I get tired of mine, at times.
No, I'm not referring to my love-handled sides, although I am tired of those too...
These sides are for dinner, as in side-dishes.
It seems the "sides" of the meal can get into a rut around here.
We love fresh, fresh, fresh.
And in the winter months, sometimes it is a little difficult to find some variety.
In looking for some variety, I went back to something I enjoyed a while ago.
(Is it weird that I go through food cycles? And then I have to remind myself of things I once cooked?)
Since I must be cycling again, I thought someone else might be looking for a way to change things up as well.
So, I thought I would share with you a way to prepare spaghetti squash. It's a way that I like to eat it.
It is simple and not time consuming at all.
You will need a very sharp knife though! Please don't use a dull knife, or a wimpy knife, you might cut yourself. It is hard to cut into squash.
Alright-y then,
it is called spaghetti squash because of the way the squash will come out in strands when it cooks, resembling spaghetti. (It can be even be used like noodles!)
When picking out good spaghetti squash, you want to look for one (or two) that is uniform in color and heavy for it's size. Avoid any with soft spots.
To prepare:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the squash lengthwise (from blossom to end) with a very good chef's knife. (If you don't have one, you may need to pierce through the flesh with a large fork and bake it whole for an hour or so, it will cut more easily once baked).
Once cut, scoop out the seeds and strands in the middle.
Lay the squash cut side down on a lightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 20-30 min. (until the squash gives way when you press the middle of it with your thumb).
See?! (Insert thumb here! Ha, ha!)
Let rest and cool slightly (or as long as you want). I cook it and let it rest while I finish the rest of dinner. Just before serving dinner, I finish the squash. It is that fast and easy!

Isn't that beautiful?
When ready to finish up the dish, melt a little butter (1-2 TBSP or so per squash) in a pan.
You may prefer to use olive oil instead but the butter gives a really yummy flavor to the squash.
Once the butter begins to foam a little, add some minced (fresh) garlic. 1-2 cloves. (How much garlic you use really depends on how much spaghetti squash you have and how much you like garlic, 1 clove per squash is a good place to start).
Let garlic saute a bit but don't brown the garlic.
Scoop out the flesh of the squash with a fork and add it to the garlic butter. Mm.Mm. I can smell it just thinking about it.
Let the squash saute for a few minutes to thoroughly warm it through.
Add 1 - 2 TBSP finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley.
Season with freshly grated sea salt and pepper to taste.
Give it a couple of stirs and serve!
I have also added chopped green onions to this and it is yummy.
There are lots of variations. Such as: chopped tomatoes, garlic and onion sauteed and then served with a little fresh mozzarella or freshly grated parmesan.
You really can do most any thing with it.
* Spaghetti squash contains about 37 calories per 4 oz. serving. (Now, that's before you add the butter or anything else to it). :) And it is packed with vitamins and fiber.
Good stuff for our sides! (wink, wink!)
Garlic Butter Spaghetti Squash
(We'll name it that...unless you can think of a better one? If you do, let me know)
1 - 2 Spaghetti Squash, sliced in half lengthwise and cleaned out.
2 - 4 Tbsp Butter
1 - 2 Garlic cloves, freshly minced
1 - 2 Tbsp Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Freshly grated sea salt and pepper to taste.
Bake the halved and cleaned-out squash for 20-30 minutes on a greased, rimmed cookie sheet at 400 degrees, until the flesh gives way. (Cover the cookie sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up).
Let rest for a few minutes.
In large saute pan: melt butter, add garlic and saute for a few minutes. Careful to NOT brown the garlic. (If that happens, discard the garlic and try to save the butter before it burns!)
Scoop out the strands of spaghetti squash using a fork and add to the garlic butter.
Let the squash saute for a few minutes.
Add finely chopped flat leaf parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Give it a couple of stirs to warm through and serve immediately.
*Note: whatever you wish to add to the squash would be really good! It goes well with nearly everything. Very agreeable! :)