Spaghetti Squash & Grilled Zucchini

Spaghetti Squash & Grilled Zucchini

(A vegetarian, garden-fresh meal)

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash

2 Regular Zucchini

2 Tomatoes

1/2 Red Onion

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

THIS is a Spaghetti Squash.  If you've never seen one before don't feel bad because I hadn't either.  They are in the produce section in the cold, wall units.  It is a much healthier substitute for using pasta noodles.

Step 1:

You'll need to split your squash down the middle.  I won't lie - they are very dense and can be hard to cut so be super careful not to slice your fingers off.  Try to cut the squash into two equal parts.

Step 2:

You'll notice at this point that your squash smells a lot like a pumpkin (which, honestly, grosses me out) not to mention the middle is full of that stringy, sticky mesh stuff and seeds.  Use a spoon and scrape out all the seeds and gooey mess.

Step 3:

Once you have two very handsome squash halves, rub a little olive oil on all the exposed insides.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and cracked black pepper

Step 4:

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your squash, skin sides down, into a 450 degree oven.  Bake them for 35-40 minutes (until a knife will pierce the flesh with very little resistance).  You'll notice a collection of moisture inside each squash half.  Once they are done baking and cool enough you can just pour this out.

Step 5:

Slice up two regular-sized zucchini into 1/4-1/2in slices.  Lightly spray with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Slice up half a red onion into strips.

Step 6:

Place your zucchini slices onto a grill-pan and cook over medium-high heat until tender - approx 4 minutes per side.  They'll get nice grill marks.

Step 7:

While your zucchini slices are grillin' away, toss your onions into a hot pan with a little olive oil or butter.  You just want to brown the onion strips, not carmelize them.

Step 8:

Once your onions are nice and browned, turn your heat down to low.  Again, you just want to cook out some of that raw-onion taste and give them a nice crisp.

Step 9:

Dice up a few tomatoes and add them to your onions.  You aren't looking to cook the tomatoes, just heat them up.  IF you sprinkle your 'maters with salt, beware - they will release A LOT of moisture so be careful not to incorporate too much of the water when you plate everything.

Step 10:

Remove your squash from the oven when they are tender and allow them to sit at least 5 minutes.  This will let the skin cool and the water pools inside each half to stop bubbling.  Once you can handle them carefully, pour out the extra liquid and use a spoon to shred the flesh inside away from the skin.  You will literally be able to pull ALL of the squash out of the skin and it will look like similar to cooked pasta.

Step 11:

When your zucchini slices are tender and have been cooked on both sides, turn off the heat.  Plate your spaghetti squash, top with the grilled zucchini, and add in the tomatoes and onions.  AGAIN - watch the amount of liquid you add to the dish.  You don't want squash/zucchini soup.

BON!