Spaghetti Squash with Spinach and Raisins
If you’re looking for healthy recipes and you haven’t seen Cara’s blog, you should definitely check it out. I’ve had multiple opportunities to eat Cara’s food and it’s all been amazing. She creates a lot of her own recipes and it’s all healthy and delicious!
I decided that for my first shot at making spaghetti squash, I’d turn to Cara’s blog for the recipe. Hubby and I both enjoy squash but I’d never eaten, let alone cooked a spaghetti squash. I can definitely see why it became such a big rage during the Atkins craze. It has a similar texture to spaghetti. The combination of flavors in this dish is amazing. I’ll definitely be trying spaghetti squash again!
Hubby ate this as his lunch entree a couple days and really enjoyed it. I made a few changes to Cara’s recipe, but for the most part it’s the same.
One Year Ago: Creme Brulee – two ways
Spaghetti Squash with Spinach and Raisins
Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash, roasted, seeds discarded
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 10oz package fresh spinach, thick stems removed
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
1/2 c raisins
1oz goat cheese, crumbled
pinch of nutmeg, salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cut off top and bottom ends of squash. Slice in half lengthwise and place onto a cookie sheet, cut side up. Roast squash for ~30 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over low heat. Remove from heat when they are fragrant and just beginning to brown.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach, cover, and let cook until the spinach is wilted down, about 5 minutes.
Use two forks to remove the stringy flesh from the cooked spaghetti squash. Toss this with the spinach and onions, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the walnuts and raisins and heat through. Mix in about half of the crumbled feta, and top with the rest of the cheese to serve.
Recipe adapted from Cara's Cravings
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I have been looking for a great dip recipe, and this one looks delish! I’m glad you got your brother to share your recipe =)
Spinach and artichoke dip is my very favorite. I don’t make it often, but it’s one of those things my family expects at family events. My goddaughter even made me a special artichoke plate to serve it on!
Lucky you to get to share your brother’s secret recipe. Family recipes are the best.
Love this recipe and the fact that fresh spinach is used and not frozen! I love spinach and artichoke dip, but have always been intimidated to make it…. WHY!?!? It looks so simple. On my to-do list! 🙂
Yum…so trying this one on Sunday!! Thanks!!
One of my all time favorites! Yummy!
Yummy! This dip seems to be a favorite of almost everyone 🙂
Dear bean town baker
I’m afraid this isn’t the best way to cook corned silverside – it’s a very tough cut and needs to be braised in water and vinegar to get it tender. I add a range of aromatics and whole spices to the braising liquid – you can try fennel seeds, mustard seeds, star anise, any pickling spices …. But you are right that traditionally bay, peppercorns, cloves, allspice are the mainstays.
I add celery carrot and whole brown onion. I’ve also tried using ginger ale or coke for the braising liquid as suggested in a few online recipes (American) but I don’t think the expense is justified by the extremely subtle differ action in flavor. This is a dish for when you are low in funds after all.
The cut of silverside you get is also key … my mother would always ask the butcher for a piece of silverside from the H-bone – though todays butchers don’t always know what you are talking about when you ask for this!
Simmer it until the beef floats to the top (timing will depend on the size of the piece of beef but usually 3-5 hours). You pop in the carrots and spuds towards the end, and can also steam sliced cabbage over the pot in a colander which traditionally accompanied the dish. (I retrieve the whole onions from the braising liquid and add these to the cabbage along with butter, seasoning and occasionally a few sultanas). The small spuds, once tender, should be tossed with butter salt and pepper and parsley.
It’s crucial to cut the beef against the grain, and you must keep leftovers in the fridge submerged in the braising liquid or they will dry out.
Traditionally the dish is accompanied by a white sauce made from the braising liquid, cream, Dijon mustard (I also add horseradish) white pepper and (my own addition) a dollop of Mayo along with some parsley. It needs to be quite runny.
I hope this is useful to you. This is the way my family have been preparing corned beef for generations. The leftovers are terrific in sandwiches with mustard pickle and cheese.