I had a spaghetti squash to use and wanted to find a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe. I wondered how he would do a Spaghetti Squash? Oh and incase you don’t know he is a multi award wining chef, restauranteur, and cookbook author. His recipes that I’ve done so far are all unique and uniquely FORKING DELICIOUS…..ANYWAYS>>>>>I couldn’t find a spaghetti squash recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi so I used one of his pasta recipes as a guild for Spaghetti Squash……Besides swapping spaghetti squash for pasta I made a few slight changes. Maybe the other biggest change was to use much more spinach than for the pasta recipe. I just felt it needed it. Serving size is difficult to determine because I don’t know if you want a tiny dish or a big bowl full. I think that this will be at least 6 servings. But some people will get more servings.
Ingredients for around 6 servings
3+1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + a little extra to spray squash pan
1 small onion – fine chop
3 garlic cloves – crushed and fine chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon thyme – chopped
7 anchovies – chopped (about half a 2 ounce can ….you can freeze what you don’t use)
1 medium lemon – juice and zest
2 – 15 oz cans chickpeas – drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used vegetable)
1 spaghetti squash – If you can cut in half but not long ways and remove seeds and membranes……..I note that this is hard to do and you can get injured. If this is too chancy just cook the spaghetti squash whole…..and remove the seeds and membranes when it is cool enough to handle…….It might take slightly longer)
12 oz bag frozen spinach
1 tablespoon parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons za’atar
sea salt – to taste
black pepper – to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Spray pan with olive oil.
Put either whole squash or half squash (cleaned out) on pan.
The squash usually needs 45-60 minutes on the middle rack. Or cook till soft to touch.
While the squash is cooking.
On hight heat cook the onions, garlic, cumin, thyme, anchovies, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper till golden in color 3-4 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the chickpeas and sugar. Fry 8 minutes.
Add stock and lemon juice. Simmer 6 minutes.
Stir in frozen spinach. Give it about 2 minutes.
Add spaghetti squash.
Serve and finish with za’atar and parsley.
Yotam Ottolenghi Style Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas, Spinach, and Za’atar
It’s FORKING DELICIOUS!!!!!
A Special THANKS!!!! to Yotam Ottolenghi for his Gigli with Chickpeas and Za’atar recipe so I could come up with what I did!
Something a little different. Sprouts had a surprise salt on ground chicken. I needed to use my gochujang (delicious Korean fermented pepper sauce) and I had leftover take out rice in the refrigerator so this is what I came up with. This will make 4-6 meals depending on how big your serving is………..So I’ll say five meals. I also need to add the different brands of gochujang are different. American ones have less flavor and some taste like ketchup and you don’t want that. Today I used this brand.
Up top is a QR code and under it reads www.chikabmall.co.kr
Ingredients for around 5 servings
1 lb ground chicken
2 eggs
1/2 cup sautéed onions and peppers – chopped
1 Tablespoon Gochujang (preferably a Korean Brand from an Asian Grocery Store)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 lime – just the fresh squeezed juice
1 Tablespoon fresh ground ginger
1/4 cup scallions – thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves – ground to paste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup leftover take out rice
non stick spray
24 oz Italian tomato puree (for the sauce)
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons gochujang (for the sauce)
2 Tablespoons ketchup (for the sauce)
splash mirin (for the sauce)
Optional – basil, scallions, cilantro, or chives for finishing
Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray baking sheet(s) with non stick spray.
In a large mixing bowl mix together the chicken, eggs, onions & peppers, gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, ginger, scallions, garlic, pepper, salt, and rice.
The mixture will be moist so you won’t be be able to roll mixture with your hands. You will need a small meatball size scooper to make the balls. I made 27 balls yours might run smaller or larger so you might get a different amount.
In my preheated 350 F oven these took 20 minutes.
While the meatballs are cooking mix together the tomato puree, gochujang, and a splash of mirin. Heat up in a sauce pan and serve with meatballs.
I had this one large potato in my bag of potatoes. I just made chicken gochujang meatballs with gochujang sauce so I’m thinking some sort of Asian-ish potato. BUT THEY DIdn’t come out Asian-ish….They just came out FORKING DELICIOUS and sort of caramelized on the outside and fluffy inside. I melted one stick (4 oz.) of unsalted butter. I added a small squirt of soy sauce. a small squirt of hoisin. Around a Tablespoon of honey. And three large cloves of garlic that I grated to a paste. This got mixed up together in a small bowl.
