Rosemary Almond Spaghetti Squash

 I love using spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti, as it has no gluten and is easy on digestion.  It makes a wonderful "carrier" for any kind of spaghetti sauce.  Last week I made a meat sauce with mushrooms and served it on the squash. Dinner guest/band mate John loved it. ;)  So this dish incorporates some nuts for added texture, and herbs for nutrition and lovely flavor!  It would go really well with my Perfect Herb & Garlic Roasted Chicken.  Enjoy!


Rosemary Almond Spaghetti Squash
Makes 4-6 sides

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 T minced onions
1 T minced garlic
2 T crushed or slivered almonds, plus more to garnish
1-2 tsp fresh rosemary (minced)
1 tsp sea salt
Black pepper & more salt to garnish

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375.  Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.   Place face down in a glass baking pan with about 1/2 in of water.  Pierce the squash several times.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, until you flip the squash over and it's fork tender.  Let cool.

In a saute pan, get the oil and butter hot and add the garlic and onions. Saute for a few minutes, until fragrant and soft.  Add the almonds and give them a few minutes, turning the pan or stirring frequently.  Scoop the squash into the pan and add rosemary and salt. Stir until mixed well.  Serve hot with some more nuts to garnish.

Rosemary-Parmesan Focaccia

Today I had a couple hours to kill and a bunch of fresh rosemary sitting in the fridge. In lazy Saturday style...I found a couple of recipes and tweaked/combined...voila!

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour (I used all-purpose and it turned out just fine!)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Mix yeast with 1/4 c of warm water, wait 10 min.

2. Add flour, salt, sugar, oil and rest of the water...kneed it good.

3. Add the rosemary, cheese & pepper and knead some more; add handfuls of flour one by one if needed.

4. Let rise an hour or so in an oiled, covered bowl in a warm place (I usually look for a heat vent and top the bowl with a clean kitchen towel).

5. Kneed some more, let rise another hour.

6. Bake at 375 until browned (25 min or so)

7. Remove from oven, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Breakfast for Dinner: Savory French Toast w/Poached Egg & Honey Drizzle...

Leftover from weekend festivities, we have SO many dinner rolls.  Seeded, plain...probably at least 20.  What to do with them?!  I know I'll be making breadcrumbs, but one great use for day-old bread is French Toast.  To give it a savory flare, I added some herbs and onions in the egg wash, topped it with a perfectly poached egg and a drizzle of honey...seriously delicious!

Savory French Toast (2 servings): 
2 leftover Italian sandwich buns (6 medium slices of bread)
3 eggs
1/3 c milk (I used almond milk)
2 tbsp finely chopped Vidalia onion
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (I did thyme, rosemary and basil, equal parts)
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
Butter & Olive oil (for the pan)

Heat a large pan or griddle with a little bit of butter and olive oil.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with the onion, herbs and S&P. Slice bread into 1/2 - 3/4" slices.  Soak each piece in the egg wash for about 45 seconds.  Place slices into hot pan. Spoon extra egg wash onto slices as to avoid waste and to get some of those tiny onion pieces on.  Pan fry on on each side until they are golden brown with some crispy texture to the edges (approx 5 minutes per side).


Poached Eggs:
2 large eggs
2 tbsp white vinegar
Ice bath

Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and the vinegar.  Heat water until hot, but not boiling.  Don't let any of the little bubbles break the surface of the water.  When the water is hot, crack one egg at a time carefully and place into a small bowl.  Pour each egg gently into the water and with a slotted spoon, create the motion that you are spooning the egg back into place, so that the egg white stays as in tact as possible.  Cover the pan and let the eggs poach for 2-4 minutes, until the egg whites are medium-firm and yolk is still runny.  Carefully spoon each egg out into an ice bath for 30 seconds and place gently on a paper towel to dry.

Arrange 3 pieces of French Toast onto a plate and gently use your hand to cup the poached eggs on top.  Finish each plate with a drizzle of honey and some more fresh thyme.  Enjoy!