Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

Fritters, latkes, pancakes, call them what you will, they have endless potential and make a unique alternative for an appetizer, side dish, snack, lunch, or just about any time!  I was on a real kick with zucchini fritters a few years ago when my son absolutely loved them (now won’t touch them).  A recent recipe I used was Mario Batali’s Zucchini-Ricotta Fritters.  He uses fresh sheep-milk ricotta but I used my own homemade cows-milk ricotta and they were fantastic!  But now that zucchini season is past, I charge into fall looking for new frontiers in fritters!  We have been getting spaghetti squash in our farm share and while I like it, I seem to always treat it like pasta or make fritatas with it, and I’m bored with that.  I took a look at a recipe for Gingered Carrot Latkes from Epicurious and came up with Spaghetti Squash pancakes.  I call them pancakes because the consistency of the batter because of the difference in texture of a carrot versus roasted spaghetti squash is quite different.  The squash releases a little bit more moisture and the batter is like wet pancake batter.  With the addition of potato starch, these get a nice lift and are light and airy, with a slightly buttery taste.  They also have a little kick to them, so serving them with a Greek yogurt sauce or sour cream is advised.  These really taste good!  I have many times just looked at a recipe and switched out the ingredients to utilize what ingredients that I have to work with, try it, it’s fun and they are so easy to make!  They freeze well too!

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes

adapted from Gingered Carrot Latkes, Gourmet, December 2004

Makes about 18

1 medium sized spaghetti squash , cut length-wise in half, inside cleaned

1 chile pepper in adobo sauce (finely chopped)

1 t garlic chili sauce

1 t fresh thyme

½ cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

1T stone ground mustard

6 T all-purpose flour

3 t potato starch

1 1/2t salt

¾ t baking powder

½ t ground black pepper

2t garam masala

1t paprika

3 t finely grated peeled fresh ginger

3 t finely grated peeled fresh turmeric (optional)

2 eggs, beaten to blend

1.   Preheat oven to 350.  Place the squash halves ,cut side down, in a baking dish with a water bath just covering the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 35 minutes.   Cool slightly and scoop out the inside flesh into a large bowl.  Press the squash with paper towels to absorb any moisture. 

2.  In another large bowl, whisk flour through paprika to blend.  Mix in squash, chile pepper, chili sauce, thyme, and cheese, then eggs.

3.  Lightly butter or oil a griddle or heavy large skillet and heat over medium heat.  Working batches and adding more oil/butter as needed, drop the squash mixture by scant ¼ cupfuls into the skillet or griddle.  Fry until golden, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Check after a few minutes and adjust heat accordingly.  You may adjust amount of batter used to accommodate desired size.  Transfer pancakes to rimmed baking sheet.  (Can be made 6 hours ahead.  Let stand at room temperature.  Rewarm in 350 degree oven until crisp, about 10 minutes.)  These do freeze well, just make sure to place wax or parchment paper between them.

Serve pancakes with sour cream and fresh thyme or the relish and salsa in the Epicurious recipe would also work well if you have the time to prepare them.

Spicy Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Skillet

Another winter squash recipe! This one comes from Fabulous Foods (http://www.fabulousfoods.com/). The author writes, “This spicy sauce, which makes good use of leftover chicken, is also great on true pastas, as well as the spaghetti squash suggested here. For a vegetarian version, simply eliminate the meat, or if you want a substitute, use extra firm tofu.”

Spicy Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Skillet
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 small spaghetti squash, cooked using your favorite method and separated into strands
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup minced onion
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
12 ounces cooked chicken or turkey meat
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
¼ cup dry red wine
2 teaspoons capers
2½ teaspoons fresh oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, more to taste
3 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped

Directions
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat, and sauté onion, garlic and green onions for two minutes. Add the chicken or turkey and cook for three to four minutes. Stir in tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for another five minutes. Pour sauce over heated spaghetti squash and serve.

Spaghetti Squash with Feta Cheese, Tomatoes, and Olives

This recipe, courtesy of AllRecipes.com, was submitted by Joey, a CSA shareholder from Philadelphia (http://allrecipes.com/). He writes, “I made this the last time we got a Spaghetti squash in our box and it was incredibly delicious and shockingly easy. I’ll be doing this again with the cherry tomatoes that came with this week’s squash. Thought others might like it as much as we did…”

Spaghetti Squash with Feta Cheese, Tomatoes, and Olives
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced
1½ cups chopped tomatoes
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sautéed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Baked Spaghetti Squash

The following recipe, adapted from Vegetarian, edited by Nicola Graimes and published in 1999, is simple to make and tastes delicious! Graimes writes, “Spaghetti squash is unusual vegetable—the flesh separates into long strands when baked. One squash makes an excellent supper for two.”

Baked Spaghetti Squash
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
8 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, and oregano, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Place the halves, cut side down, in a roasting pan. Pour a little water around them, and then bake for about 40 minutes until tender. Do not allow to burn—cover with foil if necessary.
2) Meanwhile, put the butter, herbs, garlic, shallot, lemon juice or cider, and cheese into a blender and blend until creamy in consistency. Season to taste.
3) When the squash is tender, scrape out any seeds. Using a fork, pull out a few of the spaghetti-like strands in the center of each to make room for filling. Add a dollop of herb butter, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve the remaining herb butter and Parmesan separately, adding them as you pull out more strands.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This recipe is a creation of LFFC's Nicole! It comes highly recommended by all of the staff here at LFFC who have sampled it.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Ingredients
3lbs spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 onion
2 diced fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh garlic
1 cup sour cream (or vegan sour cream)
2 cups bread crumbs
2 cups parmesan cheese (optional) Directions

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and deseed.
3. Roast squash face down for 30-45 minutes.
4. While squash is roasting, sauté fresh garlic, basil, mushrooms, and onion until onion is translucent.
5. Mix onion mixture, fresh tomatoes, and sour cream together in a casserole dish. Add salt and pepper as needed.
6. Take squash out of the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop out insides with a fork into the casserole dish and mix together with other ingredients.
7. Top with cheese and bread crumbs.
8. Place back in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until brown on top.