spaghetti squash: the spaghetti noodle's older, vegan, living-in-a-vw-bus, tree-huggin' brother

during my vegetarian escapades i convinced myself i would make the effort to discover some new vegetables, as consuming all that is green was key to my new found diet and lifestyle. alas, i never did try a different veggie. i lived off bean and cheese burritos and baked rigatoni instead. good job.

just last week i finally introduced something new into my dinner repertoire. and wouldn't you know - it's the one vegetable that mimics pasta!

i picked up a beautiful 4-lb. locally grown spaghetti squash at the jack london square farmer's market and searched out a tasty recipe on epicurious (it's down there). spaghetti squash with parsley walnut pesto.

i don't know about you, but i always find that food i prepare myself never tastes as good as when it's prepared by someone else. maybe it's because i'm a newbie at this whole cooking thing. but this dish in particular was definitely doable and definitely edible (and obviously, worth posting here). however, the spaghetti squash just had this grass/cud/hay-like es essence that i could only stand for so long. it lacked the fatty goodness, the chunky carbs, the melt-in-your-mouthiness of traditional pasta dishes. which i guess is the whole point of a spaghetti squash dish. score one point for staying on the diet track.

the pesto is extremely easy to make, and although incredibly salty, it works perfectly when blended with the basic, "natural" quality of the squash. i used parmigiano in lieu of pecorino, which was a mistake in my book. next time i'll follow the recipe explicitly.

enjoy.


spaghetti squash with parsley walnut pesto

1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) spaghetti squash
1/4 cup walnuts (3/4 oz)
1/2 garlic clove
1 1/3 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons finely grated pecorino
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest

pierce squash all over with a paring knife. cook in a microwave oven 8 minutes, then turn over and microwave until squash gives when pressed gently, 8 to 10 minutes more. cool squash 5 minutes.

while squash is cooking, toast nuts in a dry small heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 6 minutes, then cool completely.

pulse nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely ground. add parsley, oil, cheese, water, salt, pepper, and zest and pulse until parsley is coarsely chopped.

while squash is still hot, cut off stem from squash and discard, then halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds. scrape out squash flesh with a fork into a bowl, loosening and separating strands. toss with pesto in a bowl.

whole wheat mini pizzas

a great cooking blog called cooking with amy (see link on the right) featured a recipe today that has weight watchers written all over it. she (amy) also gives you plenty of wiggle room to make it as points-friendly as possible, if that's what you're going for.

whole wheat mini-pizzas
serves 2

2 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup grated cheese (whatever you like that melts)
1/4 cup vegetables such as olives, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms or a combination
2 tablespoons meat (crumbled sausage, bacon, cooked chicken, etc.) optional

preheat oven to 400 degrees. cut 4 rounds from each tortilla. Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until slightly crisp. top each round with cheese, a sprinkling of vegetables and meat if desired. return to the oven until cheese has melted, about 3 - 4 minutes.


here's a little something i came up with using my e-tools recipe builder, which i just discovered not too long ago.

use the quantities listed above of:

soft goat cheese
chantrelle mushrooms
crumbled crisp bacon

should turn out to be 6 points per serving.

whole paycheck

i went to the new whole foods in downtown oakland last night for the first time. wow. it's truly spectacular. the circular layout is ideal for browsing the store in its entirety and discovering things to spend money on that you really don't need. i know people hate whole foods because it's elitist and pretentuous. i know people despise whole foods because it is insanely overpriced. take for instance last night's purchases. paper towels, one shallot, one package of green beans (slightly brown and dry, and from mexico to boot...the california ones were moldy...wtf people), a small "to-go" container of mixed berries (1 pint) and an even smaller container of scharffenberger pudding (1/2 pint). twenty bucks. jason (my man) and i were going to get a tuna steak so we could try out a recipe for tuna burgers, but it would have cost us $22. for one steak. needless to say we changed our minds.

despite the high cost of being a part of the elite green grocer club, i'm still a card-carrying member. that place is amazing. and close!

my lone shallot and mexican haricots verts were the final ingredients necessary to complete the meal i've prepared for this evening. last night i marinated a 1-lb. london broil (niman ranch, from trader joes - cheap, local, sustainable, damn good) in a ziplock bag with:

3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 medium (overpriced) shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. dried oregano

it's getting all yummy and juicy in the fridge as we speak. tonight i will broil it (at some temperature that eludes me now) and pair it with garlicky (mexican, dry, brown, expensive) haricots verts. this is an easy side dish and i think is only a point or two...

steam 1 lb haricots verts in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until crisp-tender
toss with olive oil and pressed garlic, pepper to taste.

i really like the words haricots verts.

itty bitty thanksgiving

this thanksgiving the only individuals sitting around the dinner table will be myself, my father and my stepmother. maybe my uncle. i haven't a clue what's going on. however if this was my meal to prepare (maybe it is?! no one's told me anything!) i would opt for this clever, seemingly scrumptuous preparation for the holiday.

citrus-scented cornish game hens with spiced acorn squash courtesy of whole foods

serves four - pair with a simple pilaf, they say.

cornish game hens
2 cornish game hens
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 orange
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
4 sprigs of rosemary


acorn squash
2 acorn squashes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoons allspice
4 scallions, halved
salt and pepper

preheat the oven to 400° F. season the hens with salt and pepper and rub with butter, sugar, lemon and orange zest. halve the orange. juice one half and slice the other. stuff each bird with orange juice and orange slices, shallots and rosemary.

heat a large pan over medium heat. brown the game hens on all sides, 6 to 10 minutes.

meanwhile, prepare the acorn squashes by quartering them and removing the seeds. place them in a roasting pan and dot with butter, drizzle with syrup and sprinkle with allspice. place the hens breast side up in the same roasting pan and roast until browned and cooked through, about an hour.

remove game hens and let rest for juices to redistribute. continue cooking the acorn squash 10 to 15 minutes longer, until tender. serve immediately.

the beauty of it all is that they include nutrition info. get your trackers ready...one serving is 6 points (about 11 oz., not including your pilaf dish).

what i eat when i only have three points left

resist the 100 calorie packs, folks. god knows what they did to those chips ahoys and cheetos to make them so lean.

you'll need:

1 whole wheat tortilla (1 point) - i like trader joe's brand
1 tbsp canned organic tomato paste (0 Points)
1 oz soft goat cheese - from your local farmer! (2 points)
sea salt, pepper and oregano to taste

here's what i do. i put everything on the tortilla, zap it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. it tastes ok.

here's what i should do. get:

1/8 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

saute garlic in a small pan with cooking spray until clear and aromatic. add red onion. cook until soft. add peppers. cook until it all looks yummy.

layer tortilla with tomato paste and yummy cooked ingredients. crumble goat cheese over the top, add sea salt and pepper to taste.

bake in the oven on a cookie sheet until cheese is melted and tortilla has some crispness to it. cut into slices and devour. enjoy. wish you had more points. consider eating a string cheese and a spoonful of peanut butter. resist.

yeah. that sounds good.