Recipe #12 "Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti"

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti with Garlic Toast

What you need:
- 1 or 2 (2 pound) Spaghetti Squashes. (1 makes plenty for 2 if you serve it with a side like I did, but more   people means more squash needed)
- Favorite low calorie pasta sauce
- Raw Carrots
- Zucchini (I do this dish the exact same week I do this dish  (http://ihavenipplestoo.blogspot.ca/2013/05/recipe-11-zucchini-pizza-boats.html) since they both require the same sauce. It saves on groceries.  I do the Zucchini Pizza boats first so the first night and two days later do this dish, so that the hallowed out zucchini doesn't get soft.
- Black olives (optional)
- Diced white onions (optional)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Finely Shredded Parmesan cheese
- No salt added seasoning blend (I use Mrs Dash but anything goes)
- Buns or bread for the garlic bread
- garlic powder
- parsley (optional)

Steps:
1) Preheat over to 425 degrees, Slice Spaghetti Squash in half length wise

2) Using a fork get all the seeds and "pumpkin stuff" out of there. It should look like a boat, don't worry the spaghetti squash stuff is still there under the thin layer.

3) Sprinkle on some of your no salt seasoning around the hollowed out part.

4) bake in the oven on an oven tray for 55 minutes.

5) Make the sauce (or if you made the "Zucchini Boats" earlier in the week then microwave or reheat in a sauce pan just before the squash is done.) pour spaghetti sauce in a bowl, and finely dice the carrots (I use my "SlapChop"), zucchini, white onions and black olives.

6) Once squash is done cooking use a fork to scrap out the squash spaghetti strands and place them in a medium (or large) bowl.

7) make your garlic toast, butter or margarine on a bun half, add some garlic powder (I use roasted garlic powder) a bit or parsley flakes and shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake till brown. (2-5 minutes)

8) Once all strands are out toss the strands in the bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. add some salt and pepper to taste.

9) Plate some spaghetti squash like you would regular spaghetti and top with some sauce and some more Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy with a lovely glass of red wine (or two glasses depending on how the kids were that day)!!

Pancake Fun Shapes

Holidays bring three things around to my house.

1) In-Laws or Family.

2) Babysitters (said in-laws or family babysit while my wife and I go out with a friend couple we don't get to see enough)

and

3) PANCAKES!!!!

My father in-law loves making pancakes for everybody, and we love eating them.  I think we have created quite a friendly competition between his pancakes and my world famous crepes (http://ihavenipplestoo.blogspot.ca/2013/03/recipe-7-my-world-famous-crepe-recipe.html) with the ladies enjoying the benefits of a friendly rivalry.

I think I win because whenever my crepes are done there are none left for leftovers, while there are always pancakes leftover no matter how many people are eating them.

Which left us a bit of a problem.  What to do with all those leftover pancakes?

Here is a great mini solution for your toddlers and kids at home.

Take their favorite shaped cookie cutter and cut them fun shapes.

They can then "dip" them a small container of syrup.

Great for taking to preschool, school or the park.  Fun for all the kids and like we learned in this blog post (http://ihavenipplestoo.blogspot.ca/2013/03/secret-sanity-tips-of-stay-at-home-dad.html) one new thing makes all old things seem new to kids. So even if they won't eat the big round pancakes, I almost guarantee you they will eat these ones.

Enjoy.

Recipe #11 Zucchini Pizza Boats

Recipe #11 Zucchini Pizza Boats

What you need: 
- 1-2 Zucchini's per person (get ones that are fairly thick as you are gutting them)
- 1/2 a jar of Spaghetti Sauce (I made "sloppy joe's" earlier in the week and used half for that recipe and half for this recipe you can also make this (http://ihavenipplestoo.blogspot.ca/2013/02/recipe-1-grilled-stuffed-mini-peppers.html) recipe in the week too so that you aren't wasting spaghetti sauce.)
- 2 Long carrots
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Mini Grape Tomatoes (optional)
- Black Olives (optional)
- a side of your choice I chose Couscous, but Quiona works as does rice. or a salad if you prefer with garlic toast.

Step #1
Preheat the over to 450 degrees.
Cut the ends off of your zucchini and wash them.

Step #2
Cut the zucchini's in half length wise and using a knife and a spoon, gut the insides making a canoe.
SAVE THE INSIDE STUFF IN A SEPARATE BOWL.

Step #3
Take the saved inside stuff and dice them really small (I used my "Slapchop" for quick work)
Peel and dice the two carrots the same way.

Step #4
Mix the diced carrots and zucchini in a bowl with the spaghetti sauce, stir them together really well.

Step #5
Arrange the hollowed out zucchini boats on a baking tray and take a spoon and fill the hollowed out zucchini boats with the sauce, not all the way to the top as they will bubble and boil while being cooked.

Step #6
Cover the sauce filled zucchini boats with shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with sliced mini grape tomatoes and sliced black olives if you like.

Step #7
Put in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (or until the cheese is melted and turning brown), the longer you cook it the softer the zucchini will be.

Step #8
Make your side while the zucchini is cooking.

I know last blog post (http://ihavenipplestoo.blogspot.ca/2013/04/its-not-vegetables-fault-its-food.html) I promised to share a Brussel Sprout recipe to prove that posts point, but I forgot to take pictures of the meal. I will post that recipe soon I promise, but this recipe proves that point too!  I never ate Zucchini as a kid or young adult and I love it now. Thank you "Food Network".