Simple Baked Spaghetti Squash

I kept seeing recipes for spaghetti squash on Pinterest, and really wanted to try it, especially after I had it as a side with a seafood entree last time David and I went out to dinner at Pappadeux's. I'm always hesitant to try a new food, knowing full well my hubby won't go near it with a 10 foot pole.

Yes...it's true. My husband eats many different things, but will not eat any kind of winter squash. No buttternut, acorn, or pumpkin squash ever crosses his lips (except for pumpkin pie). I made this Carrot Apple Ginger Soup and he didn't like it...even though it has NO squash in it! So yeah...I've given up. :-( 

Anyways...we recently have cut out a lot of carbs in our diet. Not completely, but David and I definitely don't reach for chips, crackers, or bread anymore. I try to serve more veggies or fruit instead. I haven't really pushed the kids in this direction, If I tried to take every bit of carbs out of their diet, I would have 5 very unhappy kids. And while I'd be perfectly happy having mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, and quinoa instead of pasta...my whole family would be up in arms...and this momma ain't got time for that! Right? 

My sweet Rebecca and I are the only ones who will eat spaghetti squash...and I guess I will keep trying to get the rest of the kids to try in. Meanwhile, that just means more for the two of us. ;-) 

Simple Baked Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash, wiped clean if necessary

2-4 tablespoons butter (I like 4 :-) ) 

2-4 cloves minced garlic 

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1-2 teaspoons fresh herbs (I used thyme, but you can use basil or another herb of choice)

salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

You can bake the squash 2 different ways. A) Cut the squash in half. Season with the salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. A knife inserted in the flesh should go in easily without any resistance. B). Leave the squash whole (my preferred method). Use a small, sharp knife and stab (yep...stab) the squash at least 6 times, You need to do this or you will have a squash explosion in the oven...and let's not even imagine what a mess that would be. Bake the squash at 375 for one hour. If you push on the rind and it doesn't give at all, let it bake an additional 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 to 30 minutes. If you're short on time, just go ahead and cut it in half with a big knife. Just be careful...it's going to be very hot and steamy! 

Once you cut it open, scrap out the seeds and any pulp that clings to the seeds. 

Now comes the fun part! Take a fork and scrap out the flesh. It will fall apart into strings, that look amazingly like spaghetti. See? 

Keep going until you have both sides scraped out. Now, you could serve this as is, with a little salt and pepper. But I like to add some more flavor. 

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Melt the butter, then add the spaghetti squash. Stir it around a few times to evenly coat with the butter. We're not cooking it any more, just adding some seasonings. Now toss in the thyme (or herb of choice), garlic, and parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, with a fish fillet, pork chops, hanger steak...anything! It's the perfect substitute for pasta. After I made this the first time, I made a bolognesesauce and baked another spaghetti squash to go with it. It was delicious...at least, Rebecca and I fought over the leftovers. I did make regular pasta for everyone else. :-) 

We got our first hint of fall last week here in southwest TX by way of a "cool" front, meaning we had 2 days of highs in the upper 80's and lows in the upper 60's, plus lower humidity. I'm sure any Yankee reading this is laughing their heads off. But fall means winter vegetables are on their way, and you should be able to find spaghetti squash easily in your grocery store. Buy one, bake it, and serve it up...you won't regret it. 

God bless your table tonight! 

Crockpot Applesauce

Sheesh, I know...it's been a while.  I didn't disappear off the face of the earth...but cooking just hasn't been getting top billing around here these days.  When the hubby is working 75-85 hours a week, you don't really feel motivated to spend even one hour in the kitchen cooking dinner, since the kids would be perfectly happy with something simple like eggs.  Or pancakes.  Or chicken nuggets and french fries (yeah...the frozen variety).  Or deli ham slices and apples.  Thank goodness my kids are not gourmet, LOL!  

(Well, except for Rebecca, who has become an expert in making eggs in a hole all by herself.  Yeah, I'm proud of her).   

I did make a fantastic Christmas Day dinner--roast turkey, dressing, gravy, buttermilk mashed potatoes, roasted green beans, vanilla bean pound cake, and deep dish apple pie.  Yep...it was good.  Really good.  And what made it even more special were friends who came over to share the meal with us that day.  

