Bakes Pesto Parmesan Spaghetti Squash

I love Tastespotting.  It's a great site for when you are looking for new cooking ideas.  Let's say you have a spaghetti squash but don't know what to make with it, you can search through tons of photos/recipes to find just what you are looking for. It's also a great way to find new food blogs and sites to start reading. I spotted this recipe and this recipe and that's how I came to make my version of the recipe. Each serving has a points plus value of 4!  And you leave the table feeling nicely full!

Baked Pesto Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
(makes 2 large portions)
1 spaghetti squash, baked or microwaved
3 tablespoons pesto (Vegans use this recipe and omit the parmesan or use vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, separated in half
(I didn't add tomatoes, but feel free to add them in if you'd like, no added points there!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce squash with a sharp knife or split in half and discard the seeds/pulp, then place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 60-70 minutes. Take out squash but keep oven on.  Use a fork to separate spaghetti strands and place them in a large bowl.  Combine spaghetti with pesto, salt and 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese and mix well.  Divide squash mixture  into two large ramekins or small lasagna dishes and sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until golden brown crust forms.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is so simple, and only requires 3 ingredients!!  Do you believe it??  You should!!  I've made this soup for a long time now...I think it's my friend's favorite soup that I make.  You can bet that if they know I have just made a batch I can expect a few people to schlep all the way to the Upper East Side of NYC to have some.  It's really healthy and low in calories.  I figured out the calorie count per cup, and it came out to about 243 calories.  This recipe makes about 11 cups of soup.

Butternut Squash Soup
(makes about 11 cups)

1 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 (20 oz.) packages of peeled and cut up butternut squash or 2-3 whole butternut squashes, cut into large chunks
4 tablespoons of Osem Chicken Consomme or 4 chicken flavored bouillon cubes
water (enough to cover the squash in the pot)

Saute the chopped onion and salt with the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat, about 10 minutes or until soft.  Add the two packages of butternut squash and then fill the pot with water until the squash is just covered.  Add the 4 tablespoons of chicken consomme and stir.  Let pot come to a boil and then simmer on medium heat for about 40 minutes.  When the squash becomes soft and mushy, turn the heat off and use an immersion hand blender to puree the soup in the pot.  Sprinkle with chopped chives, cilantro, or parsley (if you desire some greens) and serve. Enjoy!!

NOTE: If you want a thinner soup, add more water to the pot after it has been pureed. You might need to adjust the amount of salt to taste.  If you want a thicker soup, add another package of squash to the pot and let boil with the rest of it. Also you might need to adjust the salt.

I was able to fill all these containers and then still have a good portion for lunch tomorrow!

Egg in a Hole

I was browsing through the list of blogs I read daily and saw this great idea on Proud Italian Cook.  I had actually purchased an acorn squash at the Farmer's Market a few days prior and thought it would be a perfect weekend breakfast!

Egg in a Hole
(Serves 4 people)
1 acorn squash, sliced into rings, pulp and seeds removed (save the seeds for roasting later)
salt and pepper, taste
1/4 cup olive oil
4 eggs
parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on the egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place acorn rings in a bowl with half of the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Coat all the rings and place on a greased baking sheet.  If you want to reserve and roast the seeds, place them in a corner on the baking sheet, toss with olive oil and salt.  Roast for about 30 minutes. (Roasting time for the seeds may be shorter)  Roasting the squash can be done the day before.

 When you are ready to cook the eggs, place the rest of the olive oil in a heated pan and place the roasted acorn squash in the pan as well. Crack an egg in each acorn hole, add salt and pepper to the egg, cover and cook to your desired egg consistency.  I like my egg over easy, so I flipped the the egg over once.  Serve with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese and a piece of toast! ENJOY!