Meatless Monday: Thai Spaghetti Squash

Last week we talked about how awesome and versatile cauliflower was; and how you could use it to make a low-fat Alfredo pasta sauce. This week, we're all about the spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta (spaghetti noodles in particular, because, well, after it's cooked it resembles spaghetti. Complex, we know); and is high in both A and B vitamins (and low in calories). 

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen has used spaghetti squash in the past for a caprese pasta dish (fresh mozzarella, diced tomatoes and basil); and we loved it. Here's a truth: you're not going to trick someone into thinking spaghetti squash is actually noodles- especially not traditional wheat noodles. But, the slightly crunchy texture makes it ideal for any recipe that calls for rice noodles (think: Thai dishes). We were craving spicy Thai food one night, and thought we'd try a new spaghetti squash dish.

Thai Spaghetti Squash

1 medium sized spaghetti squash
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2-1 cup peanut sauce* 
*We cheated and used a pre-made peanut sauce, but it's also pretty easy to make if you're so inclined. Here's a quick recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/thai-peanut-sauce-recipe.html

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice spaghetti squash in half, and remove the seeds in the middle. Place squash face-down on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes. 

Remove from oven, and wait until the squash is cool enough to handle. Using a fork, gently rake it along the meat of the squash, until it starts to come away in spaghetti like strands. 

Place the "spaghetti" in a bowl and combine with cilantro and peanut sauce. Stir well to combine. Use enough sauce to coat the "spaghetti", but not so much that the dish is runny.

We served this "pasta" dish with some chicken spring rolls; and it was a really delicious meal that cost a fraction of what Thai take-out would have. And it was a lot healthier too. 

We hope you're enjoying Meatless Monday as much as we are; and we can't wait to share more of our delicious discoveries with you soon!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Family Friday: Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen makes A LOT of soup. It helps that Kevin works at a bakery, and is always bringing home fresh baguettes or dinner rolls. And what goes better with fresh bread than soup? 

It's been cold and blustery here in Wisconsin. We've needed a lot of comfort food to help see us through until spring. And when you think comfort food; you can't help but think of chicken noodle soup. Well, this is chicken soup on steroids. Think rich chicken thighs, tender vegetables and a creamy broth. Mmmm... Hungry yet? Bonus points for this being an easy dinner to make during the week.

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup

Recipe courtesy of: http://damndelicious.net/2015/01/10/creamy-chicken-mushroom-soup/

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup half and half, or more, as needed*
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 sprig rosemary


Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.

Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

 Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. 

Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf and chicken thighs, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and rosemary, if desired.

This recipe was like magic- a whole pot of soup disappeared in less than an hour (so much for leftovers!). It was a dinner all three members of the Test Kitchen could agree on. Give this hearty soup a try on the next cold day- it's guaranteed to warm you up.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Kids in the Kitchen Wednesday: Homemade Play Dough

Why not spend some quality time in the kitchen with your little one making something they are going to love playing with? You read that right: PLAY with. That is what Little Dude and I did in the Arkansas Test Kitchen this past week. Little Dude LOVES to play with play dough, but we get tired of having to throw away expensive tubes of play dough once they get hard and crumbly.

One of Little Dude's favorite things to do each Sunday at church is play with the homemade play dough they have there. Thanks to the Pastor's wife for sharing her play dough recipe.

Homemade Play Dough
Recipe courtesy of: http://domesticsuperhero.com/2013/03/28/the-best-homemade-playdough-recipe/

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 cup water
1 tbs vegetable oil (we used canola oil)
Food color


1. Place flour, salt and cream of tarter in a medium to large sauce pan, stirring well to combine

2. Add water, and vegetable oil

3. Place the sauce pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium low/ medium

3. Stir the mixture constantly

4. Before the mixture thickens, add the food coloring

5.Continue stirring, making sure to scrap the sides and bottom of the sauce pan
6. When the mixture has thickened to play dough consistency, allow to cool

Most important step: have fun playing with the new play dough!

This is a great craft your kids love, and it costs a fraction of store bought play dough. Whip up a batch this weekend, break out some cookie cutters and let the creativity unfold! 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Meatless Monday: Cauliflower Alfredo

Yes, you read that correctly. The Cool Dads Crew is starting a new weekly feature: Meatless Monday posts. We have a lot of readers (and family members!) that are vegetarian and vegan; and we want to make sure we're providing them with plenty of delicious, healthy recipe ideas as well. Additionally, the Arkansas Test Kitchen is focusing on eating less meat, and they're excited to try and share some new recipes as well. 

A few weeks ago, the Wisconsin Test Kitchen was wondering what to make for dinner. We were planning on making homemade pizzas until one of our Facebook friends posted a recipe for a creamy Alfredo sauce made with cauliflower... and no cheese. Huh. The recipe sounded easy enough, so we thought we'd give it a try. 

Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Recipe courtesy of: http://pinchofyum.com/creamy-cauliflower-sauce


8 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
5-6 cups cauliflower florets
6-7 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
½ cup milk (more to taste)

Pasta, or additional vegetables to serve sauce over


Saute the minced garlic with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add 1 cup vegetable broth, sauteed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.

The verdict? The sauce was both creamy and satisfying- without any of the guilt usually associated with rich pasta dishes. We did a few shakes of Parmesan cheese and this added a slight bit of richness to the sauce. We also added a chopped up red pepper to the sauteing garlic (because we love red pepper, and try to add more veggies to every dish we cook), and this was also a great addition. 

Kevin felt this sauce was a great base, and while we served it plain over bow tie pasta; both roasted mushrooms or chicken would be excellent additions. 

Give this one a try- it's a perfect easy, weeknight meal your family will love. 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew