parsley

Name: Buttery Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Feta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6-8 cups
Ingredients: 1 large squash; 3 T butter; 3 chopped garlic cloves; 3 T feta; 2 T chopped fresh parsley; kosher salt; pepper

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

May 10, 2017 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

If I say the word “buttermilk,” the word “diet” doesn’t usually follow it. Am I right? Well, when you’re making Atkins Diet recipes in your home, it turns out that buttermilk is A-OK acceptable and it is delicious too. The only thing better than buttermilk is Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

We’ve tried making homemade ranch using Hidden Valley Ranch’s powdered packet with buttermilk, but that was a rookie mistake. If you want to elevate your favorite condiment to restaurant quality dressing, you have to use only fresh ingredients. No cutting corners! Chop the herbs, buy the buttermilk. It’s so delicious I promise your kids will eat their vegetables faster if they can drizzle this homemade dressing on them. Heck. I don’t have kids and I’m eating it on everything.

Store your ranch dressing in an airtight mason jar. The recipe below will nearly fill it.

All of the culinary credit for this dressing recipe goes to Pioneer Woman. I’ve rediscovered her. Yes, I fell hard for her when she first graced Food Network, but then I became accustomed to watching a couple other chefs on the regular. Well, I’m back. I can thank my local library for that. When I need a break from the cubicle matrix that is my workspace, I head to a nearby library on my lunch break and rediscover my love for cookbooks. I usually leave barely balancing a tower of hard cover books with food covers.

The first step to making homemade ranch is to make a garlic paste with fresh cloves of garlic and kosher. You will definitely need to use some elbow grease when firmly crushing it. Now this is my kind of “exercise.”

After making a garlic paste, you’ll want to rinse and start chopping the fresh herbs. I used frilly parsley instead of flat leaf parsley. I’m all about making a substitute withe similar ingredients. When I was younger I would completely scrap making a recipe just because I was missing one ingredient. Once you make the garlic paste, add it to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well.

Lately, I’ve been geeking out over my container herb pots on the front porch. Fresh is best. I didn’t have as much fresh dill as I would’ve liked for this recipe so I added dried dill that I picked up from The Spice Merchant.

The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Dressing calls for an optional dash or two of hot sauce, which I recommend. Just realize that the traditional bright white ranch you’re used will take on more of a tinge of orange and take on a zesty taste.

Note: When you make the garlic paste, be sure to crush the garlic until it is very fine. Nobody needs harsh garlic breath. If you prefer a thinner dressing, use more buttermilk.

Again, you can follow this link to Ree Drummond’s Homemade Buttermilk Dressing recipe. All of the photos in this post are my own. No affiliate links contained in this post either.

Now, grab that whisk. We’ve got ranch to make!

Buttery Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Feta

November 13, 2016 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

There’s no faking the deliciousness of this side dish.

For those eaters who are unsure about squash or perhaps tried it before unsuccessfully, I encourage you to trust me on this one. Butter Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Feta is incredibly tasty. This is not your grandma’s steamed squash.

To the cooks who haven’t made squash with these flavor combinations, hold on to your hot pads!

The beauty of making this side dish is that it is simple. All you have to do is poke it, bake it, scoop it, and serve! You could make this for a evening dinner with your family or to serve as a Thanksgiving side dish.

Step 1: Use a sharp knife and poke several slits into the skin of your spaghetti squash.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash on the foil lined baking sheet.

The beauty of cooking with baked spaghetti squash is that it is easy to incorporate flavors into it such as tomato sauce and mozzarella with sausage or in this case keeping it simple with savory butter and garlic and parsley. Of course, don't forget the creamy...the feta! Oh, wait, goat cheese would also be great with sun dried tomatoes. — The beauty of cooking with baked spaghetti squash is that it is easy to incorporate flavors into it such as tomato sauce and mozzarella with sausage or in this case keeping it simple with savory butter and garlic and parsley. Of course, don’t forget the creamy…the feta! Oh, wait, goat cheese would also be great with sun dried tomatoes.

Step 3: Bake 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove using hot pads because it is blazing hot and likes to roll around. You can handle it like a football. Wow, I’m having flashbacks of playing Hot Potato in elementary school.

Step 4: Cut the hot squash length-wise and allow it to cool. Then, remove the seeds with a spoon just like you would a pumpkin.

Step 5: Once the seeds are removed, use a fork inside each squash half to create the “spaghetti” texture.

Step 6: The final step! Heat the butter on low heat, add the garlic, squash, salt and pepper. Add feta and chopped parsley just prior to serving. Serve warm and well tossed. (Ingredient measurements available on the included recipe card.) Enjoy!

onedelightfullife.com

6-8 cups

Buttery Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Feta

This heavenly squash dish will restore your faith in all that is divine. Melted with butter and garlic it takes on huge flavor thanks to added parsley and feta.

5 minPrep Time

1 hr, 40 Cook Time

1 hr, 45 Total Time

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

My Recipes My Lists My Calendar

Ingredients

1 large squash
3 T butter
3 chopped garlic cloves
3 T feta
2 T chopped fresh parsley
kosher salt
pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Pierce the squash with a sharp knife several times.
Transfer it to a foil lined baking pan.
Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Remove squash for the oven and cut it in half length-wise.
Allow it to almost cool completely.
Use a spoon to remove the seeds.
Scrap a fork through the squash to create the "spaghetti."
Melt the butter and garlic in a large pan.
Add in the squash and toss to coat evenly.
Add a heavy pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
Just about the time you're ready to serve it, add the feta and fresh parsley.

Notes

The larger the squash, the more it will serve. Having trouble picking out a squash at the grocery store or farmers' market? Just remember that its rind is the color of butter and it's large in size.

https://onedelightfullife.com/spaghetti-squash-with-garlic-and-feta/

onedelightfullife.com

Nutrition

Calories

1541 cal

Fat

132 g

Carbs

19 g

Protein

64 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Shrimp Scampi with Pasta and Parmesan

July 17, 2016 by Vanessa Leave a Comment

A Delicious Dinner in 30 Minutes

Shrimp Lovers! Where ya at?

My Shrimp Scampi with Pasta and Parmesan must be the easiest, fastest classic shrimp recipe of all time…well, next to shrimp cocktail. Bonus: It’s not that expensive either. If you look for a sale on a frozen bag of shrimp at the store and you are willing to shell these little guys yourself, you’ll save money.

My goal is to provide you with recipes you can make after a long workday without little fuss. Real food.

If you can boil pasta and chop a few ingredients, you’re on your way to enjoying tender shrimp scampi in less than thirty minutes.

The lemon juice adds brightness to the richness of the garlic butter wine sauce, a perfect balance of flavors. Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs, which give the dish depth of flavor. And who doesn’t love a recipe that includes booze? Use a dry white wine, that you would normally sip on anyway, to add to the garlic butter sauce. Warning: Don’t overdue it on the red pepper flakes, if you opt to include them. A little red pepper goes a long way. Oh, and don’t forget to sprinkle shredded parmesan after plating to finish it off.

Enjoy! If you make this recipe, I want to hear from you. Post a comment with a photo of your plate below or tag me on Instagram with #ODLrecipes.