Good thing I had this urge to buy a spaghetti squash the other day! Sometimes I don't know why I bother to use pasta at all when this is so much better! Perfect texture, hint of sweetness, goes well with all my favorite pasta toppings. All around YUM!
For those of you not familiar with the wonders of spaghetti squash (though I'm sure I'm not alone in my love for it 'round these parts :), I cut it in half (scooped out the big, flat seeds) and placed in a glass baking dish, cut side down, in about 1/4 c. of water and covered it with tinfoil. Into a 350 degree oven it went for somewhere between 45 min to an hour. Easy to tell when it's done as the outer skin no longer feels like cement and the pulp inside is so tender. With a fork, all you have to do then is scrape out the innards which happily pull away like strands of spaghetti! I mixed some of it with my remaining pesto, chopped sun-dried tom's and some walnuts...and some nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper.I'd also been wanting to try black-eyed peas forEVER (I'd never had them before!) and came up with the following, which turned out to be a wonderful side dish!
1 1/2 c. canned black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed1 lg. bunch kale
1 Tbs olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3-4 (or 5-6...it all depends on how much you love garlic, really!) cloves garlic, slivered
sea salt
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
fresh black pepper
Boil the Kale in water for about 15-20 minutes in a covered pot, until cooked well but still bright green. I like to stir it now and then to check on it. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in pan on med. heat, add onioin, cook a few minutes. Add garlic, cook a few more. Add black-eyed peas and cook just a few minutes more. Throw in the drained kale, stir it all up, salt to taste, add the vinegar and serve immediately, then top with fresh ground pepper....easy and soooooo good!
I can't wait to get my hands on the 1/2 can of remaining peas and the rest of spaghetti squash to see what other yummy goodness can ensue! Did I mention, YUM!?!?
4 comments:
Wow. 3rd post I've read on black-eyed peas today and I've never tried them before. I must pick up a can. I'm like you, where I make something and then spend the next couple of days using that something to create different versions. Hubby could eat the same thing over and over but I usually have a hard time doing that.
I've been looking for Black Eyed Peas Ideas! Thanks! ;)
How are you people living in a world where you've never had black-eyed peas?? They were a staple in my house when I was growing up. I love them - just be careful because some people/companies put ham stock in them.
that pesto/squash dish looks soo good--how creative are you!!
bravo! for trying something new too!
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