Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Continuing my experimentation with Spaghetti Squash, I recently realized that the delicata Squash I picked up recently was actually a Spaghetti squash that was mislabeled. Bummer.

So I decided to continue the experimentation with more Casserole dishes. I followed this recipe from Alaska from scratch, and it was delicious!

I was too busy to take a picture, but here’s the photo courtesy: Alaska from scratch.

Ingredients:

1/2 Spaghetti squash roasted at 375 degrees for 45 minutes
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
some mozzarella or pepper jack cheese
a few basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Scoop out the spaghetti squash into a baking dish. Layer with sliced  tomato and basil. Drizzle olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. And top with Mozzarella or pepper jack cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serve warm.

Zucchini and Yellow Tomato Gratin

This is not strictly a Mediterranean recipe.

But I cheated.

May has been so busy, that I have been making quick, tried and tested recipes for that office day meal, such as a variation of the Cauliflower, Kale and Chickpea Curry pot,  Spicy Lentil and Chard Greens in Coconut Milk, Greek Chickpea-Mango Pasta Salad and more.

I picked up some organic yellow tomatoes from Whole Foods with a plan to try some refreshing new recipe. My Mediterranean cookbook didn’t have anything related, but pressed for time, I revamped my Zucchini Gratin recipe to use them. This one is a cross between the Summer Squash Gratin and the Eggplant Tomato Gratin.

Ingredients:

1-2 Zucchini thinly sliced into circles
1-2 Yellow Squash (Optional)
3-4 yellow tomatoes thinly sliced
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs
Olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
a few red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a baking dish, lay out a layer of zucchini. Sprinkle some olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle some cheese, alternate with sliced tomato and squash seasoning as needed with oil, salt and pepper and cheese. Finally sprinkle some bread crumbs, cheese and red pepper flakes. Season as per personal preference.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or as needed. Can broil for an additional 1-2 minutes . Serve warm.

The fresh yellow tomatoes give a nice tart flavor to the gratin.

Old Recipe, New Ingredients

Brussels Sprouts Casserole

 When I was making the Curried Cauliflower Casserole, I had thought that the recipe would do well with Brussels Sprouts as well. And  I was right. Same recipe, new ingredients. Equally Delicious!

Brussels Sprouts are always a challenge. Most times, I tend to use them as substitute to cabbage. The one Brussels Sprouts recipe that is one of my favorite so far is the Caramelized Brussels Sprouts.  That or this particular recipe can  be a perfect side for Turkey Day.Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels Sprouts, sliced or quartered
1 shallot chopped
3-4 garlic cloves chopped
1-2 tsp curry powder
1-2tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly toss the sliced Brussels sprouts with some oil, salt, pepper and curry powder. Lay out on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic and fry till lightly golden. Transfer to a baking pan. Add the roasted Brussels Sprouts, cheese and cream.

Return to oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with some bread.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower Gratin

Roasted. Curried. Cauliflower Gratin. Don’t know about you, but I am already hooked.

I recently posted a Curried Cauliflower Gratin recipe. It was delicious! I still had another half of my Cauliflower and was wondering if I wanted to make Roasted Potato and Cauliflower, when I came across this Roasted Cauliflower Gratin recipe. As always, I improvised.

Ingredients:

1/2 large head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup Parmigiano Cheese
1-2 tsp curry powder
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt, curry powder and fresh ground pepper. Layout on a baking sheet and roast in oven on lower rack  for 20 minutes till lightly brown. Switch to broil, transfer to top rack and broil for 7-10 minutes until nicely browned.

[Roasted Cauliflower Gratin] Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post;

Transfer florets to casserole dish. Add cream, chopped garlic, salt, fresh ground pepper and cheese. Stir and return to broiler for 5-7 minutes.

Serve warm!

Cabbage Casserole

A few months ago, I had Cabbage Casserole that was delicious. And since then, I have been scouring the web for a  recipe. While, I didn’t quite find a recipe similar to what I had in the Bahamas, here is one recipe that was pretty good.

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage, cut into chunks
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan and add cabbage and lightly fry for a 2-3 minutes. Add salt and fresh ground pepper and mix well. Add milk and continue to cook on medium low for 5-6 minutes. Mix the bread crumbs, and cheese in a bowl.

Transfer the cabbage mix to a baking dish. Top with the bread crumbs and cheese mix and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.

Serve warm.