Anyways... ;-)

I was motivated to make crockpot applesauce yesterday.  Apples are plentiful and in season right now, plus it's fun to buy 3-4 different kinds to make your own applesauce.  I bought 6 Golden Delicious, 4 Granny Smith, and 6 Galas.  You can honestly use whatever you fancy.  Be prepared for the lovely smell of baking apples permeating every corner of your house.  It's amazing...and you'll be so proud of yourself for making it homemade. :-)

Crockpot Applesauce

10-12 mixed apples, such as Golden Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, or Jonagold.  Use what you like!

(You can even throw in a few pears, peaches, plums, strawberries or other fruit.)

6 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 whole cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 small strip lemon peel

Pinch of salt

Peel, core, and slice apples 1/2 inch thick.  Using an apple slicer like this one really helps.  If you buy one, make sure it's ALL metal.  The plastic frame with metal spokes type will break in no time (yes...I know this from experience!) 

Toss all the apples into your crockpot, along with the lemon juice, lemon peel, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, cinnamon, and salt.  Make sure you fill your slow cooker all the way to the top.  Once the apples cook down, it'll only be about 1/2 full, and most crockpots work better if they're half to two-thirds full.  I used both ground cinnamon and a cinnamon stick because we're fans of the spice over here.  Whole cinnamon sticks can be found right in the baking aisle of the grocery store. 

Set your crockpot on "LOW" and let it go for about 8 hours.  You don't even have to stir it, but I did every couple of hours so you can see what it looks like.

Ready for some time lapsed pictures?  Of course you are.  

After 2 hours...

After 4 hours...

After 8 hours...

Now, you can leave it chunky like I did, or pureed it further with an immersion blender/regular blender for a very smooth texture.  I used to do that when Theresa was just starting with solids, but now she eats it no matter what. ;-)

Let the applesauce cool until it's a manageable temperature for kids before consuming with gusto.  I like it a bit warm, but 3 of my 5 kids prefer it cold, so you can certainly chill it in the fridge for later.  

We love this applesauce plain, or with pancakes, waffles, or on warm biscuits.  And let's not forget pork chops...my hubby's favorite.  He has fond memories of homemade applesauce with pork chops growing up. Best of all, it makes the whole house smell like apples and cinnamon all day...who doesn't love that?  

All righty guys, I've got to run. I've had 4 out of 5 kids down with the flu this week, but everyone is watching a movie with their juice cups and blankies right now...so I had a few minutes to bang this post out for you. 

God bless your table tonight, and Happy New Year!  

Cinnamon Cranberry Almond Granola

About 8 weeks ago, a dear friend of mine, Amy had her 7th baby (nope, not a typo!), so of course I made her a HUGE pan of baked penne to hopefully feed her crew for a few days.  Last time our mom's group had a bake sale, I made up a few containers of granola, and was told they sold like hotcakes.  Amy bought some herself and jokingly said,

"Can I put my order in for some of that amazing granola when I have the baby?"  

Well of course you can...I aim to please.  Postpartum mothers deserve special treatment! ;-)

So I made not one, but 3 batches of granola, because I knew if I didn't make enough for us at home, my Rebecca would never forgive me.  Well...she would...eventually.  But I honestly wanted plenty for myself too...it's perfect over plain, Greek yogurt.  Trust me...it really is. 

Cinnamon Cranberry Almond Granola

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

3 cups old-fashioned, rolled oats (not the instant kind!)

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small pot, combine with olive oil, honey, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon over low heat.  Stir occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved.  It can bubble a bit around the edges, but don't let it boil.  Turn off the heat and set aside. 

Now in a large bowl, combine the oats, cranberries, almonds, and coconut.  

Carefully pour the sugar mixture over the oats mixture, and immediately toss...toss, and toss some more, until all the dry ingredients are evenly coated. 

Spread the granola out in a fairly even onto the prepared baking sheets.  Make sure to divide it as evenly as you can...otherwise it won't bake up properly. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, then rotate and switch the pans out (from top to bottom and front to back).  Again...this helps it bake evenly.  Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Ovens can vary temperature wise...so be sure to watch it the last 10 minutes or so...you don't want it too dark or burnt (dark coconut is quite bitter!). 

Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then peel it off the foil...it may come away in big pieces.  Just break it up with your hands as you pull it away. 

Serve alone with milk, or sprinkle a generous portion over plain yogurt.  It's also yummy over frozen yogurt or ice cream.  Just sayin'. ;-)

David and Rebecca eat this stuff straight out of the container...it was gone in less than a week.  I may have to quadruple the recipe next time!  

Happy crunching, and God bless your table tonight!

