Crazy about Squash

As you know I always love getting a new cooking magazine in the mail, however, this one was squeal worthy! Quite literally as I flipped through it I was squealing with delight over all the delicious recipes and was beyond thrilled to see a fantastic squash section. You see I didn’t like squash growing up because I thought it was all yellow squash and zucchini, neither of which I liked as a child. Since then I have not only grown to love both yellow squash and zucchini, but also to realize that there are so many other fantastic squashes out there that I absolutely love! After the first time I cooked with a butternut squash my cooking world was shaken. It is a totally different kind of squash then what I had known before and I loved everything about it. Well, tonight I tried a new to us squash, spaghetti squash, and I absolutely loved it!

Tonight I made Fine Cooking’s Spaghetti Squash with Indian Spices. To make the squash you start out by cutting it into half lengthwise and roasting it. This was the hardest part. I have had trouble cutting a butternut squash before and my hand was sore for a day after cutting and peeling a pumpkin, but this spaghetti squash would not budge for me. We ended up eating later tonight than planned because I had to wait until Russ got home for him to cut it in half. Now don’t let this turn you off from this recipe or any squash recipe for that matter as I now have a new trick. Literally the next day I was reading more of the articles from this issue and in the back it includes tips for cutting squashes and tells you to prick it with a fork in several places all over and microwave it for just a minute or so and let is soften just a bit so that it will cut easier. Anyway, once cut in half you scoop out the seeds and roast it at 350 for about an hour. Then remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Then use a fork and rake out the flesh into strands. While the squash is cooling I added oil to a skillet and put the mustard seeds in and covered it. The seeds pop and once the popping has died down then you uncover it and add the butter. Next add the onion, ginger, cumin (I used ground as I couldn’t find the seeds), and coriander and let cook until the onion is soft. Next add the tomato (I used canned petite diced tomatoes) and chile to the dish. Next toss in the squash and finally season with salt and toss in the cilantro.

This was fantastic! I absolutely loved the soft, warm Indian spices and the mild, delicious flavor of the spaghetti squash. The texture of the squash with the soft onions and tomatoes was perfect. This is one of my top ten favorite dishes I have ever made. I could have eaten a bowl of it with nothing else for dinner and been beyond thrilled. Russ liked the dish, but was not as crazy about it like I was. The main reason that Russ didn’t care for it as much as he felt like it had too strong of a squash flavor. In reality it is a mild squash, however, Russ strongly prefers the flavor of sweeter squashes such as butternut, pumpkin and acorn, so to him this was too “squashy”. Russ gives it an 8, while I give it a strong 10.

Spaghetti Squash with Indian Spices, Fine Cooking November 2008

Serves four to six.

1 small (3 lb.) spaghetti squash
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
Kosher salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon. Set the squash halves cut side down on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, and bake until strands of flesh separate easily when raked with a fork, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Taste a few strands—they should be tender. If not, continue to bake. Set the squash halves aside until cool enough to handle. Use a fork to rake the cooked squash flesh into strands. In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mustard seeds and cover. The seeds will start popping; cook until the popping subsides, about 1 minute. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the onion, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and coriander and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, chile, and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to soften and the chile is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the squash to the skillet. Continue to cook, tossing with tongs, until heated through, 1 to 3 minutes. Toss in the cilantro, season to taste with more salt, and serve. You can bake the squash in advance and then finish the dish right before serving.