“My mom and I created this recipe five years ago while having to live in Florida (my surgeon is there) for five months due to my surgery,” says Sydney. “We were always trying new recipes and cooking a lot because I was in a wheelchair then. We have always eaten spaghetti squash in our house and I had asked my doctors, nurses, and therapists if they had ever tried it, but most of them had not even heard of it. We decided to come up with a dish for them to try and they loved it! It was so popular that I made it at least once a week as well as every surgery since. My nickname is now S.S. Sydney.” (S.S. stands for spaghetti squash.) - Sydney Mazik, Age 12, Ohio

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeds removed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ cup peeled and diced yellow onion
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup low-fat or skim milk
• 1 cup shredded low-fat cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9-inch cake or pie pan. Place the squash, cut side up, on a large baking sheet, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft and bright green. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper, then add the cooled onion-asparagus mixture and stir to combine.
4. Using a fork, scrape the strands from the spaghetti squash and transfer to the bottom and sides of the greased cake pan, creating an even crust. Press paper towels onto the crust to remove any excess moisture (or you can wring the squash out ahead of time). Pour the egg mixture onto the “crust” and bake for 40 minutes, or until the pie is firm and not wiggly. Enjoy!

151 calories; 8g fat; 10g carbohydrates; 11g protein

Learn more:

• Check out highlights from the each Kids’ “State Dinner”
• View the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” Cookbook