More Freezer Jam

On Monday, I took the kids to Neal's Berry Farm to pick blackberries and buy some local Texas peaches.  When I walked into the farmer's market, one gentleman remarked,

"My, you sure are brave!" 

I knew he was referring to the four kids I had in tow. 

I replied, "Well, I hope so, either that, or I might be stupid!" 

But you know what?  The kids were fine.  The blackberries were very plentiful, and thanks to my 4 little helpers, we picked 9 pounds in 1/2 hour.  No pics, though, sorry...it was enough to manhandle them in the farmer's market trying to pay for the berries and 10 pounds of peaches.  That's when my pickers turned into little misfits, looking into the coolers, the ice cream bin, the candles for sale, etc.  Geez...  But the lady running the stand was so sweet, and wasn't fazed all all, thank goodness. 

So, what did I do with all that fruit?

Well for starters, I made 6 jars of this (just 2 showed up for the photo shoot ;-)...

Peach Freezer Jam with Lemon

And 6 jars of this...

(I know they look identical, but this one is a bit chunkier peach and lemon, with the addition of crystallized ginger.  David went to Penzey's and got some for me--thanks honey!). 

See?

I also made a few jars of this...

Blackberry Freezer Jam with Lime

Instead of using lemon juice per the pectin box directions, I used lime juice and added lime zest (from 2 small limes).  The combinations is unexpected, but lime really brings out the flavor of the berries.  It works well with blueberries too, and in a cobbler, it's divine. 

Rebecca was my official taster...we both thought the peach jam was REALLY good (not that the blackberry jam wasn't).  I just followed the directions on the CERTO liquid pectin box, (they sell it at Walmart) making sure to use the full amount of sugar per batch.  Last time I made strawberry freezer jam, I tried to use 1/2 the amount of sugar, and the jam didn't set.  Lesson learned!

I used the zest of one medium lemon per batch because I like more lemon flavor than just using lemon juice, and about 2 ounces of crystalized ginger per batch for the peach ginger jam.  The ginger adds a tiny zip...you don't taste it at first, but it creeps up on the back of your tongue, and you'll feel a little warmth going down your throat...just enough to make you think, "Hmm...what is that?" 

The first 2 batches of peach jam, I used a potato masher to crush the peach slices after I'd blanched and shocked the fruit to remove the skins.  The next 2 batches, I chopped the slices up...and there wasn't much difference in texture...the 2nd batch was just a bit chunkier.   So if you want to make your own jam, I'd say mash the fruit because it goes faster than chopping up the peaches. 

After all that jam making, I still had enough fruit to make Light Peach Cobbler and Light Blackberry Trifle with Lime, so check out those posts too.  I hope to have the recipes up by the end of the week. 

I hope you are eating up some summer!  God bless your table tonight!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Since we didn't have enough going on this past weekend already...with Rebeccca's First Communion on Sunday, and 20+ people (mostly family) over for a big party after Mass, the logical thing to do was to go strawberry picking on Saturday and bring back 20 pounds of the MOST lucious, juicy, gorgeous berries I have ever seen.

Right?  Everyone with me?  

The only damper to picking at King's Orchard was the price.  The berries were $3.35 a pound-- and yeah, that's a lot.  However, the quality was superb...the berries were the best I've ever had.  We printed a coupon off their website that was good for $10 off 20 pounds.  Well, the scale said 19 1/2 pounds, and the lady at the counter wouldn't let my hubby use the coupon at first.  It's about a 1/2 mile walk from the stand to the berry patch, and David said something to the tune of, "You're really going to make me walk all the way back to pick 1/2 a pound?"  In the end, they said, "Okay, this time, we'll let it go," but let me assure you, if they hadn't, David would not go back to King's Orchard again, period.  He just doesn't have the patience for people who will argue over 1/2 a pound...he thinks it's bad customer service.

Okay...now that we've gotten that unpleasant business out of the way...let's talk jam.  The strawberries we picked were very ripe, so they wouldn't last but 2, maybe 3 days at the most.  I knew I would slice some up and freeze them for later, but wasn't sure what to do with the rest.  My mother-in-law said, "Well, why don't we made some freezer jam?  It's easy, and we can get it done in no time."  I thought it was a capital idea, so once we got home, we dropped off the kids, and headed back out to Walmart to get plastic freezer jars, liquid pectin, and sugar.

Freezer jam is super easy.  You don't have to slice the strawberries, sterilize any jars, boil them...nothing like that.  All you have to do is mash up the berries, add sugar and pectin, combine well, pour the mixture into clean jars, freeze them, and you're done. 

