Posts filed under entree

The best GUILT FREE spaghetti

spaghetti squash 011

spaghetti squash 011

So I am not much of a pasta person. I lived in the North End, Boston (aka little Italy) for 2 years; I ate at a local Italian restaurant ONCE! People always tell me I should try Spaghetti Squash.  I finally came across this "spaghetti squash" at Trader Joes, and was excited to experiment and cook with this new found vegetable. I decided to make Spaghetti squash topped with an abundance of julienne cut vegetables, mozzarella, garlic and EVOO.

To start I cut the squash in half the long way and placed it in water and boiled it for about 20-30 minutes. I used thongs to take the squash out of the water and let it cool off a little before stringing.

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spaghetti squash 002

While the squash was boiling I julienne cut one red pepper, one yellow zucchini and one green zucchini, all with the help from a special peeler. Next time I will add some carrots!

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spaghetti squash 003

I warmed up a pan with EVOO and fresh crushed garlic. After the garlic simmered for a bit I added the julienne veggies and gave it a little toss. By this time the Squash was ready for the fun part... stringing!

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spaghetti squash 005

You have to string the squash the long way. It can be hot so be careful! Don't forget about the veggies... keep mixing!

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spaghetti squash 006

In order to spice up the veggies I added grape tomatoes cut in half, diced fresh mozzarella cheese, and a medley of ground up spices. It was such a filling dish, and I can not even begin to describe how buttery and delicious the squash tasted. I kept saying, "is there butter in this"? The best part it was ALL veggies!

Other methods to cook the squash:

Bake

 about an hour in the oven at 375 F.

Microwave

 10 to 12 minutes, then let stand for 5 minutes or so afterward to finish steaming.

Boil

 for about half an hour.

Slow Cooker/Crock Pot:

 Put it in with a cup of water and let it go on low all day (8 to 10 hours).

How do you make your spaghetti squash?

Posted on October 6, 2011 and filed under food, entree, savory.

quinoa salad and orange glazed salmon

My family loves to entertain. I think both my mom and my dad make a great team when cooking. They always seem to create healthy, delicious, and interesting dishes. Here was our last BBQ menu:

Home grown tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil.

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summer 2011 lauren 007

( I did not get a final product photo) This is always a crowd pleaser, and easy to make!

Quinoa Salad

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summer 2011 lauren 011

We mixed red quinoa (more fiber) and regular quinoa together then added avocado, tomatoes, fresh corn, cilantro, and black beans. This quinoa salad has a mexican feel to it!  Check out another Quinoa veggy Salad here!

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summer 2011 lauren 001

Delicious Orange Glaze Salmon!

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summer 2011 lauren 014

ingredients:

  • 1 lb salmon
  • 1/2 c orange marmalade
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated  ginger
  • 2 tbs lite soy sauce
  • 2 tbs sesame oil
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • chopped scallions (optional)

mix ingredients together (not scallions) and let it sit on salmon for an hour

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summer 2011 lauren 005

directions:

bake at 350 for 25 minutes or grill it!

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summer 2011 lauren 017

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summer 2011 lauren 002

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summer 2011 lauren 004

Chopped cabbage and lettuce salad Video hereStart with just mixing the cabbage and lettuce Then add your choppedd apples and mango and add in your roasted hazelnuts and dried cranberries and fresh feta cheese!

What is your favorite BBQ dish?

Posted on August 28, 2011 and filed under entree, apps/side dish.

Black Bean Burgers

I am always looking for good alternatives to meat burgers. Today my friend told me she found a great black bean burger recipe. These burgers are so good that I wouldn't care if I had to eat them every week.  They are packed with protein and fiber and are under 350 calories! Best part:  the meal is under $20 and the recipe serves 6 people!

 Black Bean Burgers (courtesy of Cooking Light 2011)

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  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 c chopped cilantro
  • 3/4 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese (we used reduced fat Mexican Blend)
  • 1/4 c panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • sea salt
  • 1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 large egg whites

Preheat over to 350.

Place black beans in a medium bowl- mash with a fork.

Not my hand in this photo, but the ring did come from Hefez and Sons Jewelers!

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P1020554

Stir in cilantro and the rest of the ingredients. (do not be afraid if the consistency is runny, that is the way it is before you bake it)

Shape into 6 even patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, carefully turning once. (we cooked them for a litter longer than 20 minutes)

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These burgers would be delicious topped with tomatoes and lettuce! If you want to be a little adventurous this Mango Salsa topping was surprisingly good, and not too sweet.

(optional) Mango Salsa (we used a white peach instead of a mango)

  • 1/4 c cilantro
  • 1 peeled mango or peach
  • 3 T chopped shallots
  • 1 T lime juice
  • 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (we left this out)

Combine ingredients and place on top of burgers. Eat with a whole wheat bun.

 320 calories 13g of protein and 10g of fiber

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Posted on July 22, 2011 and filed under food, entree.