A Tale of Two Dishes

Hi, it's Janet.
As most of you know, Lori is away at Penland for the next few (many) weeks. While she is there, she has the luxury of being able to dine from the wonderful Penland kitchen. So, she asked me to take over Meatless Mondays in her absence.

Last week was a busy week for us with Lori packing and prepping for her trip, but we wanted to make the most of our evenings together so made a point to eat in and share some delicious home-cooked meals. Lori loves spaghetti squash, so this was an easy choice, plus it comes together quite quickly!

We also had some fridge cleaning out to do - veggies on the verge of expiration that we knew were at "now or never" stage. So, I lightly sautéed some mushrooms in olive oil to add to my dish and halved some grape tomatoes to add to Lori's. I LOVE mushrooms (expect to see many mushroom themed recipes in the coming weeks - Lori is not a fan) I also enjoy tomatoes, but just wasn't feeling them this evening, while they are definitely one of Lori's loves, so it worked out perfectly - a few mushrooms tossed into my dish and tomatoes in hers - everybody's happy! This dish is delicious as is, but these additions took it up another notch. I think olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, maybe some lemon zest (just to name a few) would also be great!

Garlic Spaghetti Squash w/ Herbs and Gruyere

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, sage, rosemary or a combo
• ¾ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
• Tomatoes, olives, capers, mushrooms as desired

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds with a large spoon. Place squash cut side down in a large baking dish, add water up to about 2 inches high on the squash. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for about 10 minutes. Squash is done when you can pierce it from the outside with a fork. Let cool about 10 minutes, then scrape the insides with a fork to pull the strands away from the skin. 
2. In a large skillet, heat 2½ tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1½ minutes, until fragrant. Stir in spaghetti squash, vinegar, herbs, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for about 2 minutes to heat through. Remove from heat and stir in Gruyère cheese, then top with pine nuts. Taste and add salt or pepper if desired.

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