Spaghetti squash is a satisfying, yet lighter substitute for pasta in this dish topped with mushrooms, leek and shrimp.

Spaghetti squash is an intriguing winter vegetable that is available year-round. After it’s cooked, the flesh can be pulled apart with a fork into golden yellow strands. Food writer Victoria Abbott Riccardi notes that the flavor is mild, but the squash has a  juicy heft to it, making it a satisfying noodle alternative.

Save the seeds to make a nice snack or topping for salads. To roast them, rinse them in a sieve and remove filaments, then sprinkle with sea salt before roasting at 350° F on a baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until crispy.

Riccardi says of her advice to add a little Romano to her recipe for warm spaghetti squash with mushroom, leek and shrimp, “Although many Italian chefs shun cheese in seafood pasta sauces, it’s worth breaking tradition for this delectable combination.”

Warm Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms, Leek and Shrimp
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium leeks, trimmed, rinsed of grit, with white and light-green parts chopped (4 cups)
1 (7-ounce) container button mushrooms, wiped of dirt and sliced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 ounces (½ cup) grated Romano cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut squash lengthwise in half. With a soup spoon, scrape out seeds. Lay squash, cut side down, on baking sheet and roast for 1 hour.

2. While squash cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, mushrooms and red pepper flakes and sauté until vegetables turn golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and garlic. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer sauce for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through.

3. Remove squash from oven. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape out spaghetti-like strands and arrange them in the center of 4 dinner plates. Spoon sauce over squash and sprinkle with cheese.

Nutritional Score Per Serving: 268 calories, 34% fat (10 g; 3.8 g saturated), 24% carbohydrate (20 g), 42% protein (28 g), 1.7 g fiber, 276 mg calcium, 5 mg iron, 570 mg sodium.

For more recipes using intimidating but delicious ingredients check out our article “Take a Risk in the Kitchen” in the July/August 2008 issue of VIVmag! For more satisfying substitutes, read “Eight Healthy Food Swaps, No Fooling!” in VIV Says.

Photo credit: Ray Kachatorian

Crepes Filled With Grilled Shrimp, Spinach and Avocado
Serves 4

For the crepes:

• 1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup 1 percent lowfat milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For the filling:

• 8 ounces lowfat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup scallions
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 lime, juiced
• 16 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• 1 avocado, cut into 8 slices
• 4 cups loosely packed raw baby spinach leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions: Preheat grill. Place crepe ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (The batter should be the consistency of half-and-half.) Cover and chill for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk cream cheese with ricotta until smooth. Stir in capers, scallions, cayenne pepper and lime juice, and set aside.

Coat a 6-inch crepe or sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat pan on medium high. Pour just enough batter into the pan to thinly coat the bottom of it. Cook crepe until golden brown on both sides, approximately 30 seconds on the first side, 15 seconds on the flip side. When done, place crepe on a plate, top with a piece of wax paper, then cover with a clean, dry towel to keep warm. Repeat process until all batter has been used.
Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes. (Or you can sauté them in a nonstick pan lightly coated with cooking spray.)

To assemble, spread about 2 tablespoon of cheese mixture onto each crepe. Slice cooked shrimp in half and arrange 4 halves per crepe. Follow with 1 slice of avocado and 1/2 cup of spinach leaves. Roll up crepe. Repeat 7 more times.

Take-home tip: Whole-wheat crepes also make an excellent dessert. Simply omit dill, nutmeg and salt from batter recipe and fill crepes with fresh berries. Top with a dollop of Greek-style plain, lowfat yogurt.

Technique: Making crepes
1. Pour crepe into a saute pan in a thin layer, turning pan so bottom becomes coated with batter.

2. Cook until crepe edges curl and become golden brown.

3. With your hand, lift crepe by the edge and flip it.

4. Layer crepes with wax paper until ready to use.