The oven got set to 400 degrees F and I sprayed a sheet pan with non stick spray.
The potato got cut in half longways……Then each long piece got cut in thick slices.
They got placed on the baking sheet with a little room between each slice and I poured the liquid over the potatoes.
They got placed in the middle rack of the preheated 400 degree F oven for around 60 minutes and I got FORKING DELICIOUS Caramelized Potatoes
Ingredients for around two servings.
1 LARGE potato (or two potatoes)
4 oz sweet butter – melted
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin
1 Tablespoon honey
3 large cloves garlic – ground to paste
non stock spray
sea salt -to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Spray baking sheet with non stick spray
In a small mixing bowl combine butter, soy sauce, hoisin, honey, and garlic.
Your potato gets cut in half long ways and the long slice gets cut in thick slices like this and each half goes on baking sheet with sauce poured on it. Make sure you use that non stick spray…..the sauce around the potatoes does burn and turn hard.
this goes on middle rack of oven till caramelized.
Mine got done in an hour. Add a little sea salt and pepper……..Ovens do differ so yours might get done faster or slower. I let my husband try some and he couldn’t stop eating them. That’s how FORKING great they came out! (I also poured some of the separated butter on the potatoes that they sat in.)
I had a bag of fingerling potatoes that I had to use. On my mind I was thinking about the lack of Indian Restaurants in Las Vegas. There are a few Indian Restaurants in Las Vegas but not near the amount in even just North Phoenix Arizona. This came out mildly Indian-ish. Day one it’s the most flavorful. I guess the potatoes soak things up and I thought the next day it needed more salt and pepper. Serving will differ some because we all have different appetites. This will make around 4-6 servings.
Ingredients for around 5 servings
1 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes cut in half longways
2 cups tomato puree (preferably from Italy)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 onion sliced very thin on microplane
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon Chile powder
1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper + more to taste
non stick spray
optional – 1/4 cup cilantro for garnishing
Directions
Set oven to 400 degrees F
In a large bowl mix together the spices (ginger, garlic, cumin, mustard, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, pepper), tomato puree and the onions.
Spray you baking dish and lid with non stick spray.
Place the potatoes cut side down.
Dump and spread evenly the spiced tomato onion mixture.
Cover pan with sprayed lid and cook on a middle rack in oven until the potatoes are very tender. (90 minutes or slightly less depending on size of potatoes. To finish add the optional fresh cilantro.
Fat Free Indian Inspired Potatoes
The potatoes came out creamy, flavorful, and fat free! They are delicious and slightly Indian style. I do note you might want to add more salt and more pepper.
This recipe isn’t for everyone because you have to wing it depending on the heat and taste of your hatch Chile peppers. The Smith’s Grocery store near me has a really good Murray’s Cheese Counter and I almost always pick up the WOO HOO sales at the cheese counter for fun. As a result my hobby at Smith’s my refrigerator is usually packed with TONS of cheese that I hardly pay for. I know most people would never use this much cheese in a recipe but it came out really delicious. I also have many dried peppers I use to boost the taste since the hatch chilies I bought here are extra light on flavor and extra EXTRA light with heat. You will not be in the same situation.
I do make my macaroni and cheese different from most people no matter what flavor profile I’m doing. I do make a cheese sauce but I usually make it with a little corn starch (I HATE the taste of flour when I eat macaroni and cheese and cornstarch works better), nonfat dry milk, no butter, and LOTS of cheese.
Today I did something a little different. I was afraid I’d over cook the pasta. So I started the pasta out in a bowl of hot salted water for a few minutes. I noticed the pasta was softer and I drained it. Then I baked it with layers of cheese sauce and some added cheese.
When this all baked it did have some oil on the top and I added some crushed white tortilla chips and a masa, onion, crumb mixture that I added to the top.
Then I finished it with some chopped Mexican green onion, cilantro, and some pickled red onion.
According to my husband this came out to be a Masterpiece. It did come out FORKING delicious too!
