so often until it was starting to soften. When I squeezed it, it would 'give' a little.

At this point, let it cool a bit on the counter. Later, cut it in half, lengthwise. Scoop out and throw away the seeds and dark strings, leaving the lighter colored 'spaghetti.' With a sharp knife, cut through the spaghetti, down to the outer shell, so you don't have big long strings. Scoop this into a glass baking pan and cover with the sauce.

It's shown here, ready to be chilled, then baked tomorrow in a 350° preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Sprinkle some shredded, hard-flavorful cheese on top before baking if you'd like. . .Lin

Spaghetti Squash and Sauce (and Flounder)

I wasn't planning to blog this, so everything will be sort of an inexact hodgepodge. I'm up at the lake, so I brought an aging spaghetti squash and of course, a grocery bag or more of other vegetables, Vegetable Freak that I am 😉

Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and bake it in a covered pan at 350° for 30-45 minutes.  When it's cooled, fluff up the 'spaghetti' and put that in the bottom of a baking dish.

Meanwhile, make your sauce. I brought 3 tiny meatballs with me, so I started by slowly browning those in a dry pan, no oil or butter, and chopping them up as they thawed. I browned and deglazed them with a splash of water several times, to add the browning flavor to the sauce. Tossed in 1/2 of a small onion - finely chopped for flavor only - there wasn't enough to cut bigger for chunk and texture. 

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and some Old Bay Garlic and Herb seasoning. Then, half a can of chopped tomatoes jumped into the pan, along with, a big chopped carrot, 1/3 of a green pepper, a small-medium zucchini - chopped, and finally, a little cilantro and a clump of tired broccoli at the very end, just on top of the vegetables, to steam a couple minutes, while the sauce underneath simmered, then I shut everything off for 15 minutes.  It's now in the metal pan in the 'fridge, ready for the oven.

As it goes in the oven, I'll top it with 2 little flounder fillets that are thawing.  Bake at 325° oven for 20 minutes and serve.

Post dinner evaluation: It turned out well! I'm glad there are leftovers. . .Lin

Vegetables On Top Of Vegetables

1 sm.-med. spaghetti squash

1 sm.-med. broccoli crown

1 lg. carrot

1 lg. purple shallot

4-5 garlic cloves

1-2T butter or olive oil

1-1½c marinara sauce

¾c sour cream

Scrub the squash, cut off the stem then cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers, then place, cut side down on parchment paper.  Bake at 350° for a half hour or until the 'spaghetti' scoops out easily.

While the squash is baking, chop the vegetables and saute' them until barely tender.  Add the sauce and sour cream.  Put about 1c on each half of the squash, mixing it with the 'spaghetti'.  Top with your favorite seasonings, nuts-seeds, and / or cheese.  Put back in the oven another 5-10 minutes before serving.  I had quite a bit of the vegetable sauce leftover so I also used it to top a big baked potato.  Mmmm . . . Lin

Ajvar Cabbage with Spaghetti Squash

1 med. spaghetti squash

Cut in half, scoop out the seeds, place face down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Pour a little water over the squash halves then bake 45 minutes at 375° - flip over, slit each half lengthwise through the squash, and set aside.

1-2T butter

3 cloves garlic minced

1 sm. - med. chopped onion

fresh ground pepper

fresh ground garlic salt

1T aged balsamic vinegar

¾ lg. or 1 med. green cabbage

1c cooking liquid

1c ajvar

1T sugar

4oz. coconut milk - optional

Saute' the next group of ingredients until the onion is a little translucent.  Add the cabbage and liquid.  You can use water, vegetable broth, adding a little white wine for part of it.  Today I made a big pot of Jasmine Green Tea and thought, maybe that would be worth a try!  Be creative!  You never know when something odd will become a favorite cooking trick!  Cover and simmer this for 20-30 minutes, then add the spaghetti squash, ajvar, sugar (and coconut milk).  Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer another 15 minutes.

You could add chopped nuts, pine nuts, a ½c panko bread crumbs at the very end, as well as a sprinkle of grated parmesan just before serving. . .Lin

Cashew-Vegetable "Spaghetti"

1 med. spaghetti squash

1 med. onion - chopped

3-4 lg. cloves garlic - minced

⅔c cashews - whole or pieces

1T Tuscan flavored olive oil

4-6oz. liquid*

1c Ajvar 

Put the squash in a 9x9" glass pan.  Poke it several times with a fork, making sure it goes in at least half way.  Microwave on 70% power for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool.  Meanwhile, sauté the onion, garlic and cashews in the oil until the cashews are browning and the onions are translucent.  When this is simmering and snapping, add about half of the liquid.  I'd recommend *beer or white wine, but you could also use vegetable broth or even water.  When the sauce starts to bubble again, add the remaining liquid, and finally the Ajvar.  Stir and bring back to a simmer.

When the squash is cooled, cut it in half, lengthwise and carefully, scoop out the center area containing the seeds.  Once the seeds; and associated stringiness; are gone, scrape the 'spaghetti' out of the squash shell, into the 9x9" glass pan.  Spread the sauce over the spaghetti and bake 20 minutes at 350° or microwave at 70% power for 15 minutes.  Serve as is or sprinkle with grated cheese. . .Lin

Cashew Spaghetti Squash

1 med. spaghetti squash

1/2c cashews

grated Asiago cheese

guacamole

Cut the squash in half.  Scoop out all the seeds and stringiness in the center.  Drizzle with olive oil and place cut-side down on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.  Scrape out the 'spaghetti' and top with your favorite sauce; other chopped-cooked vegetables; butter, pepper and grated cheese; pesto or anything else you'd like.  Spaghetti squash is very neutral and goes well with just about anything. . .Lin

Spaghetti Squash with Chorizo Sauce

1 med. spaghetti squash

3/4# chorizo with casing removed

1 lg. clove elephant garlic - chopped

1 lg. shallot - chopped

1 14.5oz. can petite diced tomatoes

2 med. carrots - grated

sour cream - optional

Pierce the squash, several times with a long fork or knife.  Wrap in several layers of paper towel and microwave on high for 15 minutes.  Set aside.  In a large pan, combine the chorizo, garlic and shallot.  Break up the meat with a sharp-edged wooden spoon and saute' these until the chorizo is browned.  Drain off about half the grease.

Add tomatoes and carrots, stir together, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes.  Towards the end of this time, cut the squash open, lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds.  Continue to scrape all the way down to the inside of the shell, to remove all the cooked squash's "spaghetti."  Arrange the squash on plates and top with the sauce.  Top with aged, grated cheese - OR - to mellow out the spiciness of the chorizo, you can stir a little sour cream into the sauce.  This would be great served with really good, crusty, buttered Italian or French bread. . .Lin

Pesto Spaghetti Squash

½ of a previously cooked spaghetti squash

2-4T your favorite basil pesto

grated Parmesan cheese

Scrape the squash from its shell into a big bowl and top with pesto. Microwave on medium power a few minutes. Just before serving sprinkle with grated cheese. . .Lin