Spaghetti Squash & Cheese

From Better Recipes.

Matt has always claimed to dislike spaghetti squash.  Until we tried this recipe.  He liked it enough to say that I should make it again sometime.

Serves 4-6.

1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt
Black pepper

Cut the squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds.  Rub the inside of the squash with olive oil.  Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet.  Bake in 350F oven about 30 minutes or until tender; let cool.

Use a fork to rake out the stringy squash pulp into a large bowl.  Add cheese, nuts, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer squash mixture to a greased baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes more or until heated through.

Notes:
- There's usually a sticker with cooking directions attached the the squash sold at grocery stores.  I didn't want to wait for it to cook in the oven and cooked it in the microwave (per sticker instructions) instead without the oil.
- I was in a hurry and didn't let my squash cool (I handled it with an oven mitt while I scraped out the inside).  No problems.

Squash and Veggie Couscous

Adapted from Simple and Delicious (June/July 2010), page 24.

Prep/Total: 25 min.
Yield: 4 servings

1 1/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. Italian dressing
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning

In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil.  Stir in couscous.  Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until broth is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the squash, carrot, red pepper, and onion in butter until tender.  Stir in seasonings.  Fluff couscous with a fork; toss with vegetable mixture.

Notes:
- Use reduced-sodium chicken broth to lower the sodium in this dish even more.
- You could add 1/3 cup chicken broth and leave the dressing out.
- I opted for a red pepper instead of green because they're sweeter.
- Meatless Version: Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth and use olive or canola oil instead of butter.

Scrumptious Vegetable Lasagna

Adapted from Healthy Cooking (Feb./March 2010), page 49.

Prep: 45 min. + resting / Bake: 40 min. + standing
Yield: 12 servings

 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4" slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
1 eggplant, thinly sliced
1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 yam, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 jar (25 oz) marinara sauce
1 carton (15 oz) fat-free ricotta cheese
12 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese, halved
2 cups (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Arrange slices of eggplant on wire racks over paper towels; liberally salt both sides and allow to rest for about 1 hour.  Squeeze out excess moisture.  Chop.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, boil sweet potato and yam slices in salted water until softened but not all the way cooked.  Drain carefully.

Heat oil in a large skillet; saute squash, zucchini, onion, and eggplant until tender.  Add mushrooms during the last minute or two.  Gently stir in sweet potato and yam.

Drain noodles.  Rinse in cold water and drain again.

Spread 1/4 cup marinara in an 11x17" baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Top with six noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, 1/3 vegetable mixture, 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 8 half slices of provolone cheese, 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.  Repeat layers twice, or until you run out of ingredients.

Cover and bake at 375F for 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes:
- Yes, there is a difference between sweet potatoes and yams.  But I guess you could use two of one of them if you prefer.  I just couldn't decide which one I wanted, so I used one of each.
- I made this in two 8x8" baking dishes and froze one of them.  I'm assuming you could make it in an 11x17" dish.
- I'm totally guessing at measurements in the layering process, to tell you the truth.  I was in a hurry and had modified the recipe enough that I didn't bother with exact amounts at that point.  It probably wouldn't hurt to have more marinara sauce than the recipe lists, though.
- I would use more sauce next time.

Pasta with Chicken and Squash

From Taste of Home (June/July 1997), page 25.

Yield: 8 servings.

1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 tablespoons olive or canola oil, divided
2 medium zucchini, julienned
2 medium yellow summer squash, julienned
1¼ teaspoons salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, juilenned
¼ teaspoon each dried basil, marjoram and savory
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage

Cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, heat cream and butter in a large saucepan until butter melts. Add cheese; cook and stir until melted.

Rinse and drain pasta; add to cheese mixture. Cover and keep warm.

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons oil until onion is tender. Add squash; cook until tender. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper; remove and keep warm.

Add remaining oil to skillet; cook chicken with herbs and remaining salt until juices run clear. Place pasta on a serving platter; top with chicken and squash.

Notes:
- I tend to cut this in half, but then again there are only two of us.
- I like to put the squash back in the skillet with the chicken before putting them on top of the pasta.  Sometimes I just toss it all together.
- Make It Healthier: Replace cream with fat-free half and half, reduce butter to 1/2 Tbs or use canola oil, use reduced-fat cheese, reduce salt to 3/4 tsp.
- Meatless Version: Omit chicken and increase squash and zucchini.

Nutrition Facts:
1 cup = 695 calories, 43 g fat (22 g saturated fat), 142 mg cholesterol, 640 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 27 g protein