Great Cooks : Building a Better Squash Boat

Simon Lockwood-Menkes was walking through the rows of produce at the Growers’ Market in Santa Monica when he spotted the crate filled with spaghetti squash. “I’ll never do anything with that vegetable,” he said to his wife, Linda. Then the inner voice--the creative voice--asked, “Hey, I wonder what I can do with spaghetti squash to make it taste good?”

After three tries, three nights in a row, he came up with . . . spaghetti squash boats. And they were a hit with his family. “By the fourth day my wife was begging for more,” he says.

The recipe has some interesting twists and turns that may make some cooks wonder. For one thing, Menkes uses honey to sweeten the squash before adding the meat filling. “The squash needs sweetening,” he says. “It’s just too bland and acidic for my sweet tooth.”

He also gave in to his penchant for high seasonings by using a goodly dose of garlic powder. “A quarter of a cup of garlic powder may sound like a lot,” he admits, “but I think it works well with the squash.” (A more conventional alternative: real garlic, and substantially less.)

With a turkey meat-loaf filling, squash boats become a complete meal in a dish, needing only another vegetable to brighten and complement it. Menkes likes sweet red and yellow peppers, which are roasted along with the squash.

Menkes is a cook who loves to create dishes from scratch. “I’m basically a problem solver,” he says, “and I like challenges.” A home contractor, he finds that cooking and building have certain similarities. “This is something new in my life and I’m enjoying every minute of it,” he says.

It all started when his wife, who had been doing all the cooking, decided she needed help. “Enough is enough,” she had said to her family, and her husband and daughter complied, each volunteering to do the cooking two days a week.

“I have Monday and Tuesday nights,” says Menkes. “Things that inspire me at the Growers’ Market determine what I actually cook.”

Chicken, turkey or fish are musts. So are the array of vegetables and herbs found at the market. “I grab whatever spices inspire me,” he said.

SIMON’S SPAGHETTI SQUASH MEAT BOAT

1 (4 1/2-pound) spaghetti squash

Honey

Garlic powder

Onion powder

2 pounds ground turkey

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 small sweet red peppers

2 small sweet yellow peppers

Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise to make 2 halves. Scrape out seeds and stringy membrane, using metal spoon. Pour 1 tablespoon honey in ribbon lengthwise down cavity of each squash half. Using back of spoon, spread honey over entire surface of cavity and rim. Sprinkle each half with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder. Wrap both halves in separate pieces of foil, with closures face-up at top of “boats.” Place in baking dish and bake at 425 degrees 1 hour 20 minutes.

Combine ground turkey, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 4 tablespoons garlic powder and 3 tablespoons onion powder in medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Cut red and yellow peppers lengthwise into halves and remove seeds and membranes. Cut each half into 4 strips. Set aside.

When squash halves are cooked, pull back foil and fill each cavity with half of turkey mixture. Pat into smooth mound with back of spoon. Keeping foil back to expose filling only (foil should cover remaining squash), place under broiler 4 inches from heat source. Broil 15 minutes. Remove from heat and remove foil to expose edges of squash halves. Turn meat roll over. Return to broiler rack. Place pepper slices alongside meat. Broil 15 minutes longer or until peppers are partly browned and meat is done.

Squash and filling can be cut into even slices to serve. Garnish slices with sweet peppers. If desired, make flags for boats by cutting off ends of some peppers to form triangle shapes and stick on wood picks. Insert picks into both ends of boats. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

208 calories; 844 mg sodium; 49 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 3 grams fiber; 14% calories from fat.