Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

Oh Pinterest! I hadn't let myself join because I knew it would be a time kill for me. But temptation seized me. If you know me at all Pinterest is totally me! Everything you love and that inspires you all organized by categories onto neat little boards that I can refer to at any point. Totally me. My organized brain is in total love. Why the rambling about Pinterest? Because that is where I found this wonderful recipe that has been quickly bumped to the top of the list of favorites!

I cooked my spaghetti squash first and shredded it onto a plate. For instructions on how to cook it see this link. Cooking Spaghetti Squash The Pinterest recipe said to cook it in the microwave. My problem was that I don't have a dish that would fit the squash and still fit in the microwave. So plan on the 40 minute cook time if you have that problem or make the squash a day ahead.

I cut up two smaller onions and sauteed them in 2 tablespoons butter. I actually used real butter this time. Use whatever you like. Olive oil works great too. I also added a dash of cayenne pepper to the onions. I had to go easy on that for my sake and the sake of the children I was trying to make love this dish!

Cook them until they are starting to brown. I wish there was such a thing as a smell button. I love the smell of onions cooking.

I did make a few changes to the original recipe. I used 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup Greek yogurt instead of all sour cream. Not only do I love the tang it gives but it has more nutrition. Go for all yogurt if you dare!

I also changed the cheese. I used reduced fat marble jack and mozzarella which is naturally lower in fat. The recipe said 1/2 cup cheddar but by the time I topped it off with a little more cheese is was closer to one cup. The less you use the better of course for your waistline which is another good reason to use reduced fat.

I mixed the onions, yogurt, sour cream, and most of the cheese along with some parsley into a large bowl and stirred it around. The recipe called for thyme but I do not love thyme so I picked parsley but rosemary would be good too. A dash of salt and pepper at this point is adviseable also.

Place that in a dish to bake and spread evenly. I used my Pampered Chef round baker but a 2 quart casserole would be about the right size. Don't forget to top this with a little more cheese at this point.

I baked it for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. I wanted to let it get a little more crispy on top but I was in a hurry because Miles had to leave to speak at a meeting. I will do that for sure next time or just increase the temperature. My oven has issues.

We had french cut green beans and some raw veggies and hummus on the side. Being that our main dish was also a vegetable this was one very veggie night! We are eating phase 1 of South Beach for the next week at least and maybe into a second week. We have had way too many social engagements and taken too much liberty so we both need to sugar detox again and take off a few pounds!

 But...............

if we weren't in phase one some kind of nice crispy topping would be awesome on top of this. I am thinking some whole wheat bread crumbs would be divine. But we are totally in love with this new way to eat spaghetti squash even without the crispy top.

I think spaghetti squash is becoming a Halloween tradition. I made this last year on Halloween night.

We loved it served like traditional spaghetti also but Au Gratin is better!

I must go turn my little girl into a kitty and my kick my big kid off the video games so he can dress himself as a musician gangster. He looks more like a musician than a gangster to me. But the fact that he is wearing any costume is good enough for me since he hates costumes! He also hates carving pumpkins but Faith and I do not!

Spahetti Squash Au Gratin

Original Recipe found on Pinterest from Dandy Dishes

1 spaghetti squash cooked and shredded

1 large onion or two small, diced

2 Tbsp. butter

dash of cayenne

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup reduced fat cheese (such as marble jack, mozzarella, or pepper jack)

1 Tbsp. parsley (thyme or rosemary will work also)

salt and pepper

Directions: Cook squash and shred when slightly cooled. Add butter to small pan and turn heat on to begin to melt. Add diced onion and cayenne pepper and cook until onions begin to brown. In a large bowl mix shredded spaghetti squash, onions, sour cream, Greek yogurt, 2/3 -3/4 cup of the cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Place mixture in a 2 quart casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees or until cheese is beginning to brown and squash begins to crisp up.



