Hi all,

With autumn well under way, and really, winter just on its heels, something in the squash family seemed fitting for an entrée choice.  This is also a great one because its easy to make, and its ultra healthy.  Finding foods that fit under the comfort food umbrella while not wrecking havoc on your waistline can be a challenge feat during the colder months.  This dish is just the ticket for that elusive eating experience.

Recipe #1 for a reoccurring weekly post titled: “Brooke and Maxx: Culinary Crafts.”  What is this exactly?  The joining of two culinary forces, a meeting of the minds (as well as hands and creativity) in the kitchen.  Both bananas about food, recipe experimentation, the sampling of new dishes, discovering interesting restaurants, and perfecting personal favorites, as well as eating all things sweet in (too much) abundance.  It seemed a fusion of these two personalities and passions was a no brainer.

Each of these two bring different strengths to the table.  Where Maxx has a measured, precise, elegance to his cooking, bringing artsy flourishes and top tier standards to his creations (he takes his dishes seriously, and they more than deliver on taste as a result.  His food is nothing short of totally delicious).  He makes a mean pumpkin bread-lightly sweet, moist and heavy on spice, a mouthwatering homemade cheese spaetzle, and a phenomenal turmeric/Greek yogurt marinated chicken, baked with chickpeas, onions and brussel sprouts, to name a few.

Brooke is more on the loose, experimental, and creative side.  She loves to occasionally color outside the lines, to toss in a little extra of something, or venture outside the recipe perimeters for varied flavors or a potentially different result.  Some might call this cutting corners.  She calls it being playful, daring and fun ;-).  Her pancakes, specifically the blueberry & lavender , Paleo Pumpkin Pie pancakes, as well as her cranberry chocolate ones, and her cauliflower crust pizza, are all pretty bomb diggity ;-).  Each of those, initially experiments, with tinkering and tweaking on her end, resulted in some pretty awesome tastes.

So, without further ado, here is the first recipe for the weekly turnout of Brooke and Maxx: Culinary Crafts.  The “column,” if you will, will be published weekly on either Sunday or Monday evenings.

Ingredients 

1 Spaghetti squash

3-4 cups of kale

One 8 ounce jar of sundried tomatoes

1 whole head/bulb of garlic

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Optional: A handful of grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half.  Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and loose innards.  Throw these away.  Once this is done, coat the insides of the squash with a light sheen of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Turn them face down on a baking sheet that’s been covered in foil.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
2. At the same time, along with the squash, cut off the head on the bulb of garlic.  Pour some olive oil on top and wrap it in foil.  Put this into the oven alongside the squash.  Roast it for the entirety of the time the squash is cooking and at the same temperature.
3. Once the spaghetti squash is nearly done (when it has about 5-7 minutes left to go), add the kale to a large cooking pot.  Drizzle in a bit of olive oil along with the greens, stirring to coat them lightly and keep the pan greased.  Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the sundried tomatoes (draining them of oil first) in with the kale.
5. Meanwhile, the spaghetti squash should be done (if a fork inserted into the inside goes in easily, its done.  Should feel tender and soft).  Remove squash and garlic from the oven.
6. Scrape insides from the spaghetti squash and spoon into the pot along with the kale and sundried tomatoes.
7. Remove the roasted garlic from its peel/skin and add all of it, the entire bulb, to the squash/kale/sundried tomato pot.
8. All of this should cook together for no more than 4-5 minutes or so.  Stir well so everything is evenly distributed.
9. Remove from heat.
10. Top with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.

Enjoy!

This recipe serves 3-4 people.

This dish is best enjoyed hot and fresh, though leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.  Heat them up before enjoying more.