I have been wanting to change the look of my blog for awhile now, to make it more personal, but wasn't sure how to go about it. Then I saw a couple of really cute designs- Aggie's Kitchen got a lift, Engineer Baker got a new look, and I also noticed Clumbsy Cookie was looking spiffy. We all owe it to Hannah Craner over at Craner Design Studio .
Hannah is great to work with and super talented, as you can see. I sent her an email and she responded almost immediately. She envisioned exactly what I wanted and was finished within 2 weeks. The first draft that she sent me was so good (here it is), that I said I love it! And I do! So, if your blog needs a facelift or a little spice, contact Hannah and I am sure you will be pleased with her work. I know I am more than pleased.
Now on to the food. This might just be one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. Alexa's blog, Artsy-Foodie is wonderful. I want to live at her house because everything she creates look so fabulously wonderful. I seriously want to make everything I see over there. Since I now know that I like winter squash of all types (Thank you Butternut Squash Risotto, I am forever in your debt), I couldn't resist trying her Spaghetti Squash and Quinoa Bake. A recent trip to the health food store meant I had a supply of quinoa and well, everything else is readily available. The only problem is the sun. It goes down too early and my pictures just don't do this dish justice! Go check out Alexa's POST, so you can see why I was so drawn to make this beautiful dinner. I used mostly red quinoa, and had so much fun cooking my spaghetti squash.
For instructions on how to cook the squash go HERE. I personally had fun poking my squash all over with a long skewer. The best thing about this bake is how wonderfully the flavors meld together. I loved it! The dill was the perfect herb to just top the whole thing off.
I am definitely going to be making this one again!
Spaghetti Squash and Quinoa Bake from Alexa of Artsy-Foodie
(serves 8) or 4 if you like it as much as we did!
4 cups of cooked spaghetti squash (1 large)
16oz lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon mild pepper, chopped fine ( I used a jalepeno, seeded and membranes removed)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa (for instructions on how to cook quinoa go Here)
1/2 cup egg whites
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheese (mexican blend)
2 teaspoon dry dill
Preheat oven 375F
Pre-oil a deep ceramic baking dish (large lasagna dish).
Heat the oil in a pan over medium flame. Add the pepper and onion. Saute, stirring often, until caramelized (about 10-15 minutes).
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to the pre-oiled dish and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the bake is set and the top is golden. If you would like to reduce the cooking time to an hour, use two deep pie dishes instead of the large lasagna dish.
Up next- Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread
(serves 8) or 4 if you like it as much as we did!
4 cups of cooked spaghetti squash (1 large)
16oz lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon mild pepper, chopped fine ( I used a jalepeno, seeded and membranes removed)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked quinoa (for instructions on how to cook quinoa go Here)
1/2 cup egg whites
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheese (mexican blend)
2 teaspoon dry dill
Preheat oven 375F
Pre-oil a deep ceramic baking dish (large lasagna dish).
Heat the oil in a pan over medium flame. Add the pepper and onion. Saute, stirring often, until caramelized (about 10-15 minutes).
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to the pre-oiled dish and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the bake is set and the top is golden. If you would like to reduce the cooking time to an hour, use two deep pie dishes instead of the large lasagna dish.
Up next- Pecan-Topped Pumpkin Bread
What a yummy looking dish! I love quinoa!
ReplyDeleteHi! Mary Ann I really love your new look, it´s really captivating, sorry my misspleeling, I´m Portuguese...And this spaghetti looks wonderfull too...a hug
ReplyDeleteI love the new look! I think it suits your perky attitude and upbeat personality.
ReplyDeleteAnd that quinoa looks good!
Love the new look - so pretty and sophisticated! And spaghetti squash is just so much fun to cook with - that bake looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled that you and your family enjoyed the bake so much. Thanks so much for featuring it! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe new look is really elegant and eye-catching. Hannah did an awesome job. I love it!
This looks amazing! I actually bought some quinoa, but have no idea what to do with it! I was thinking of boiling and eating it plain.. way more boring than your version! I like how light this dish is compared to other much cheesier bakes. I passed the i'm a chocoholic to you!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I have always been leery of both quinoa and spaghetti squash but after seeing this I am going to totally have to give this a try! This looks so delicious!
ReplyDeleteI loooooooove your new look! It's so happy over here!
Your blog looks too cute! Awesome recipe from the lovely Alexa :), this is one I need to try out; I just made quinoa for the first time a few days ago, but mine came out so boring :P!
ReplyDelete