Easy Squash Recipes: Appetizers, Main Course and Dessert

This first recipe is DYNAMITE.   I consider a meal a success if 4 out of the 5 in my family like what I make but with this meal I received a perfect 5 out 5 with everyone asking for more.    And, it's gluten free, totally healthy and completely delicious.  Don't pass this one up - squash is in season so now is the time to try it.

Spaghetti Squash Ratatouille

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash

1/4 cup white wine
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cans stewed tomatoes (or make your own!)
1 cup spaghetti sauce
Oregano, basil, and pepper to taste

Prepare and cook squash as you would any other type of

winter squash (halve, remove seeds, place face-down in a
pan of water and bake in the oven @ 350 degrees for 45
minutes to an hour, until fork tender). Heat wine in a
skillet. Sauté onions and garlic in the wine for a few
minutes. Add both kinds of peppers and cook until tender.
Add zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes, cooking until
the mixture begins to thicken. Add spaghetti sauce
and stir together. Add oregano, basil, and pepper to
taste. Separate spaghetti squash strands with a fork and
place in a large bowl. Spoon sauce over the spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti Squash Rattatouie

 Here's an interesting but super good squash appetizer. 

SPAGHETTI SQUASH SALSA

1 spaghetti squash
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. parsley
1 T. marjoram
pinch of sugar
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the spaghetti squash.  Cool and mix with all ingredients.  Chill for an hour before serving.

Squash Salsa

Last but not least - DESSERT!  Who knew that making a pumpkin pie from a pie pumpkin could be so easy.  Seriously - and so delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 pie pumpkin cooked (cut pumpkin in half and bake upside down in water for one hour)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 salt
1 pie crust

In a blender combine top ingredients.  Add to a crust and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Delicious!!

Pumpkin Pie

Here's a picture of my day's harvest.  I'm REALLY looking forward to canning tomatoes with some friends tomorrow!  Woohoo!  More to come on that, I'm sure.

One day's harvest - gotta' love the early days of September

Anyone have any other good squash recipes?  I've suddenly very fond of spaghetti squash - yum.

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Brussels Sprouts and Fried Green Tomatoes

I've never had brussels sprouts until yesterday, and I thought they were out of this world good.  Delish!!

Brussels Sprouts

And one little bit of information, brussels sprouts should always have an S on the end (brussels sprouts, not brussel sprouts). 


The brussels sprouts and recipe came from the Berlage farm.

The Silver Spoon

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup blanches almonds

1 garlic clove

Thinly pared rind of one lemon, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

Cook brussel sprouts in salted boiling water for 5 minutes,

then drain thoroughly. Place on serving dish and

keep warm. Heat half the butter in a skillet, add almonds

and garlic and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add

lemon rind, season with salt and pepper, and remove

from heat. Remove and discard garlic. Melt remaining

butter in a small pan and stir-fry the bread crumbs until

golden, then stir into the almond mixture. Spoon this

over the brussel sprouts and serve.

I used only 1 tablespoon of butter and walnuts, and it was super-delicious.   I'm already looking forward to next years sprouts

Fried Green Tomatoes

Green tomatoes were staring me in the face, so I decided to try my friend Sooz's Fried Green Tomato recipe.

Fried Green Tomatoes
11/2 pounds green tomatoes cored and sliced
2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 cups oil

Place tomatoes on paper towel and let sit for 20 minutes, pat dry.  Combine dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl whisk in buttermilk and egg.  Dip tomato in buttermilk and then cornmeal.  Fry tomatoes in oil about 3 minutes per side. 



I also made my last batch of fresh salsa yesterday.  Oh fresh salsa, how we will ALL miss you.

Fresh Salsa

My whole family LOVES this salsa - from the end of July until October you can find this in our fridge, or on our counter.

FRESH SALSA

5 fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup cilantro
1 onion
5 cloves of garlic (we're garlic freaks)
1 packet of salsa seasoning mix


Yum-O!!

Look at these wonderful squash!!!  But, I need recipes.  Please let me know if you have a good squash recipe....I need a couple.

Thanks for reading,

Kristin