I've found some great recipes and I still hunt for new ones all the time. I've adjusted a lot of old favorite recipes that included meat and found ways to make them without meat - and found they're just as good. It's been an interesting ride to say the least. That was the main reason I wanted to start this blog to begin with... I knew if I was looking for recipes and help in eating a healthier, plant-based diet, there were surely others, too. Then, after just 4 months of blogging fairly regularly, I just got used to cooking this way and stopped blogging. Well, I'm going to try to make up for that now... we'll see how I do. :)
It was fun to look back through my posts, look at the pictures and recipes and, I admit, find some things I haven't made in awhile. It was a good reminder. I think in my search for new recipes, sometimes I forget how good something was and don't make it again. I'll have to look through those again... maybe if I only post the recipes we really loved, it will be a good resource for me. Yeah, that's it... that's the tickets. :)
So... after a long wait... here's my first post for 2013, only 10 months late. Hope it's worth the wait!
I love squash but sweet hubby isn't such a fan. I think it's a texture thing more than a taste thing really -- just like it is with onions, mushrooms and tomatoes, all of which he claims to not like but all of which I cook with on an almost daily basis. I've found that if I cut them up into small enough pieces, he doesn't complain and, in fact, he regularly tells me how much he loves the dishes I make with those things he doesn't like. Win-win.
I had a gorgeous spaghetti squash that I'd been wanting to use and I ran across a recipe I hadn't made yet. It called for spaghetti squash, pasta, chickpeas and one of hubby's favorites -- roasted Brussels sprouts. I figured it was definitely worth a try and boy, am I glad I did. It was so, so good.
I cut the spaghetti squash in half (it wasn't very big) and steamed the two halves in Ziploc steamer bags in the microwave. Then I used a fork to shred the squash. Since I didn't need all the squash for the recipe, I just put a little salt and pepper on the remainder and had it as a snack while I was cooking everything else. Bonus! :)
While the squash was steaming, I put some Brussels sprouts in to roast. When you do this, be sure to save all the loose leaves because they carmelize so well and get so crunchy... it's like eating candy.
I also put the whole wheat spaghetti on to boil. About 4-6 oz. is all... it's not the main portion of the meal like pasta tends to be but it adds a heartiness.
Once the squash is steamed, the sprouts are roasted and the spaghetti is cooked and drained, I sauteed some onion and garlic in a little veggie broth then added some fresh basil and about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to give it a kick. (We like the kick. :))
Once the onions are ready, stir in the spaghetti, the spaghetti squash, the Brussels sprouts and a can of drained chickpeas.
This is where I decided to do something that wasn't in the recipe. I decided to make a cashew cheese sauce that I normally make for a soup and man, oh man, was it ever a great idea! 1 cup of water, 3/4 cup of raw cashews, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast blended together in the Vitamix. This just send the recipe over the top on the awesome chart!
Once I plated this up I topped it with the crispy sprouts leaves but it would be really good to top it with slivered almonds, too. Yummo!
Served with some crusty multi-grain bread and it was delicious!
Here's the actual recipe... which I never follow completely. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas
• 1 small-medium spaghetti squash
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• slivered almonds, optional
Preheat oven to 400. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and use steamer bags or place in baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 10 minutes and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it’s cool, scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Put the squash into a bowl and set aside.
While the squash is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim and discard the ends and cut the sprouts in half (quarter larger sprouts). Place on a baking sheet and spray quickly (2 seconds) with olive oil. When the squash has almost finished cooking, put the sprouts into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove them when they are brown but are not burning (they will finish cooking in the skillet in the next step).
In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, cook the onions on medium-high heat until they become golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, and vegetable broth and cover tightly. Cook for 3-5 minutes, adding more broth or water if skillet becomes dry. Add the chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, and toss gently to mix. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with slivered almonds, if desired.
