Spaghetti Squash Recipe with Spicy Sausage

Spaghetti squash tastes great with a little Spanish chorizo thrown into the mix.



When buying, choose a firm spaghetti squash that seems heavy for its size. Avoid squash with overly glossy or with greenish rinds--this may indicate the squash is not quite ripe enough. The stem of a spaghetti squash should be dry. Moisture around the stem may mean the squash is not fresh.

Ingredients:
1 SPAGHETTI SQUASH
4-5oz Spanish style CHORIZO (diced)
1 lg ONION (chopped)
4-5 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1/2 cup PARMESAN or ASIAGO CHEESE (shredded)
1/2 cup CILANTRO (chopped)
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
SALT and PEPPER, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice 1 spaghetti squash lengthwise into halves. Remove seeds and place cut side down in a baking pan. Pour a small amout of water in the pan to keep the squash from sticking. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. The squash is ready when a fork will slide easily into the flesh.
In a skillet, heat oil on medium high heat. Add onions and saute a few minutes (add red pepper flakes for heat, if desired). Add garlic and chorizo and continue sauteing. Add salt and pepper to taste. You don't need a lot of seasoning for this dish--the chorizo will add plenty of flavor. Take a fork and scrape the squash away fromm its skin and into the skillet; the squash will separate easily in spaghetti-like strands...which is why it's called what it's called. The squash is already cooked, so this is more about mixing the ingredients than cooking them. Add cilantro and cheese, mix well, and remove the skillet from the heat. It's a delicious dish, and hearty enough to make a terric main course. Serve with a salad and bread and you'll have a more than enough.
Enjoy!

And try this delicious vegetarian Mediterranean-Style Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Roasted Veggie French Fries w/ Maple and Mustard

French fries without the guilt of eating French fries? Try this roasted vegetable fries recipe.



Sweet potatoes, parsnips, and carrots make delicious fries, especially with a little mustard and maple syrup thrown into the mix. Give this roasted root vegetable dish a try, and for more video recipes check out the Chef Buck Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2EFBD7E8FE2BB552
 
Roasted Vegetable Fries Ingredients:
4 Tbsp OLIVE OIL (extra virgin)
3 Tbsp MAPLE SYRUP
3 Tbsp DIJON MUSTARD
SALT and PEPPER, to taste
 2 med-sized SWEET POTATOES (steak fry-sized pieces)
4 PARSNIPS (peeled, steak fry-sized pieces)
4 CARROTS (steak fry-sized pieces)
1 ONION (sliced)
GARLIC cloves (sliced in halves or whole)
fresh ROSEMARY

 Preheat oven to 425. When slicing the root veggies, leave on the skins if desired.  The skins will taste great roasted and you'll have added nutrition as well.  Place prepared veggies in bowl large enough to mix. In a small bowl, mix together syrup, mustard, oil, salt & pepper. Toss chopped veggies with syrup mixture, coating well. Spread sliced vegetables out in a single layer onto a cookie sheet--use two sheets if necessary; make sure the veggies are not piled up or jammed together. allow the veggies to roast, turning occasionally, until brown and cooked through [approx. 25 minutes, it will depend on volume and size of veggies].
The longer you cook them, the crispier they'll get.
Give this roasted vegetable fries recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appetit!

 And for another tasty veggie side, try this Easy Okra Recipe.

Acorn Squash Recipe :Fancy Edition

Acorn Squash is easy to cook, yummy as hell, and looks pretty fancy-pants when you stuff it full of delectable goodies.



Try out the recipe below and let me know what you think. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:
2 ACORN SQUASH (halved, seeds removed)
2 tsp OLIVE OIL
3 cloves GARLIC (minced)
1/2 inch fresh GINGER (minced)
1 CARROT (peeled and chopped)
1 cup GARBANZO BEANS (drained)
1/3 cup RAISINS (or dried currants)
1 tsp ground CUMIN
1/2 tsp ground CINNAMON
[1/4 tsp ground GINGER, if didn't use fresh]
SALT and freshly GROUND PEPPER, to taste
1 cup BROTH
3/4 cup instant COUSCOUS
1/2 cup SLIVERED ALMONDS (toasted)
2-3 GREEN ONIONS (white and green parts, chopped)
1/2 golden delicious APPLE (cored and chopped)

Preheat the oven to 400.
Toast the almonds.
Place the squash halves, cut side down, on a shallow pan with ¼ inch of water. Roast until the squash is easily pierced with a fork, about 30 - 40 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and continue stirring for another minute.
Add broth, simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in couscous, cover pot, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes.
Stir in the almonds, green onions, and apple. Spoon the filling into the roasted squash, mounding generously and serve.
You can freeze leftovers (or make extras). Freeze by mashing the squash on the bottom of the container then adding the couscous mixture on top.
And that's, that.
Bon Appétit!

Also, try this TERRIFIC SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPE!

Skillet Cauliflower Recipe

Did you ever think there was something missing in your life? Have you considered cauliflower?

ingredients:
1 head CAULIFLOWER (cut into florets)
1 bulb of GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 cup ONION (chopped)
½ cup PEPPERS (sliced)
3 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
zest of 1 LEMON
2 Tbsp LEMON JUICE
SALT and PEPPER (to taste)
WATER (as needed)

directions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat and add cauliflower florets. The oil should be hot enough to sizzle when the cauliflower hits the pan. Sear the florets for 3-4 minutes —keep them moving enough not to burn, but let them rest long enough to get a nice seared edge where possible. The florets will soak up the oil pretty quick—add water sparingly when needed.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Mix and give the onion a minute head start before adding the garlic and peppers. Add salt to taste and continue sautéing the vegetables for 1-2 minutes.
Then add ¼ water, cover, and cook 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes, add black pepper, lemon zest and juice, mix, and remove from heat.
At this point, all of your cauliflower dreams will be coming true.

Bon appétit!


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Samba Sting by Kevin MacLeod at http://www.incompetech.com/. Music track used with permission Creative Commons: By Attribution and found at this link: http://www.incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?genre=Stings&page=1

Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Ingredients:
1lb. brussels sprouts (washed, trimmed, quartered)
diced onion (to taste --I like 2-3 green onions or 1/2 reg. onion)
2-4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Wash, trim, and quarter 1 lb. of brussels sprouts. Heat 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil on high heat (cooking on high is key, because you want to sear the edges of the brussels sprouts). Add sprouts to hot oil before the oil smokes and burns, then stir frequently while still allowing edges to darken. Sear 4-5 minutes --reduce heat if necessary during this process, but not too much. After sprouts are seared, reduce to medium heat and add onions, garlic, salt, and pepper (I prefer a little red pepper, but black is fine). Stir ingredients together and then add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and allow to cook approx. 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. I like to sprinkle green onion tops over as a garnish. This is a great dish to serve with brown rice or cous cous.

Remember, the key to delicious brussels sprouts (like most vegetables) is to NOT overcook them. Let me know what you think, and feel free to experiment--I've thought of adding red or finger-hot peppers to the recipe, but haven't gotten around to it yet; I love this dish too much as it is for right now...
bon appetite!