How to cook with spaghetti squash (and other produce you’re afraid of)

Winter is a scary season, so it’s no surprise that the fresh produce available kinda scares us. Spaghetti squash, pomegranates, beets, grapefruit, kiwi—there’s plenty to be had, but plenty of head-scratching happening in the kitchen as well. But, no more! Here are the easiest ways to prepare the season’s most intimidating fruits and veg, so you can enjoy all the health benefits of winter’s bounty.

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How to cook with spaghetti squash (and other produce you’re afraid of)

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  Roasted Romanesco, Leek and Brussels Sprouts Salad

  Do not relegate leeks to soup anymore. This recipe gives the mildly sweet ingredient—that’s bursting with vitamins—new life by serving it roasted (and still warm) with a bright green olive-lemon juice vinaigrette. It’s great tossed with pasta as well.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREWith Food + Love

• Sausage and Pepper Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats

  Say hello to your new Pasta Night star. For those looking to cut out carbs, this is the perfect way to satisfy your craving for spaghetti without any guilt. If you feel like turning up the heat, use spicy Italian sausage instead of the sweet or mild versions.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERENutmeg Nanny

• Beet Burger

  Grated beets and carrots, kale, garlic—there’s plenty of delicious goodness happening in these meat-free burgers. Instead of the traditional ketchup and mustard toppings, a cooling cucumber-herb sauce ups the taste factor.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREHandful of Recipes

• Goat Cheese Radish Tartines with Microgreens

  Slice, toast, spread, garnish—that’s all you need to do to assemble these gourmet toasts. Easy, peasy. It’s perfect as a party appetizer, or a quick meal when time isn’t on your side. Also, did we mention radishes are a good source of vitamin C?
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREAli Harper

• Broiled Grapefruit with Sea Salt, Ginger and Vanilla Coconut Cream

  Banish all thoughts of this antioxidant powerhouse as diet food. A simple broiling process with coconut oil and coconut sugar elevates grapefruit’s breakfast status to elegant dessert. A cloud of whipped vegan coconut cream adds a perfect finish.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREWith Food + Love

• Avocado Smoothie with Kiwi and Lime

  Jumpstart your day with a trip to the tropics courtesy of this smoothie described as “a good balance of tart, sweet and richness” by recipe creator Sylvia. Brimming with vitamin C, the kiwis can be cubed and frozen in advance to save prep time.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREFeasting At Home

• Honey Beets with Parsley Butter

  Abundant in antioxidants, these ruby powerhouses are a cinch to prepare in the oven. Sweet honey and nutty butter enhance their earthy aroma, making them a perfect accompaniment to red meat according recipe creator Shanti.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERELife Made Full

• Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Sauteed with Vegetables and Feta

  Roasted spaghetti squash, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts—this recipe is a winner for vegetarians. Skip the feta and Paleo folk can dive in as well. Serve hot and prepare for no leftovers. Blogger Kalyn didn’t have any.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREKalyn's Kitchen

• Persimmon-Apple Pork Tenderloin

  Persi…what? Don’t be alarmed. This sweet, golden fruit is a nutritional powerhouse and is as easy to work with as it is delicious. In fact, this recipe makes it a cinch to cook combining it with apple and pork in the slow cooker, which does the hard work.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERE Life Made Full

• Thai Peanut Spaghetti Squash

  Low fat, gluten-free, low cholesterol—is there a reason you don’t cook with spaghetti squash very often? This lighter take on everyone’s fave Thai take-out dish might just make you a convert. Bonus: it’s ready in a little over 30 minutes.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERE Leelalicious

• Butter-Dipped Radishes

  With just three ingredients, bring some French flair to the table whether it’s brunch, dinner or snack time. The key to these picture-perfect beauties is tempering the butter to get that creamy skirt before giving them a roll in sea salt.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERE Honestly Yum

• Grapefruit Tart

  A whole three layers of texture and flavour is packed into this tart: an earthy, rosemary-scented butter crust, sweet and rich grapefruit curd and pretty pink segments of juicy fruit. We’re drooling just thinking about it.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREGourmandistan

• Persimmon Tart

  A seasonal twist on a French-style apple tart, the hardest part is cutting the persimmon into 1/6-inch slices. Set on buttery puff pastry and brushed with apricot jam, each piece is glazed and golden before meeting its sweet partner in crime, vanilla ice cream.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREHonestly Yum

• Lemony Swiss Chard and Quinoa Saute with Fried Capers and Olives

  A good-for-you dinner ready in 30 minutes? We’ll take it. Nothing is wasted in this recipe—swiss chard’s vitamin-packed stems and leaves are used! Briny capers and olives bring bite and flavour along with lemon juice, garlic and parsley.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREThe Wimpy Vegetarian

• Kiwi Pineapple Slushy

  This dairy-free drink comes packed with vitamins C and K thanks to the kiwis. Even better, kids love it. If you’re craving some summer flavour, the slushy mix can be frozen into popsicles as well. No harm in playing a bit of pretend in winter.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREEat Good 4 Life

• Beet Grapefruit Green Juice

  Talk about a winter veg bonanza! Not only does this blend sport a vibrant hue, it’s packed with a seasonal bounty of beet, grapefruit, greens and a whole lot of yum. Your tastebuds (and insides) will be thankful as you virtuously indulge in each sip.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREWith Food + Love

• Kale Sauteed with Miso, Dates and Millet

  In winter, leafy greens abound, but aside from soup and salad, we’re at a loss for how to prepare them. Cue this saute that dresses up the hearty leaves with a seasonal fave : dates. We think it would make a great brunch main with a crisp fried egg on top.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREThe Wimpy Vegetarian

• Orange Walnut Stuffed Dates

  Dates are a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and rightly so. Brimming with potassium and fiber, they’re a treat to eat especially when bursting with orange-scented cream cheese. These snack bites are sticky, creamy and 100 per cent delicious.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERETaste of Lizzy T’s

• Moroccan Roasted Beets with Pomegranate Seeds

  Superfruit pomegranate teams up with its super-sidekick beets for a side dish that is almost too pretty to eat. Tossed in a rich balsamic glaze, the sweet beets play well with the juicy pomegranate arils and have added crunch thanks to roasted pistachios.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERE Feasting at Home

• Winter Fruit Salad with Honey and Lemon Syrup

  Have your camera ready. In another superpower pairing, pomegranate and persimmon nestle in together nicely with mandarin oranges, Asian pears and apple. It’s best eaten on the same day. Not that there will be any leftovers.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HERELittle Broken

• Creamy Coconut Pomegranate Smoothie

  You can’t tell, but blogger Sylvia managed to sneak in some greens into these smoothies. The kids will be none the wiser because they will be too busy enjoying the creamy goodness of this satisfying drink that’s bulked up with chia seeds and coconut milk.
  
  GET THE RECIPE HEREWith Food + Love