Start off with 2 cups of clean strawberries.  Remove the green hulls and place in a large measuring cup.  Use a potato masher to smash them up...a few small chunks are fine. 

Don't use a blender or food processor...you'll end up with strawberry puree, and you don't want that.  Small pieces of fruit give the finished jam texture, and I like the homemade look, don't you?

We decided to use 4 cups of strawberries, 4 cups of sugar, and one package of pectin.  The berries were so sweet, it really didn't make sense to use any more sugar, although technically, we should have used 8 cups.  I tasted the mixture with 4 cups of sugar, and it was plenty sweet. 

In another bowl or measuring cup, combine 4 cups of sugar and one package of liquid pectin.  Here's the brand we used...you can use your favorite. 

Combine the pectin/sugar mixture with the crushed strawberries.  Stir very well for about 3-5 minutes, making sure the sugar and pectin are fully dissolved. 

I tried to take pictures of the process...there was a LOT going on in the kitchen at the same time!  My sister-in-law and brother-in-law arrived and were processing their strawberries while we were making jam, David and my father-in-law were eating lunch, and there were 8 kids running around...in and out of the house...it was crazy! 

Here's my mother-in-law Terry ladling the first batch of jam into the jars. 

 In the end, we had 20, 1-cup plastic jars of jelly (and one small container because we ran out of jars).  Oh, and one BIG mess in the kitchen!  Let the jars sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then freeze until solid.

When you want to use your homemade jam, thaw a jar in the fridge overnight and use within 2 weeks of opening. 

Note:  After 24 hours, the jam really hadn't set up like we though it should have.  It wasn't very thick like store-bought jam, but it tasted GREAT--really fruity and fresh.  We probably should have used 2 packages of pectin instead of one for each batch.  I'm going to thaw all the jars tonight and stir in 2-3 more packets of pectin so the jam sets up better.  It's still a great sense of accomplishment to make jam for the first time.  I have to give all the credit to my mother-in-law Terry...she is awesome!  I definitely want to try making freezer jam again.  We have blackberries coming on in the back yard...doesn't homemade blackberry jam sound amazing?

Enjoy the "fruits" of your labor, and God bless your table tonight!

Rachel Ray's Italian Roast Chicken with Orange and Oregano

This week has been slow...at least in the kitchen.  But there's been so much going on (and next week too), so I'm posting this recipe from Rachel Ray...with some tweaks of my own.  I'll also be showing you how to cut apart a whole chicken.  You can buy one already cut up...but if you have a good sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears, it's really easy to cut up a whole chicken yourself.  You'll save money to boot...and who can argue with that? 

I didn't find blood oranges at my local grocery store, (they're out of season anyway) so I used navel oranges.  Nor do I have access to fresh bay leaves, so I used 2 dried leaves.  I never buy orange blossom honey (it costs more than regular honey), but I did throw in some orange zest to compensate and boost the flavor.  I can't make things too spicy around here, so I only put a pinch of red pepper flakes in the dish instead of 1 teaspoon.  Lastly, I used just 2 heads of garlic, because my kids won't eat it; spread on the chicken or bread even after it's roasted, which mellows it considerably.   If you want the original recipe, it's on Rachel's Ray's website. 

 This dish easily feeds our family of 6 for 2 nights, so if you need a easy, cheap meal, give this one a try.  All you have to do is throw it together and put it in the oven. :-)

Italian Roast Chicken with Orange and Oregano

(adapted from the Rachel Ray show)

1 whole chicken, cut into parts (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 2 drumsticks)

salt and black pepper

2 whole heads of garlic

Olive oil (about 3 tablespoons total)

4 navel/blood oranges (2 cut into 1/2 inch slices, and the juice and zest from the other 2) 

2 dried bay leaves (or 6 fresh)

3 medium or 2 large red onions, root end intact, and cut into 1-inch wedges

4 stems fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 cup dry white wine (I used a chardonnay)

1/4 cup honey

Cutting up a whole chicken is really easy.  If you have a weak stomach, particularly if you're in that first trimester of pregnancy, I can't blame you if you buy it already prepped.  I couldn't even look at raw meat of any kind when I was in the first trimester of all my pregnancies (much less cook it, and yes, we were vegetarians for about 6 weeks!).  Once you do it the first time, you'll be able to do it again, I promise. 

First, take the chicken out of the package, reach into the cavity, and remove the neck and any innards you find.  I've bought whole chickens for years, and every once in a while, I"ll find nothin' !  Discard those items, or save 'em if you're that kind of person.  I am not...and to spare you, I didn't even take a picture of them for you.

