First order of business--This:
is a spaghetti squash.
The Spaghetti squash wins today's award for the most interesting vegetable! Congratulations squash--Be sure to stick around after class to pick up your prize. It will be graaaape! I mean great!
So, what exactly is a spaghetti squash you ask?
Well,
A spaghetti squash is a vegetable that has multiple purposes: you could use it as a weapon! It makes a great weight for exercising! Hollow it out and make leg holes, and it's a perfect Halloween costume for your pet! However, since this is a cooking class, the purpose we are going to talk about today is that you can actually use the pulp on the inside of the squash for a healthier alternative for spaghetti, hence the name.
Normally, what you would do is bake, boil, or microwave the squash (kind of like a baked potato) until it is done.
Because of my expertise in fall cooking and my vast knowledge of spaghetti squash (having cooked the vegetable a total of 1 time), my preferred method of cooking is by baking it in the oven. Make sure to poke a couple holes through the little guy. Then place it on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 40 minutes (times may vary due to size of squash). Wait until the squash is tender. Don't get too excited and eat your squash too early!
Next step: Forking out the guts...er, pulp.
Make sure to take the seeds out! The whole entire pulp up until the skin is usable. Use a fork to scrape the squash out. And voila! Spaghetti! Easy cheesy? I think so!
Season how you like or add butter and enjoy your yummy fall dish!!
Here is the recipe I tried:
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Variations
Pictures
With prego...can't even tell this is squash!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes our class for the day. Thank you, and come back next time for Julie's Fall Cooking 101. Have a great day! Seed...er, See you next time!
(Disclaimer: Teacher is not a certifed expert in spaghetti squash. At all. Not even close.)
Well,
A spaghetti squash is a vegetable that has multiple purposes: you could use it as a weapon! It makes a great weight for exercising! Hollow it out and make leg holes, and it's a perfect Halloween costume for your pet! However, since this is a cooking class, the purpose we are going to talk about today is that you can actually use the pulp on the inside of the squash for a healthier alternative for spaghetti, hence the name.
Normally, what you would do is bake, boil, or microwave the squash (kind of like a baked potato) until it is done.
Because of my expertise in fall cooking and my vast knowledge of spaghetti squash (having cooked the vegetable a total of 1 time), my preferred method of cooking is by baking it in the oven. Make sure to poke a couple holes through the little guy. Then place it on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 40 minutes (times may vary due to size of squash). Wait until the squash is tender. Don't get too excited and eat your squash too early!
Next step: Forking out the guts...er, pulp.
Make sure to take the seeds out! The whole entire pulp up until the skin is usable. Use a fork to scrape the squash out. And voila! Spaghetti! Easy cheesy? I think so!
Season how you like or add butter and enjoy your yummy fall dish!!
Here is the recipe I tried:
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Variations
I am not a big fan of canned diced tomatoes, so in half of my dish I substituted marinara sauce for the italian icky diced tomatoes. One side of the casserole had italian tomatoes, the other half marinara sauce. Ryan liked the first half better, and I liked the second.
Pictures
With prego...can't even tell this is squash!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes our class for the day. Thank you, and come back next time for Julie's Fall Cooking 101. Have a great day! Seed...er, See you next time!
(Disclaimer: Teacher is not a certifed expert in spaghetti squash. At all. Not even close.)
3 comments:
I've actually tried it, last time Julie made it. It's pretty good. It's better warm than cold.
I've made it into baby food. And it was good as mush. So it probably tastes even better seasoned with meat and veggies in it!
That look very good
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