Garlicky Spaghetti Squash

Serves 4-6

Spaghetti Squash is an amazing veggie. It blows me away every single time I have it. It’s so easy, so delicious, so healthy, and so cool! I love the way it comes apart with a fork, and with a little imagination, it tastes like pasta! There are two ways to go about cooking it, as I will explain below. This recipe is super simple & yummy, and I recommend using the “poking holes” method if you don’t own a REALLY sharp, serrated knife. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 tbsp. good olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh basil leaves, shredded
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

COOKING YOUR SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

Method 1 (Cooking time: 30-35 mins | you will need a VERY sharp, serrated knife):

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and halve squash lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds from the middle of each half. 

2. Arrange squash in a 9˝ x 13˝ casserole dish, cut sides down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the dish and bake until just tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Rake a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in strands… it looks just like spaghetti!

Method 2 (Cooking time: 1 hour):

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a skewer so it will not burst while baking.

2. Place the whole squash in a shallow baking pan and bake for 1 hour.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, with a serrated knife.

4. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds from the middle of each half. 

5. Rake a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in strands.

SEASONING YOUR SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

Place spaghetti squash strands in a serving bowl. Add the 2 tbsp. of olive oil & minced garlic, and toss well. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Garnish with fresh basil shreds. Delicious!

Cold Green Bean Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing

This is an easy & super fresh salad! I had a craving for green beans, and decided to get a little creative with a salad. I LOVE radishes - they're an obsession I've had since I was a little girl - so anytime I can incorporate them into a recipe, I do. This is a perfect summer pairing for a fish or chicken dish... I served it alongside my Panko Pecan Crusted Flounder.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. fresh green beans
• 10-15 red radishes, sliced
• 5 sweet Campari tomatoes, deseeded and diced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced (depending on your love for garlic)
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2.5 oz. goat cheese
• 1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
• Kosher or sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until they are a little tender and turn bright green, approx. 2 minutes. Drain. Submerge the green beans in a bowl of very cold water. Drain again and pat dry with a paper towel. 

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the goat cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and dill. Salt & pepper to taste. Toss green beans with the dressing and transfer into your serving bowl. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs if you'd like. Enjoy!!

Chipotle Goat Cheese "Caprese-style" Salad

Serves 4

The other night, I had some leftover goat cheese and a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from another couple of recipes I will post soon.  I decided to make my own little version of a Caprese salad!  This is such a quick and easy recipe - perfect for a night when you don't have a lot of time to cook, or when you need to take an app to a party, but need more time to get primped and pretty! ;) 

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium GOOD, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-3/4" slices
• About 2.5 oz. goat cheese, softened
• Can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - use 1 chipotle pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (about 1 tbsp.)
• A few onions from can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh dill and sea salt for finishing

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together goat cheese, chipotle pepper, onions, and black pepper (to taste).  Arrange tomatoes on a pretty serving plate.  Scoop a dollop of the chipotle goat cheese mixture onto the middle of each tomato.  Top with sprigs of fresh dill, and sprinkle with desired amount of sea salt. Yum! :)

Fennel and Apple Salad

One of my favorite things to do is to look in my refrigerator for ingredients just lying around, and turn them into something yummy!  That's just what I did today at lunchtime.  I had a fennel bulb in my fridge (I used the trimmings in a fish stock the other day), so I decided to whip something up revolving around the distinctive flavor of fennel.  Some people don't like or haven't even tried fennel - I hadn't tasted it until only a couple of years ago - but I think it's one of the most interesting, fresh tasting ingredients out there. One day I'll have to post my interpretation of Prune's Braised Fennel in Trout Roe Butter, but until then, here's my Fennel and Apple Salad... Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 1 Honeycrisp apple, cored & chopped (or your favorite variety of apple)
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 handful of raw walnuts, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons of Brianna's Homestyle Poppy Seed Dressing
• 1 lemon wedge
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Prepare all of the ingredients. Squeeze the lemon wedge on the apple just after chopping to prevent the apple from browning.

In a large bowl, mix together the fennel, apple, walnuts, and cilantro. Add some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in the Brianna's Homestyle Poppy Seed Dressing. Done! :)

Tangy Thai Nectarine Salad

Serves 2-4

This is such an easy salad, yet so delicious and refreshing! I was inspired by the nectarines I purchased the other day, but still hadn't eaten. They smelled soooo good this afternoon, and since I had already decided to experiment with a Thai-style chicken burger for dinner, I came up with a Thai-inspired salad to toss these perfectly ripened nectarines in. I will absolutely make this recipe again...and again...and, yeah. ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Romaine hearts
• 1 ripe nectarine, sliced
• A handful of Sing Buri cashews, chopped (you can also use regular roasted cashews or peanuts)
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. Tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp. light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Arrange Romaine hearts on a pretty plate. Place nectarine slices on top of the Romaine. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro leaves & Sing Buri nut blend. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to make the dressing. Pour over salad just before serving. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Goes really well with my Green Curry Chicken Burgers! :)

Curried Harissa Cauliflower

In the mood for a delicious, easy dinner on the healthier side? This side dish is it. My friend, Barbara (whom I mentioned in an earlier post - she gave me the Harissa olive oil from The Olive Oil Store), told me about a yummy cauliflower dish that she makes frequently. I decided to add a couple of ingredients and try it out myself. I LOVE spicy food, and LOVE curry, so really this dish was the main focal point - the shrimp & salad I made along with it were an afterthought. The cauliflower came out beautifully!

Ingredients:

• 1 med. head cauliflower, separated and cut into even pieces (the size of the smallest florets)
• 1 large (or 2 small) clove garlic, lightly chopped
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 2 tbsp. Harissa olive oil* (or 2 tbsp. regular olive oil with a few drops of chili oil)
• Organic curry powder (about 1/8 tsp.)
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat broiler on high - about 10 minutes. Arrange cauliflower florets, garlic, and shallot onto a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with Harissa olive oil, and dust with curry powder. Sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Broil on high for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve while hot.

Blood Orange Cashew Salad

Ingredients:

• A 5 oz. package of baby arugula
• 1 blood orange, peeled, quartered, and separated
• Sahale Snacks brand "Sing Buri Cashews" nut blend

Dressing:

• 1/8 cup Blood Orange infused olive oil* (or good regular olive oil)
• 1 tbsp. Serrano Honey Balsamic vinegar* (or regular Balsamic vinegar)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Squeeze of 1 lemon wedge
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Mix all salad ingredients in a pretty bowl, set aside. Mix together dressing ingredients, and toss into salad when ready to serve. Easy!

Note:

*You can purchase these infused olive oils & Balsamics at The Olive Oil Store, Jacksonville, FL.

Oven-baked Potato Chips

These were so easy! I was intimidated because I had NO idea what was going to happen when I stuck the potatoes in the oven! I like really crispy, browned potato chips, so I ended up leaving them in the oven for a few minutes longer than I listed below.

You will need:

• 1/2 Idaho potato, sliced from end to end very thinly
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Kosher salt

Directions:

Move oven rack to the second to the top slot, and turn broiler on low. Arrange thinly sliced potato on a baking sheet & drizzle lightly with olive oil, moving slices around to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt. Broil on low for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are browning nicely. Remove from oven & transfer the potato chips to a paper towel lined plate to cool. I liked serving these with a Vegenaise lemon-pepper sauce (mix 1/4 cup Vegenaise, squeeze of 1 lemon wedge, and freshly cracked pepper). Yum!