Rinse the chicken inside and out with cool water, and place on your biggest cutting board (this will be a little messy).  Dry it inside and out with some paper towels. 

The wings are the easiest to cut off, so we'll begin with those.  Pull the wing away from the main body of the chicken, and use a sharp knife or kitchen shears and start cutting it off...you don't need to hack away here.  Just make a series of small, shallow cuts until you see the joint in between the 2 bones. 

Place the knife blade right inbetween the bones and continue to cut the wing away from the body.  No sawing should be necessary...if you're doing it right, you're going through the cartiladge. 

Once you go through the joint, cut through the muscle and skin on the other side, and you're done.

 

Now you can cut away the second wing on the other side of the chicken.  So that's one part down!

I usually do the legs next.  Just repeat the same steps as above.  Carefully cut the leg away from the body until you see the joint between the bones.  Keep cutting until it is free.  If you need to manuever the bird around a little to have a better vantage point, go right ahead. 

So now we have 2 wings and 2 legs.  We're halfway there!

It's the thighs turn on the chopping block.  These are a bit tricker, because they're closer to the body.  I think it's best to start with the bird facing up, and use your best judgement as you're cutting.  The goal is to keep the thigh intact and cut as little muscle as possible.  If this is your first time...it may not look real pretty...but remember, practice makes perfect!

As you can see from the pictures above, if you pay attention to the muscles, you can see where you should cut.  Just take your time...and after you cut one thigh off, turn the chicken around and cut away the other thigh. 

Last to come off are the chicken breasts.  We have to cut them free from the ribs first.  Carefully cut the meat from the large bone in between the breasts. 

There will be a large piece of fat at the top of the breasts.  Go ahead and cut it off.

Flip the breasts over and cut firmly right in the middle of the bone.  This is where you will need to apply some force.  A pair of good kitchen shears may work best here. 

Cut all the way through the bone, muscle, and skin, and you will have two whole chicken breasts.

TA-DA!!!  You did it!  You cut up a whole chicken!  Aren't you proud of yourself? ;-)

 

Save the carcass to make stock if you want.  (Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't ;-). 

 

Place all the chicken pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and place in the fridge for several hours or overnight.  Leave it uncovered if you can...that will help the skin crisp up when it roasts later on.  (This step was in Rachel Ray's original recipe.  If you don't have time for this, just skip it, or put the pan under the broiler for just a few minutes at the end of the roasting time to help the skin turn golden and crispy). 

Line a 9x13 roasting pan/baking dish with some heavy-duty foil, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  This helps with the clean-up later on, since we'll be roasting a a fairly high heat.  Nobody I know wants to stand at the kitchen sink scrubbing forever, right? 

Cut off the heads of the garlic, keeping the root end intact, and peel away the outermost layers of the white, papery skin.

Season with some salt and pepper, drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and wrap them up in some foil. 

Roast them for about 45 minutes or until the garlic is very soft and golden.  Set aside. 

Season the chicken with some black pepper and red pepper flakes (only use salt if you didn't salt the chicken earlier in the day).  In the prepared roasting pan, toss together the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 sliced oranges, bay leaves, red onion, oregano, orange juice and orange zest. 

Push all this to the sides, and arrange the chicken skin side up in the pan.  Drizzle over the honey, and pour in the wine. 

I know...I switched roasting pans on y'all.  I had a 9x13 pan ready to go...but it was too small to fit everything.  I was afraid the chicken would stew instead of roast.  I wanted roast chicken, so I used my big roaster, lined with foil, and it worked great.  If all you have is a 9x13, put the onions and oranges on the bottom and the chicken on the top, so it roasts evenly. 

Roast for 45 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear when pierced with a knife.  I always check one of the thighs or drumsticks, since they take longer than the white meat. 

I don't need to tell y'all how good the house smelled while this was in the oven.

 

Serve the chicken with the pan juices, some of the roasted garlic, and crusty bread if you'd like.  I made some sauteed spinach as well.   

I've roasted whole heads of garlic before...and it makes the whole house smell divine.  If you're not a big fan of garlic, this may not sound aromatic to you...but roasted garlic is very mellow and spreads like butter, so don't be afraid to give it a try. ;-)

I hope you find the courage to tackle and take apart a whole chicken all by yourself.  Then you can buy whole chickens when they're on sale and save yourself some money. 

God bless your table tonight!