Ingredients for around 12 servings
1/2 a pound box of pasta (either a point or twisty type) 8-9 ounces
1 teaspoon jalapeño flakes (or to taste) – cheese sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper – cheese sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper – cheese sauce
15 oz mature cheddar cheese – either shredded or chopped (This is used to layer between pasta and sauce)
4 oz butter – melted – I used salted but you can use either – crumbs
1/2 cup harina de maiz – crumbs
1/4 cup flour – crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used Mexican onion) – crumbs
1/2 cup hard shredded Italian cheese (I used grana padano) – crumbs
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes – crumbs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika – crumbs
non stick spray
2 oz crushed white tortilla chips – for finishing
2 Tablespoons – scallions – for finishing
2 Tablespoons – cilantro , chopped – for finishing
Optional (but better if you make some) 2 Tablespoons pickled red onions – for finishing (EZ – 1 onion sliced thin, 1/2 C. water, 1/2C. white vinegar, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon g. black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon g. coriander)
Directions
Microwave or put on a pot of water with salt to boil. The pasta only needs around three minutes and then drain the pasta and put to the side.
Make cheese sauce. In a pot mix together the corn starch and milk powder. Then whisk in the water. This needs to be on medium heat until thickened. Keep stirring the bottom because it can burn.After it is thick add the cheddar, goat, brie cheese, and hatch Chile peppers. You will need to lower the heat to low. Add the hatch flakes, jalapeno flakes, black and white pepper.. Take off the heat.
This gets layered like lasagna.
Preheat oven to 350.
Use a big pan or 1/2 pan and spray with non stick spray.
Start with about three serving spoons of cheese sauce.
Next add about 1/3rd of pasta.
next add about 1/3rd of the cheddar cheese.
2 -3 serving spoons of cheese sauce.
1/3 of the noodles.
about 1/2 the cheddar.
1/2 the cheese sauce that is left. then top that with remaining pasta.
Add more cheese.
use the rest of the sauce.
Cover with foil that was sprayed with non stick spray. This goes on the middle rack of a preheated 350F degree oven till it’s cooked threw. Oven DO FORKING DIFFER. In my old GE oven this would take around an hour. In my Whirlpool oven this took 1 hour and 20 minutes.
While it’s baking make the crumb topping.
In a small bowl combine the butter, harina de mai, flour, onion, italian cheese, chipotle pepper flakes, and smoked paprika. This goes on a baking sheet sprayed with non stick spray. This goes on your upper rack till done. In my oven this took 30 minutes but oven do differ. I’d look at it in 20 minutes and then decide if it needs more time.
After 30 minutes mine looked like this.
By now your baked pasta dish will be ready.
You need to assemble it.
It will have some oil on the top that separated from the cheese.
The crushed tortilla flakes are perfect for that add them first.
Then add the crumb topping.
Next add the cilantro and scallions.
Finish with pickled onions.
Extra Cheesy Hatch Chile and Cheese Noodle Casserole
I had these baby bell peppers that I had to use so I was thinking cornbread…..Then I thought cheesy cornbread. Then I made them so darn cheesy they were pudding and I topped it with a FORKING AMAZING salsa macha. You can buy salsa macha from many stores and Mexican grocery stores but the recipe on The FORKING Truth is FORKING AMAZING. Don’t mean to brag…BUT…If I was on a competition show…I’d WIN for this. If a restaurant served this they’d be written in the newspaper for this dish. That is how FORKING AMAZING they really taste!…..Anyways…… This recipe makes at least 24 mini stuffed peppers…I ran out of peppers but had enough to do at least 5 more. I’m figuring around 8 servings thinking that you are going to eat about three mini peppers a serving.
Ingredients for around 8 servings
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup masa de harina
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter – melted (doesn’t matter if salted or not you adjust salt)
sea salt – to taste
1 egg – lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded mature cheddar
2-3oz sliced mature cheddar (this is for topping the corn puddings)
3 Tablespoons salsa macha
24 mini bell peppers
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F.
The baby bell peppers get sprayed with oil and go on a sheet pan. Roast the peppers until cooked. Ovens do differ…in my old oven this would take only 15 minutes. In my current oven this took 30 minutes.
