RECIPE BOX : basil & tomato spaghetti squash

This recipe never gets old.  Anything with basil & tomato is a hit at my house.  You may be surprised by the consistency of spaghetti squash, if you have never had it before.  It’s all too similar to pasta – minus the gut growing carbs.  This technically is a side dish that probably would feed 6, but Alan & I chow down the entire pan in one sitting (opps!).

 TIP : Squash can sometimes take too long to cook and cool for a weeknight meal.  Try prepping it the night before while you are watching the tube, folding laundry, etc.  Then pop the stringy pulp in the microwave the next evening to warm slightly.

And in case you have no idea what a spaghetti squash looks like, I inserted a picture.  Is my grocery store the only one that puts ALL the squash in a huge box and expects people to know the difference?  Sheesh!

Basil & Tomato Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients :

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded (CAREFUL, these are hard to cut)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (I use reduced fat, and it still tastes de-licious)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions :

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2) Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30-60 minutes in the preheated oven.  The time truly depends on how large the squash is.  It is done when a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.

3) Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.

4) Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash (it looks like mini noodles! hence the name), and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sautéed vegetables, feta cheese, and basil. Serve warm.

overcooked meat sucks

Prior to taking a college waitressing job, I liked my meat similar to my men – tall, handsome, dark, and firm.  Okay, maybe just the dark and firm part, but you get the point...well-done.  My oh-so-awesome-server-discount allowed a few meals a year at half price, SCORE!  As I yelled my personal order through the pass-through window “12 ounce prime rib, well-done, it’s for me” I swear the cooks came to a screeching stop.  And for any of you who have ever worked in a restaurant before, you can appreciate their inappropriate, server vs. cook response.  “Hey, do we serve well-done steak here?” “Nope, don’t even think the grill cooks to that temp.” “Looks like it’s a medium-rare, blackened prime rib for you sweetheart.”  Jerks.  Whatever, as long as they don’t put one of their nasty body hairs in it, I will eat my deeply discounted meal that my college student salary can rarely afford.  Well.  Let me tell you.  That was the first and LAST time I EVER ordered my steak even a tint above a pink.  Thank you kitchen staff at Hershey’s Steak and Seafood (go there, it’s delicious, the outside is deceiving) for forever changing the way I order steak.

As the subject of this post implies : Overcooked meat sucks.  It tastes gross, it looks gross, and it feels gross when you cut into it with a knife.  If there is one thing I will admit that I learned from my husband, it is to pull your meat out of the oven (off the grill, from the skillet) earlier than you think you should.  Note: This is a rare occasion, because I insist he learned all of his culinary skills from ME.  Then (this is key) DO NOT TOUCH IT for 10 minutes.  Okay, 5 minutes if you just got home from work and you are starving.  I feel like everyone knows this, but nobody follows it.  Allowing the meat to rest let’s the juices settle and the meat to finish cooking…plus it helps avoid lava hot temperatures that burn your tongue for weeks.  The USDA publishes a recommended minimal temperature…there is no reason to double that number.  Below is the chart, with a few personal ways I know when dinner is done.  Best of luck!

Meat	Temp	How to eyeball when to REMOVE from heat
Steak	145 °F	Use your finger to push on the center, it should have the same elasticity(?) as your forearm…firm men disregarded
Fish	145 °F	White foam forms at the top for most non-shell fish
Pork	160 °F	Slice into the thickest part of the meat, should be pink (remember : pink, not red)
Ground Beef	160 °F	Cook and cook some more.  Some ground beef looks brown before it is even done.  Don't worry about taste; nobody wants red taco meat anyway.
Egg Dishes	160 °F	Shake the container you are cooking in, the consistency should be a bit firm, not soupy
Chicken Breasts	165 °F	Just like pork…slice into the thickest part of the meat, should be pink
Whole Poultry	165 °F	Don't risk it, the meat is too thick, use a thermometer