Spaghetti squash pasta and grilled halloumi
An old standby for me is making spaghetti out of spaghetti squash (though I often do it old school, of course, with pasta.) But Frank and the kids all eat it well, and it’s easy as long as you remember to get the squash cooking with enough lead time. Also, finding the microwave the squash first before cutting them tip was a game changer for me after a couple times wrestling with however to cut them in half without chopping off a finger! This week I wanted to share my favorite way to serve this veggie hit full of Vitamins C, B6, betacarotene, fiber and antioxidants. (Reminder on antioxidants: our bodies end up with free radicals from pollution and toxins from all different sources that can break down into oxidative stress which contributes to disease. Antioxidants, however, fight those free radicals and are a BIG player in optimal health. So… we love them. Here’s my regular spaghetti squash spaghetti:
Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
Ingredients:
2 spaghetti squash (to make four halves) but for my family making 3 is ideal.
1 pound of ground beef
1 jar of sauce (I like Rao’s)
Optional (a diced bell pepper or zucchini mixed in and sauteed with the beef)
Parmesan Cheese, essential for all pasta dishes in my world. Omit if dairy free.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 400. Prep your squash with this amazing trick. First, prick them with a fork 3-5 times before softening them in the microwave. This step is critical or they could explode in the microwave (or so I’ve been told?) Once fork pricked, zap each one for 20 second increments in the microwave. Depending on the size of your squash this could be two or three times. You want them to be just slightly soft so you can easily half them with a sharp knife. Once all squash are pre-softened in the microwave, split the in half the long way. Cover each half in a sprinkle of avocado oil or ghee (olive oil is less preferable due to its lower smoke point) and salt and pepper. Place each open face down in a glass pyrex. Bake for 20-30 minutes uncovered. Check midway through and at the 20 or 25 minute mark but meanwhile make your beef/sauce. You want the squash to be softened to a fork’s touch, and shreddable when they’re done. For the meat sauce, brown your beef and drain if needed. Add a jar of sauce. Keep that mixture warmed on low or save if you’re prepping ahead of time. Both the filling mixture and the squash can be prepped earlier in the day and then just assembled and warmed/browned before dinner. When ready to assemble, scoop out the top seeds of the squash then use a fork to “shred” the squash as far down as you can, getting a central portion of spaghetti squash in each squash boat. (Look up how to shred a spaghetti squash on youtube if this step is too confusing!) Then add approximately 1.5 cup of the meat/sauce mixture, to taste and however full you want each boat. Either serve as is or mix in with the squash noodles just like you would any spaghetti. Top with optional cheese. Yum and SO HEALTHY!
Grilled Halloumi
Speaking of cheese, your salad life is about to be changed if you’re a cheese person and aren’t ever adding grilled halloumi to your salads. This cheese is a little more rare but I’ve always bought it at Whole Foods and, more recently, Trader Joe’s. It’s a Mediterranean staple and mostly served grilled. I also add it to toasted vegetable sandwiches and love it with roasted red pepper but today I’m focusing on its role in a salad. A simple salad of lettuce, cucumbers, good tomatoes, halloumi and olives is divine. Top it with a quick vinaigrette (I’ve posted some in prior meals) or just a splash of olive oil/vinegar/salt and pepper. The other night I did mixed greens, cucumbers, carrots, grilled halloumi, avocado, olives, red onions and red peppers. Here’s how I grill it:
Ingredients:
Halloumi Cheese
Avocado Oil or Ghee (or you could use butter or olive oil, but again olive oil isn’t great at high heat.)
Assembly:
Slice it in 1/2 inch thick slices with however many you want. I do 4-5 slices for two salads. Add 1.5 Tbsp of ghee or oil to the pan and let it heat to medium high heat. If you add the cheese before the pan is warn enough it won’t brown. But too high of heat and it will burn too quickly! You want to cook each side for 3-4 minutes until slightly browned. Let it cool and add it to any salad or sandwich for a salty, cheesy slice of heaven… trust me. And let me know if you do!