Line mini muffin pan(s) with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl add the cornmeal, masa de harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cheese and mix well, Add the melted butter, egg, milk, You will need a little salt. I used salted butter and added about 5 turns of salt from my salt grinder.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle remove cores and stems. Split them down the middle and put them in the cups.
Fill about 3/4 of the cup with corn pudding mixture. Then top each with a chunk of cheese.
This goes on the middle rack of your preheated 350F oven. For around 15 minutes.
Serve warm and top with salsa macha.
They are FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS!
Enjoy!
Cheesy Mini Corn Pudding Stuffed Peppers with Salsa Macha The Forking Truth
This recipe is a variation of the Ottolengi Test Kitchen’s Middle Eastern Mac ‘N’ Cheese with Za’atar Pesto. I made it a few months back and it was SO FORKING AMAZING!!!!!!!! Incase you don’t know Yotam Ottolenghi is a famous chef, restauranteur, and multi award and James Beard winning cookbook author. Anyways that Middle Eastern Mac ‘N’ Cheese really was FORKING Amazing…. so
Middle Eastern Mac & Cheese with Za’atar Pesto & Crisp Onions
I thought these same flavors would also be great on a flatbread so I gave it a try.
I made my own bread and my own crisp onions but you can buy a flat bread already made. I always just wing bread because bread recipes are very rarely perfect to the brand flour you buy. They are all ground different so your results will differ. I basically made the bread the way I try to describe on how I make pizza dough. You can look that up on The Forking Truth if you like. The onions are easy. Either you can buy them already made crisp in a bag or slice onions yourself and coat them in either flour or cornstarch and fry in oil on medium heat till crisp. After that all I had to do was to make a cheese foundation that taste like what was on the pasta from the original recipe and then make the pesto. Serving size is difficult to judge. This recipe makes enough to dress two 14 inch breads that I cut into 16 small slices. I don’t know if you want one, two, three, or four slices to eat? I think the majority of people will eat two slices so I’ll guesstimate 8 smaller servings.
Ingredients for around 8 servings
2 – 14 inch flat breads
1/2 cup crisp onions
5 Tablespoons butter room temperature – topping
3 garlic cloves – ground to paste – topping
1/8 teaspoon turmeric – topping
1+ 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin – topping
5 Tablespoons cream cheese
1 + 1/3 cup mature cheddar cheese – shredded
6 + 1/3 oz feta cheese – crumbled
sea salt – to taste
black pepper – to taste
1 lemon – zest & supreme the segments and chop the supremes, squeeze what’s left not to waste the juice – pesto
3 Tablespoons za’atar – pesto
1 cup either parsley, cilantro, or celery leaves or a bit of each – rough chopped – pesto
1 garlic clove – ground to paste – pesto
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts – lightly crushed – pesto
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – pesto
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – to oil pan
Directions
Depending on your bread depends on the temperature you need. If you are using a purchased bread you only need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. If you are baking a pizza type dough then you would need a higher temperature on what your pan or stone can handle between 450 and 500 degrees F.
Make topping- In a medium bowl combine butter, garlic, turmeric, cumin, cream cheese, cheddar, and feta cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set to the side.
Make pesto – In a small bowl combine zest, lemon supremes, any lemon juice that you can squeeze from the skins you removed from the supremes, za’atar, cup of leaves (parsley, cilantro, and or celery), garlic, pine nuts, olive oil. You will want to blend this slightly. It is easiest if you have a stick blender. Or you can muddle it with a mortar and pestle.
Preheat your oven to at least 350 degrees F.
Place a bread on an oiled pan.
Spread 1/2 of topping on bread. (other 1/2 goes on 2nd bread)
This goes in oven till hot. (about 10 minutes)
Next – take out of oven and add up to 1/2 of pesto. (Some goes on 2nd bread)
Finish with crisp onions and slice and serve!
Cheddar & Feta Flatbread with Za’atar Pesto & Fried Onions
A Special THANKS!!!!!!!!! to Ottolenghi Test Kitchen so I could come up with what I got here!
