roasted spaghetti squash with spicy yogurt and seared shrimp

last week i was faced with

a very common dilemma:

what to do with

leftover herbs.

in this case:

the mint.

i had caved,

agreeing to add it

to the salad,

but i needed only 1/4 cup

and mint is sold

in very large bunches.

i had created my situation.

now i had to live with it.

and eat it.

i spent a long time

thinking and looking

up recipes

until i remembered the one

thing made with mint

that i can semi-tolerate.

--

until very recently,

i've had a

hate-hate relationship

with indian food,

much to my mother's dismay.

she tried many times to get

all three of us - all three

of us who will eat almost

anything - to eat indian food,

but it was always a struggle.

finally, last year, i realized

that my indian food issues

stem from a single spice:

curry.

(it's funny. i've always

considered myself a very open

eater, willing to try most

things, but this blog is like

a mirror, pointing out all

my quirks, all my weaknesses,

all the things that i do not like.

it turns out, there are a lot.

that's sad.)

i finally understood that if

i could just find dishes that are

curry-less, i could enjoy

indian food. and, so, for the past

year, i've visited a few places -

ok, one restaurant several times -

and have come to appreciate

the cuisine.

especially the spicy

tamarind and mint chutneys

that are always served with

the breads and salads.

together, they're sweet,

bold and spicy and i always

look forward to drizzling

them over the naan and

potato, onion, cucumber mixtures.

usually, i regret it because

they. are. spicy. but, my burning

mouth doesn't stop me from

eating more.

--

so, it came to be that i

researched mint chutneys

and mercifully

a) settled for one of the first

recipes i found, which

b) was made up only of

ingredients i already had

at home.

the day before,

at the farmer's market,

i had picked up our first

spaghetti squash of the season

and i was determined to

use it - not let it waste away

on the counter.

somehow, once i connected

the chutney and the squash,

the rest of the dish came

together rather quickly.

in my head.

i would pick up greek yogurt,

and stir a couple tablespoons

into the chutney, dollop

the creamy sauce

over roasted strands of squash

and top the whole tangle

with seared shrimp.

in reality,

it's another story.

have you ever made spaghetti squash?

i love it - it's my favorite of the squash,

but it's up there with a butternut squash

or large pumpkin when it comes

time to halve the sucker.

it is hard and heavy and thick.

and to halve it means to have

an excellent knife,

strong muscles

and a willingness to forget

the fear of cutting yourself.

so, by the time both larry

and i wrestled the squash and

the oven heated up

(maybe it's rusty from a

summer spent sitting idle?),

then the squash

cooked

and

cooled,

let's just say it was later than i

had expected.

in the meantime,

i had made the chutney.

and maybe the recipe had

called for a teaspoon and a half

of a small chopped serrano.

and maybe i used

a large one and did not bother to measure.

this chutney was very hot.

i had originally planned to mix

it with a few spoonfuls of yogurt,

but the heat called for

a change of plans.

instead, i took all of the yogurt,

and stirred in three tablespoons

of the chutney. it was very spicy,

but closer to tolerable.

i took some of the

remaining chutney and mixed it

with the shrimp to marinate.

i crossed my fingers

that our tongues would still

have feeling after we ate.

once the squash was out

of the oven, i let it sit

until cool enough

to handle, before remembering

that i could use those crazy

pluck-lobsters-out-of-boiling-water-mitts

to hold the squash with one

hand and separate into

strands with the other.

i seared the shrimp,

then tossed them on top

of two bowls:

one, squash, simply topped with spicy yogurt

and another

squash mixed with the mixture.

i'm not sure which we liked better, but

i know that the former option

allows you to occasionally seek relief

by stumbling upon a few sauce-less pieces.

i like spicy, but the mixture - although

oddly irresistible - was a bit spicy for me.

larry thought it was perfect.

we both loved the chutney.

mint and all.

roasted spaghetti squash with spicy yogurt and seared shrimp

you can cook a spaghetti squash by boiling or microwaving it, but i love the flavor that comes with roasting. surprised? you want the strands to be just a bit al dente, not mushy. if you're unsure if the squash is done, don't worry, it will tell you: if it won't separate into spaghetti, it's not ready. for the greek yogurt, i always use nonfat. it's so thick and creamy anyway that the full fat just feels way too indulgent.

you could also skip the shrimp and serve the rest of the dish as a side for chicken or fish.

1 spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds), halved

2 teaspoons olive oil

kosher salt and pepper

1 container (6 ounces) fat-free greek yogurt (i like fage)

6 tablespoons mint chutney, divided (recipe below)

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (13-16 count)

heat oven to 400˚f. brush cut side of squash halves with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. roast, cut side up, 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown and strands separate easily from squash. let sit 20 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.

meanwhile, stir together yogurt and 3 tablespoons mint chutney; cover and set aside.

twenty minutes before you're ready to cook (after the squash has been sitting for about 10 minutes is probably a good idea), stir together remaining mint chutney and shrimp. cover; chill. (you don't want the shrimp to marinate longer than that - the lime in the chutney could start to cook them.)

using spoon, scoop the seeds from the squash; discard (squash should look like picture, above). using fork, separate flesh into strands over a bowl. discard squash shells.

in large skillet coated with a mist of olive oil over high heat, sear shrimp 5 minutes, turning once.

you have two choices: either toss the squash with the yogurt or place squash in serving bowls and top with dollops of yogurt. top with seared shrimp. garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

spicy mint chutney

adapted from gourmet magazine

when on first taste the mixture was very spicy, i added an extra 1/4 cup of mint leaves an extra teaspoon of sugar. both changes are included, here. i also had originally added ground coriander, which i'd say is optional. the original recipe recommends using the chutney the same day that you make it or risk it turning an ugly brown. when first made, it's a beautiful bright green. i made this in my mini food processor - it was the perfect size.

1 1/4 cups packed fresh mint leaves

4 scallions, sliced

1 serrano chile, including seeds, chopped (use your judgement)

1 large clove garlic

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)

in bowl of mini food processor (large would work, too), puree all ingredients until combined. it will still be coarse. taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.