Easy Spaghetti Squash Primavera

My friend shared this amazing recipe with me for Spaghetti Squash Primavera.  It called for basically making your own spaghetti sauce and using cream and all kinds of yummy goodness.  I went to make it for dinner today and realized I was missing like half of the ingredients.  Ooops.  So I whipped this puppy up instead.  I'm sure the "real thing" is much better but this tasted great, was really easy and everyone ate it.  Sounds like success to me! :)

Ingredients:
1 cooked spaghetti squash (HERE'S how I make it in the crockpot.  I had made it the other day as a side dish, so I used the leftovers tonight)
2-3 Sweet Italian Sausages, casing removed
Tomatoes -- whatever you got.  Canned, grape, Roma, beefsteak.....whatever, it's up to you. 
1/2 -1 Onion diced (to your liking or Onion powder if you aren't fond of the onions)
1 Jar of tomato-based spaghetti sauce (again, whatever ya got! -- just not Alfredo or anything)
Parmesan Cheese for topping
Seasonings -- I used some salt and African Smoke seasoning from Trader Joe's.   You can use whatever sounds good to you - Italian seasoning would also be great. Throw in whatever looks good!
2 TBSP Olive Oil
**HINT -- this is probably the easiest recipe in the world and lends itself so well to being customized.  Don't hesitate to throw in more veggies (carrots, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, zucchini....etc) or switch something up.  Play with your food and be adventurous!

Directions
 Remove the sausage casings and brown the sausage with the onions in the 2 TBSP of oil.  Add seasonings while you're browning it.  Once it looks pretty good (doesn't have to be perfect, it'll continue to cook with the sauce), dump in your tomatoes.  Let those break down a little bit --maybe 5 minutes or so.  Then add the jar of spaghetti sauce.  Turn temperature to low and let that simmer, stirring occasionally.  Prepare your spaghetti squash and divide it onto the plates (personally, I would NOT mix the sauce and the squash until it's on the plate).  After the sauce has simmered for about 10 minutes or so, taste it.  Depending on the tomatoes you used, you might need to add a bit more salt, seasonings or even some sugar.  I find that I sometimes need to add some sugar if I'm using canned organic tomatoes.  It'll taste a little acidic or bitter.  But again, it all just depend on the tomatoes and the jarred sauce.  Taste, season, taste again.  When it's yummy, pop it on top of the squash and sprinkle (or cover it ;) ) with Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash

Yes.  It's true. Spaghetti squash can be made in the crockpot. I loathe cutting raw squash of any kind, so when I found out about this super easy way to cook spaghetti squash, I may or may not have squealed with delight.  So...Wanna know how? Its' super tricky, but don't worry, I'll break it down for you:

1. Grab the squash and a knife or large fork.  Prick the heck out of the squash. Then, put it in your crockpot
2. Pour 2 cups water into the crock
3. Cover and let it do its thing for 7-8 hours.
4. Take squash out (careful - it's HOT!), cut lengthwise, scoop out seeds and then with a fork, scrape out all the squashy goodness.
5.  Eat it.  With butter, or sauce, or as a side or let your baby throw it all over herself and giggle to her heart's content.

Shrimp and Black Bean Chimichurri Soup

Photo: CookTJ 

I made this soup last week and we all loved the sweet and spicy flavors. I love that this is only 4ingredients and all stuff I can keep stocked in my pantry for an easy dinner.   I had sour cream on the table for those who wanted to add it in.  I, however, enjoyed the slight kick sans sour cream.  You can also add some spicy sausage. And I'm sure this would taste wonderful with a nice loaf of crusty bread to sop up all the soupy goodness.  I just followed the recipe as is. My only word of caution is to remember that shrimp are so delicate and can overcook so easily.  Saute them over medium- low heat and watch it closely! Check out the link for a tip on enjoying it cold. :)  Enjoy! 

Shrimp and Black Bean Chimichurri Soup  *Credit: Zach Stafford at CookTJ 

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) bag Trader Joe’s Frozen Shrimp (cooked or uncooked), thawed
• 1 (15 oz) can Trader Joe’s Black Beans, drained
• 1 (32 oz) container Trader Joe’s Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
• 1 (16 oz) bag frozen Trader Joe’s Chimichurri Rice
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Instructions

• 1. If using cooked shrimp, skip to step 3, adding shrimp to pot with other ingredients.
• 2. If using uncooked shrimp, place medium size pot over medium heat; add a 1 tsp of cooking oil (olive or vegetable, your choice). Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat or until fully cooked; add a dash of salt and pepper to season.
• 3. Add chimichurri rice and black beans to pot; stir and allow to cook for 3-5 mins.
• 4. Pour in Roasted Red Pepper Soup, stirring to fully incorporate with rice.
• 5. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.