Sometimes I read a recipe and I see it different in my head than what I read. I think I improved a recipe that I read from a major publication. Anyways this came out FORKING GREAT and it makes two servings. You do need gochujang for this recipe (that is why it looks like chicken salad instead of egg salad) . I strongly recommend to buy an Asian Brand from an Asian Grocery Store because the stuff they sell at your neighborhood grocery store isn’t much different than ketchup and it’s not the taste that you are going for.
Ingredients for around 2 servings
4 eggs – hardboiled
1 Tablespoon gochujang (preferably an actual Asian Brand)
1 Tablespoon prepared Chinese mustard
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
fresh ground black pepper – to taste
sea salt – to taste
1/4 cup peas
1 scallion – sliced thin
1 Tablespoon – cilantro
Optional – 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise for drizzle for finishing.
Directions
Boil the eggs in boiling water for ten minutes. Next place eggs in ice bath and let then chill about 30 minutes.
In a small mixing bowl add the gochujang, mustard, sesame oil, and peas.
Peel and chop the eggs and add to gochujang mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with scallions and cilantro. Do an optional mayonnaise drizzle if desired.
This recipe is easy but is kicked up a couple notches from the pickled onions and the sumac crusted feta cheese. Easy recipe just roast the carrots with a little cumin and the broccoli with smoked paprika…All the flavors are FORKING DELICIOUS together! This will make around 4-6 servings. I got 6 side servings. Your carrots might be smaller so I’ll go on the low end just in case.
Ingredients for around 4 servings
1 onion – slice thin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
10 carrots – Peel if not organic. I cut mine in half longways (you can cut however you like but they will cook in different time)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt – to taste
ground black pepper – to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bunch broccoli – break down in florets
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt – to taste
ground black pepper – to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 oz feta cheese – crumbled
1 teaspoon sumac
optional – 2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro
Directions – preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl or tub combine the onion, water, vinegar, sugar, pepper, and coriander. Let this sit on the counter for an hour. You can refrigerate after that.
The carrots go on a baking sheet. Spray them generously with olive oil. salt and pepper to taste. Then sprinkle them with ground cumin.
Ovens differ….also carrots differ in size and freshness too so your timing may differ from mine. Mine took about 50 minutes on the middle rack.
In a small bowl add the crumbled feta and sprinkle it with sumac.
I got very thin broccoli that can almost pass for broccolini so I didn’t need to par-boil mine but you might need to par- boil yours. About 2 minutes in boiling water. Then give them an ice bath. You might want to peel and trim the stems too!
Broccoli goes on a sheet pan. Spray generously with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Give them a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Broccoli timing may also differ. Mine took 20 minutes to be done on a lower rack.
Assemble – Carrots and broccoli go on plate. Add pickled onions. Add sumac crusted feta. Finish with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired.
Roasted carrots &.broccoli with pickled onions and sumac crusted feta cheese
The way I made this one was very awkward but also came out too delicious not to mention. I scored some corn from my local supermarket real cheap and wanted to try something new. I wondered if anyone smokes corn. Turns out lots of people smoke corn. Most people say to soak the corn for an hour before smoking……So I did that……but my corn wasn’t cooked yet…so I wanted to cook it. Other people just oil or butter up the corn and eat it a few people add grill marks just for looks.
So I threw the corn covered into a 350 degree oven for an hour with a stick (4oz.) butter sliced up and water that almost covered the corn.
Something FORKING Amazing happened……..The corn is delicious and juicy and a just right good tasting smoke. BUT I GOT ANOTHER gift…The water is incredible with flavors. It actually is smelling the whole house up with deliciousness.
I was thinking that I need to make some sort of sauce out of the water…maybe I should reduce it……….?
Anyways-
I was thinking that an onion and a bell pepper would go well with the corn.
Since a stick of butter is in the water maybe I can flavor it up. cook the onion and pepper and maybe reduce the rest????
I drain the corn and add to the corn/butter water
2 Tablespoons of date syrup
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons sea salt
I let it cook on medium simmering for around 30 minutes.
1 onion diced
1 red bell diced
After the 1/2 hour the vegetables have absorbed lots of flavors and are soft like soup vegetables. I remove them with a slotted spoon and add them to the corn that I sliced off of the cob. I taste the corn liquid and decide to take it off the heat. I add some to the corn side dish and the rest I am saving to use on the next vegetable I make.
