Except for a glass of wine every night or so, I try to restrict my food & drink meanderings for weekends. With that mindset, I try to maintain a healthier meal plan during the week, and this dish falls right into that category. Colorful and festive, tasty and delicious, it takes little effort to prepare with much reward!

        We're all well familiar with New England Clam Chowder and Manhattan Clam Chowder. For those who do not know, the difference between the two is New England style uses a dairy base, while the Manhattan variety utilizes a tomato base.
        However, this is something I like to call "Mahwah" Clam Chowder.  Taking its dairy-based cue from its New England brethren, the main difference in this version is that it utilizes fresh Little Neck Clams as well as clam juice in place of water; both of which quickly bring to mind that bread-sopping clam-flavored goodness found in the broth that sits at the bottom of a bowl of those delicious steamed clams served in countless restaurants in northern New Jersey.
        Not quite as thick as the traditional New England variety, you can easily make it thicker by first whisking a tbsp of flour into the bacon grease, forming a roux before proceeding on to the next steps. This is indeed the manner a traditional New England clam chowder is often made - a roux followed by liquid ingredients followed by solids. However, for as many methods that can be employed to attain the end result, there seems to be just as many opinions on the rights and wrongs of doing so.
        This slightly thinner version that I deem "Mahwah" Clam Chowder, is teeming with whole clams, and keeps the dairy element of New England, while maintaining that bread-sopping "steamed-clam" broth flavor and textural profile of northern New Jersey.

        Today, when someone mentions "calamari", most people immediately think fried calamari. But once again, referring to my Italian upbringing as a point of reference, although we did enjoy it fried on occasion, most often it was served as I describe in this traditional recipe - stuffed and cooked in tomato sauce and served with pasta.

        Spaghetti Squash is an oblong, seed-bearing variety of Winter Squash. Also referred to as vegetable spaghetti or noodle squash, its variety of colors can range from a light cream color to yellow to orange, depending on the carotene content of the particular squash.

        When it is raw, it has a solid flesh and looks very similar to the interior of any other raw squash. However, when cooked, its flesh falls away in strands not unlike that of actual spaghetti pasta; hence the name. The similarity between the two is something I find fascinating. And that's not where the similarities end.

        In much the same way as pasta, Spaghetti Squash can be boiled, baked, steamed and even microwaved. It too can be served with or without sauce, included marinara, alfredo or even simpler, olive oil. Its likeness and qualities are so alike, that it is often substituted for pasta as a low calorie/low carb alternative.

        It too, makes a wonderful side dish when mixed with other veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower and tossed with a light vinaigrette or again, a teaspoon or two of olive oil.

        I'd like to say this is a dish where its use as a pasta alternative is demonstrated, however, in this recipe the Spaghetti Squash is indeed the star of the show and stands on its on merit in this filling and healthy low calorie/low carb dish which includes ground turkey and crushed tomatoes.

1.  Begin by mincing the garlic and dicing the onion.
2.  Add 1 tsp olive oil to a hot skillet (again, I prefer cast-iron for this application). Add garlic and onions to skillet.

3.  Although you can implement ground beef, or even ground pork for that matter, the theme of this dish is "healthy" and lean ground turkey is what I am using. However, ground turkey is somewhat bland in flavor due to its low "fat" content which means, you usually should be slightly more heavy-handed with the spices. Add the garlic powder, Adobo seasoning and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to one side of the ground turkey.

4.  Place the ground turkey spice side down into the skillet with the onions and garlic.
5.  Begin to break up the ground turkey, allowing the flavors of the onions, garlic and spices to coat and work into the meat.
6.  Add the fennel seeds and continue stirring from time to time and continue to cook until turkey is browned.

7.  When the turkey is nicely browned (as shown above), pour 1/4 cup of a good red wine (I used a quality Cab) into the skillet, stirring thoroughly.

8.  Add 1 cup of crushed tomatoes to skillet and stir thoroughly.
9.  Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to mix with...

1.  While bringing a large pot of water to boil, cut the ends off the squash. Also, with a paring knife, make approximately a dozen perforations about 1/2" deep into the squash's skin. This will not only make it cook quicker, but more evenly.

2.  Place squash into water, return to boil and cover tightly. Cook at boil for 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the squash. You will be able to tell it is done when a knife can easily be pushed through the squash with minimal pressure as shown in the photo below.

3.  The squash should easily cut and proceed to split it lengthwise. In doing so, the seeds should be visible as shown below.

4.  At this point, the seeds can easily be removed quickly with a fork as shown in the above left photo. Once removed, the spaghetti-like squash below will be visible as shown in above right photo.

5.  With a fork, gently begin to stroke the squash's inner flesh in a downward motion and the spaghetti-like ribbons will begin to fall away. Continue to do both halves and let fall into a bowl.

6.  When completed, drizzle a couple of teaspoons of extra virgin olive on squash and gently mix to coat evenly. This will prevent sticking, while adding flavor.

7.  Add browned turkey and crushed tomatoes and mixed thoroughly.
8.  Top with Locatelli Romano Cheese and serve.

        I must say, I really enjoy stir-fried veggies and contrasting interplay of textures of crunch and tender between them. I also enjoy the way the flavors of each component merge together in this easy, and quickly made one-pan meal.

        Pork belly, as the name implies, comes from the belly area of the pig. It may look like bacon, but it cannot be called "bacon" until it is cured, smoked and sliced. Before that takes place, it is simply known as "pork belly". This often overlooked delicacy regularly plays second fiddle to its more famous cousin, but for those who have indulged in its deliciousness, can attest to its rich flavor, that in all actuality, is far more healthy than bacon. This is because the meat has not been cured, and for that reason, has far less salt than bacon, which in turn, makes it a more healthy option (if the belly area of a pig can be considered a healthy option at all). Like bacon, it is sometimes sold in strips, but most often, can be found in slabs from your butcher.

        This recipe offers a succulent and juicy moistness, rich in texture and flavor that will have you soon forgetting all about bacon.