THE SPAGHETTI SQUASH SOLTUION

RECIPES THAT WARM YOUR HEART, THAT TAKE YOU AWAY AND THAT GIVE YOU THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

Here is something you my not know: spaghetti squash is one of the most interesting foods in the world--it looks like a pasta, it can even taste like a pasta, but it is, in fact, a vegetable! How is that for being unique? So what can you do with a spaghetti squash that solves the problem of how to eat it or what to do that's more than just cooking it, buttering it and serving it in a big bowl? Here is a little idea that will give your spaghetti squash some mystique and dash without relegating it to the leftover shelf in your refrigerator where all things go that were only taken a few bites of but are too good to just throw out. The first time I ever ate spaghetti squash (it was one of the few vegetables my mother never did fix), was in a restaurant and they actually did serve it just like spaghetti which is with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. I was fascinated with it and amazed that it could be made to taste so good without all the carbs of real spaghetti. Now that fall is upon us and these amazing little squashes are so readily available not to mention cheap, I thought you could do with a different way to make spaghetti squash. It's healthy, it's colorful, it's easy and it's fun to eat. You can't beat that with a stick! Here is how it's done:

1. You start with a nice round spaghetti squash. Put it in an oven-proof pan and bake it for at least one hour in a 35o degree oven. The bigger the squash, the longer it will take to bake. You know it's through baking when you can easily stick a knife into it.

2. Meanwhile, put some vegetables in your food processor and chop them up. You want to choose all different colors to make it look pretty. Here you can see that I used the following:

4 carrots, peeled

1 crown broccoli

1/2 red pepper

1 small zucchini

1/2 red onion

1/2 lb. mushrooms

3. Cut the squash in half and start lifting out the strands of "spaghetti". Combine the spaghetti squash and vegetables in a large skillet with 4 T. olive oil. Stir while frying until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add 2 T. water and cover to continue cooking the vegetables for 3-4 minutes.

4. Remove the lid and add 1 C. grated cheese of your choice. The best is my favorite, Kraft 3 Cheese Blend, or Feta Cheese is also a good choice. Stir until the cheese is melted and blended in.



5. It will look like this.

6. Now put it all into a casserole dish and cover with 1/2 C. or more mozzarella cheese. Melt the cheese in the microwave for 1 minute. Serve immediately while it's piping hot. It makes a marvelous side dish or you can have it as a great vegetarian main dish. Serves 3-4. Enjoy!

Here it is with some oven-fried chicken. Delicious!