Spaghetti Squash and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I am glad Halloween is over! It was night number 4 in our 6 night stretch of having something going on. I just want to sit at home and watch the Biggest Loser and Survivor that are waiting on the DVR but I am afraid it won't happen until Thursday night which makes us another episode behind. Ugh! I didn't even have time to make Halloween very special for the kids with some fun pumpkin shaped dessert or dinner or even black and orange anything. I haven't even put up fall decorations because the house has been torn all apart with the new flooring and paint projects. So last night I was trying to redeem myself slightly at the dinner table before we rushed out the door for trick-or-treating.

I made spaghetti squash for dinner. Spaghetti squash is very cool. It is almost like magic! It is one of my favorite meals because not only does it taste delicious it equals a VERY veggie dinner and it is simple to make.

Start by cutting your squash in half carefully. This is the hardest part of this recipe. Getting into these gourds is tricky business. Once cut in half you must clean out the guts and seeds just like you would a pumpkin but of course it is much faster. Brush the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Next you want to put the squash in a 375 degree oven on a baking sheet with the cut side up. I also pour a little water into the baking sheet like a water bath. I think I saw this on a website before and I am not sure why you do this but my guess is it helps it cook faster and remain moist. I have no picture of this. I am blaming it on Halloween.

 

After 40-45 minutes remove the squash from the oven and test it for tenderness. Put a fork to the side and if it easily starts to scrape then you know it is done. If you have a bigger squash it will take a little longer but this was a fairly small one.

If it is tender then grab a pot holder and pick up the squash. Hold it over a plate or platter and scrape with the fork. If you go the opposite direction then is in this picture you will get some longer strands. I would have had Miles take a picture of the scraping process but he was busy grouting the tile so this is what you get!

I had my favorite quick tomato sauce heating in a pan on the stove; a couple cloves of garlic, half an onion diced up and cooked in some olive oil and then one can of fire roasted tomatoes. You can use whatever sauce you like.

Top your "spaghetti" with your sauce and you are ready to enjoy

This was my last ditch effort and something creative for Halloween!

It is quite amazing how much this looks and feels like real pasta. I think the flavor is better than pasta and it is certainly more nutritious. Yes my kids and husband eat this and yours will too! Just tell them it is an new brand of pasta you are fixing tonight and conveniently leave out the word squash!



I served it with green beans and black eyeballs. I mean black grapes. Black grapes are very yummy. I found them at Sams but you can find them at the grocery stores.

Like I said before this is a very veggie dinner. I walked away very full! Lots of healthy fiber really fills your stomach up. I needed that so I wouldn't be tempted to eat the kids' candy. I was having a no carb, no sugar, no fruit until dinner day yesterday. I had been eating too much over the week and weekend that wasn't really that good for me so I am scaling back for a few more days.

Give the squash a try. It really takes only 5 minutes to prepare. Stick it in the oven for 45 minutes and forget about it. Then take another 5 minutes to scrape it and heat up some sauce and dinner is ready!

Now for those pumpkin seeds! These are another very easy, fun, and tasty snack.

If you didn't save your seeds no worries. Pumpkins will be cheap today so go grab a few! After you clean them up spread them out on a tray to dry. You can use a hair dryer to speed the process up or put them in a very low temperature oven for a few minutes until they are dry. I divided my seeds into two medium bowls and tossed them with a little olive oil. You can use melted butter for a little different flavor.

I wanted one bowl for savory and one bowl for sweet. For the savory seeds I added a little bit of salt, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Toss to coat and place in a 275 degree oven for 10 minutes. Take them out and turn them around/stir them up and put back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. When they start to turn golden brown they are ready. Mine took all of 25 minutes and I think I tossed them a couple times.

Both kinds turned out delicious. I love pumpkin seeds!!!!!!

For the sweet version I tossed them with some cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. In other words just use pumpkin pie spice. I also tossed in a little Stevia. I have to say however, and I can't believe I am going to do this, but I think you should use a couple teaspoons of sugar. Even though I only used a very small amount of Stevia I can taste an aftertaste on the seeds. Not enough for me to not eat them but still. You could also try sucanat. They make a great healthy snack!

Now on with my day! I ran too far yesterday and my foot is bothering me again so I must now go do some kind of yoga or pilates video I will have to scrounge around for so I can stay off my foot!

Happy November!