Thursday, June 10, 2010

Salad Bar!


Tomorrow's lunch....










Salad anyone??

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Roasted Squash Seeds

Here is a great snack that my kids, and John and I, enjoy. They are really simple to prepare with only a few ingredients. You can use any seeds from squash or pumpkins.

Separate seeds from pulp. Place in a colander and rinse any remaining pulp off. Lay onto a paper towel or clean dishcloth and pat to dry. I usually leave them sitting out for a while until I get to them a while later. Then I know they are plenty dry enough to roast.

Place dry seeds in a bowl, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. You only need enough to coat, don't overdo it, you can always add more if you need it. Too much will make them greasy.

Sprinkle with your favorite seasonings. I usually use sea salt, organic garlic powder, and organic onion powder. Crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper is great too! Play around with different flavors. If you've collected enough seeds you can make a few different types to appeal to your snackers!

"Slow and low" is always best when roasting seeds. Preheat oven to 275* and roast on a baking pan for about 40 minutes or until nicely browned.

Spaghetti Squash Bake


Ok, now THIS was amazing! I apologize for not having a photo of the actual meal, but all of my batteries were dead and I just could not wait to post this recipe!

Believe it or not this was my first time ever trying spaghetti squash! It will definitely not be my last! It was so delicious, and of course, being Italian, I just love me some pasta. I don't care how it's prepared, as long as it's pasta I can eat it everyday! This is a wonderful, healthier, alternative for baked ziti or lasagna without sacrificing the taste or texture.

Some nutrition facts can be found here.

I promise to post a picture next time I make this!

1 spaghetti squash
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 Tablespoons fresh basil
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
1 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (reserve some for topping)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
black pepper

First, you have to bake your squash. I did this early in the morning so I didn't have to bother with it later on. Here is the method I use... Cut squash in half from stem to bottom. Scoop out seeds and pulp. (Reserve them for roasting later!) Grease baking sheet with olive oil, place skin side up onto pan, add a half inch of water. Bake in a preheated oven at 325* for about 40 minutes or until you can poke the skin with a fork easily. Remove from oven, cool.

Once cool to the touch, remove spaghetti like strands from skin with a fork. Place in a lasagna dish greased lightly with olive oil. Add all of the other ingredients, mix well. Top with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated over at 350* for 30-45 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted. Enjoy!