SPAGHETTI SQUASH DINNER

My daughter and her family recently moved to the country and have numerous neighbors who are always willing to help and share. One neighbor grows spaghetti squash which I love, and I’m happy to say that I was gifted with one of them.

Just the right size for me to use in two meals. That may seem like big helpings, but one cup of spaghetti squash is less than 100 calories and it’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol. I also love to eat some of the strands just after it comes out of the oven.

Squash is really thick-skinned and difficult to cut. Cut off the stem end. Then cut the squash in half. However you decide to cook it -- boiled, in the oven, or in the microwave, do not bother to peel off the skin.



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I like to scoop out the seed with a serrated grapefruit spoon. A tablespoon will work just as well. I’ve heard that the squash seeds can be toasted in the oven like pumpkin seeds. If anyone has a good recipe for doing that, I hope you’ll share it here.


You’ll find numerous ideas for temperatures and times in your cookbooks or on the Internet. I only cook it once or twice each summer and it seems like I do it different (or is it, differently) every time.

While the squash was cooking, I pulled leftover Sloppy Jane mix from the refrigerator and put it in a saucepan over low heat.

Then I sliced a tomato from my garden, topped each slice with a piece of mozzarella cheese, a basil leaf (also from my garden), and topped it all with freshly ground black pepper and a very small amount of kosher salt.


You’ll know spaghetti squash is done when you can run a fork, tines down, through it from end to end (the long way) and it easily shreds out like short strands of spaghetti. Overcooking will make mush which has happened to me in the past. Oh, well, I cook and learn...


I topped the cooked Spaghetti Squash strands with the reheated Sloppy Jane mix and enjoyed it with the Tomato-Mozzarella-Basil Salad.


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Sloppy Janes

One of my absolute favorite recipes is for Sloppy Janes, a vegetarian version of Sloppy Joes. I can’t remember where I got the recipe. It might have been at Medleys, a whole foods cafe I worked at in the mid-90s or one of the numerous vegetarian cookbooks I used to own.

I found Sloppy Jane recipes on the Internet, using ground chicken or turkey. My way is the vegetarian way, and I think you meat eaters will find it very tasty. Let me know what you think if you make it.

Sloppy Janes are seductively sweet, due to a bit of brown sugar plus whatever other sweeteners are in the remaining ingredients. I’m thinking it’s the sweetness that keeps me coming back for more. As a matter of fact, I wonder how there could possibly be leftovers on those days that it’s just me eating.

I would have taken more pictures except that I decided to start this blog the day after I made the mixture. My next blog entry will be about how I used the leftover SJ mixture (yes, there were leftovers this time) and there will definitely be more photos for that.

I’ve taken to eating SJ on slider rolls -- whole wheat when I can find them. Makes me feel less of a glutton when I eat two (or even three!) of them.

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SLOPPY JANES...

*Stir 1 cup of TVP (textured vegetable protein - a soy product) into 3/4 cup boiling water. Remove from heat and let soak for just a minute or two, long enough to absorb the liquid.

*Saute in 1 tablespoon EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil):
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or substitute garlic powder to taste)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
grated carrots (optional)
fresh or frozen corn (optional)

*Stir in:
3 ounces tomato paste (half a 6-oz. can; freeze the rest in a small plastic bag)
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon dried basil (rub between fingers just before adding)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (rub between fingers just before adding)
1/8 cup ketchup
1 heaping teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)
1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Depends on how spicy hot you like your food!
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (or substitute 1-2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos)

Bring slowly to a boil, adding more water if needed. Check seasonings and adjust to taste.

Serve on hamburger buns. Add cheese if desired.

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A plus to making Sloppy Janes is that you can have it ready with a few minutes of preparation and minimal cooking time. I’d say less than thirty minutes should do it and still allow you time to throw together a salad.

Double or triple the recipe. You’ll find that it freezes well.


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Next ~
Spaghetti Squash, leftover Sloppy Jane mixture, and a Tomato-Mozzarella-Basil Salad


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Creme de Menthe Brownies

My grandson’s elementary school soccer league had a Bake Sale. My daughter asked me to bake. She provides me with rides and I provide baked goodies when needed. I decided on Creme de Menthe Brownies. Creme de Menthe lasts forever and I dug the bottle out of the back of the cupboard. I can’t take credit for the recipe; I found it online years ago.

Ingredients...
1 box brownie mix (and the ingredients called for in the instructions on the box)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick & 6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Creme de Menthe
3/4 - 1 cup chocolate chips.

Directions...
Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the brownies as directed on the box.



Lightly grease the bottom of a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with spray oil. (I prefer to lightly grease the pan with shortening, then press in a piece of parchment paper trimmed to cover the bottom and the sides. Then grease the parchment paper.)



Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly, then refrigerate to chill.




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Mix sugar, 1 stick of butter and Creme de Menthe with spoon or mixer. I prefer the mixer; it’s faster and mixes more thoroughly.



Spread on the cooled brownies. At this point, you’ll probably see brown crumbs mixed into the green icing. That’s okay ‘cause there is one more topping which will cover the entire pan. Refrigerate again.



I can't wait for March and St. Patrick's Day. I'm going to make my regular cake icing and substitute creme de menthe for the water.

Melt chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons of butter. I like to use a microwave, starting with 30 seconds at full power. I stir it, then nuke it again 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each, until completely melted. Cool to room temperature.



Pour over top of iced brownies and spread with a spoon. Refrigerate until ready to use.



With three layers and all the refrigeration going on, you can easily start this project the day before you need it or early in the day. Just be sure to allow time for the top layer to set.



Creme de Menthe Brownies come out rather skinny compared to regular brownies, but they are so-o rich! Don’t cut the pieces too large. As a matter of fact, the recipe recommends cutting 75-100 pieces. Looking back, though, I wish I'd cut them into bigger pieces for the bake sale. I think they would be more eye catching that way.


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Stir fry salad

Many of my meals are invented on the spot. When I notice it's time to eat, I check the refrigerator, the freezer and the cupboards. It's like a clothing closet, when you think you have nothing to wear. Experiment, mix and match, see what you can come up with.

A couple of days ago, I made this Stir Fry Salad. It's simple, really, so I won't give you a long, complicated recipe. Only one photo today, but in the future, there will be more for each entry.

The base of this dish is mixed greens. Earlier in the summer, I would have used mesclun from my garden. Sadly, I note that the mesclun is all used up and I truly miss having it fresh each day. You can use your favorite lettuce. Or uncooked spinach. Or any mixture of greens.

I stir-fried zucchini slices, green beans and scallion slices in a bit of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) in a wok. Toward the end of the cooking, I added a quick splash each of sesame oil and Tamari sauce. On another day, I might have used plain soy sauce in place of tamari. If I'd added meat, I might have used Worcestershire.

After placing the stir-fried veggies on the greens, I added some tomato chunks. There was a small amount of salmon left over from the previous night's meal, so I broke it up and added it to the salad. Wish I'd remembered I had olives in the frig; they would have been a nice addition, as would artichoke hearts if I had them.

I drizzled the whole thing with a small amount of EVOO. So easy. So delicious. So filling.


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