Friday, February 24, 2012

How long does it take for Spaghetti Squash to Explode?

15 Minutes and 36 Second :)

I cooked Spaghetti Squash in the microwave for the first time tonight. I googled information on how to cook the squash and a couple of sites said 10 minutes for a whole squash. After 10 minutes it still felt really hard, so I started the microwave for another 10 minutes. After an extra 5 minutes and 36 second, as I was standing by the door, I heard a huge bang! After screaming out loud, as I was running out of the kitchen, I realized it was just the squash. I thought a bomb went off in my kitchen.

 I needed to clean the microwave anyways. 



I made meatballs for dinner to go with my squash.

Meatballs Florentine with Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce

  • 1 Spaghetti Squash
  • 1 Jar Marinara Sauce
  • 1 Eggplant- Diced
  • 1 lb Ground Turkey Breast
  • 1/4 Onion- Finely Chopped
  • 2 Large Cloves Garlic- Minced
  • 1 Cup Frozen Spinach- Thawed, Drained and Finely Chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese- Grated
  • 1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs (This is all I had, but they added a great texture to the meatballs)
  • 2 Tbsp Ketchup 
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • 1/2-3/4 Cup Cheese (I used Mozzarella and Parmesan)
    • Cook squash in microwave for 10 minutes (NO LONGER). Allow to cool and cut in half remove seeds and fibers. Using a fork scrape the squash out.  
    • Mix together turkey, onion, garlic, spinach, Panko, Parmesan cheese, ketchup, worcestershire, salt and pepper. Do not over mix the meat mixture. Form the meatballs to golf ball size.
    • Heat oil over medium high heat. Add meatballs. I like my meatballs crispy on the outside, so I cooked them longer and at a higher heat. If you do not like them as dark, cook at a lower temperature. 
    • Cook meatballs until the inside is no longer pink. 
    • Remove meatballs from pan and add eggplant. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 
    • Mix together squash, salt, pepper, eggplant, and marinara sauce. 
    • Add to a baking dish. 
    • Top with meatballs and sprinkle with cheeses.  
    • Bake in the oven at 450 until cheese melts and cheese starts to brown. 
      • Serve warm
 The master at work.

 Scrapping the squash into strands.

 All this from one squash.

 Topped with meatballs and cheese. Can't go wrong there!


 You may think the meatballs are burned. I think they are perfect. Moist inside... Crunchy outside!

 Lean Protein. Lots of veggies! A little bit of cheese. All the basic food groups on one plate!

Dinner tonight was followed by Chocolate Pudding for dessert! 

Now time for Pretty in Pink and bed! Goodnight! 

4 comments:

  1. haha! that spaghetti squash looks dangerous. i have never attempted this, but want to every time i see it. such a great alternative. and i'm pretty handy with the microwave...

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is a great alternative. I really didn't miss the pasta and didn't feel so bad going back for more. Minus the mess, which made for a great blog story, it was so easy. I found a few recipes to cook it in the crock pot, as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What?!? You traded pasta for squash? It sounds really good. :-) I know what ill be trying soon! :-D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Let me know what you think. I think I may add it to my menu for next week!

    ReplyDelete

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