Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash 

On a no-pasta diet? Tasty spaghetti squash is a great stand-in for carb-dense noodles. Spaghetti squash is so versatile and easy to make! Enjoy it with salt and pepper as a side dish, drizzle it with butter and grated cheese, or top it with tomato sauce to replace your favorite spaghetti dish.

One cup of cooked spaghetti made from white, enriched noodles, contains approximately 220 calories, 42 grams of carbohydrates and very few nutrients. Comparably, one cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides about 42 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and a host of important nutrients such as vitamin A and potassium.
Once you find out how really easy it is to roast spaghetti squash you'll be craving it more and on the hunt for recipes. 

I found this step by step video on how to roast spaghetti squash helpful.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/photos/how-to-roast-spaghetti-squash
This link had easy recipes.
http://www.delish.com/cooking/g3001/spaghetti-squash/

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

Seasonal Plate

Cook's Notes: This recipe is based on the chipotle burrito bowl concept. The cooked spaghetti squash stands in for the traditional cilantro lime rice. The shell is filled with healthy southwestern ingredients.  Recipe inspired by thecomfortofcooking.com

The burrito bowl serves 2  with a half for each serving but if you cut each half again then you have 4 servings. The photo above shows one half of the cooked squash. It was served with Apple Cranberry Slaw a recipe that was previously posted. 
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2016/08/apple-cranberry-almond-slaw.html 
and Spring Special: Cupcake a la Mode 
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2017/04/a-small-bite-big-flavor.html
If you like a little more heat increase cumin, chili powder and oregano to 1/2 tsp. each.  
FYI: My husband had finished most of his meal before he learned he was eating squash which is his least favorite vegetable. He was surprised at how mush he liked it served in the burrito bowl. So maybe just maybe kids will spring for this too.   

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized squash
• 1 TB. olive oil or Herb or Lemon Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup each  red onion, diced and red and yellow sweet mini peppers
• 3 garlic cloves. minced
• optional 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1/4 tsp. each cumin, chili powder, oregano
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup canned steamfresh Mexi-Corn or frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup chunky salsa
• juice of one half lime
• 1-1/2 cups fat reduced Mexican Four Cheeses
• 1/4 cup torn cilantro

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cover baking pan with parchment paper or foil that has been lightly sprayed  with cooking spray.
• Rinse squash and slice lengthwise. Scoop out flesh and lightly grease inside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

• Turn squash halves upside down on baking sheet. Bake about 45 minutes as it depends on the size of the squash.You can test to see if it's done by scraping the inside with a fork. Strands should come loose as you scrape all the way down to the flesh.
• While the squash is roasting prepare the filling. 
• In a small bowl mix the spices.  
• In a large skillet warm one tablespoon of oil. Saute onions, garlic, jalepeno, peppers and spices about 5 minutes.
• Add in beans, corn and salsa. Cook on low heat until all ingredients are warmed. Keep warm.
• Remove squash from oven, cool a few minutes then scrape spaghetti strand out and place in a bowl. You will have about 2 cups. 
• Fill squash burrito bowls with corn and bean mixture.  Sprinkle each half with lime juice.  

•    Top with spaghetti squash strands and cheese.

• Broil 1-2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately. 

________________________________________________

Lost Poems
Author unknown

I wrote a bunch of poems,

stapled them together,

took them to a friend’s house.


But they somehow slipped

through the floorboards

And disappeared.


I never got those poems back.

I tried to rewrite them

but they weren’t the same.


One night two months later,

sleeping over at my friend’s house,

we heard restless sounds,


strange little noises

that my friend insisted

were nothing but squirrels or mice.


But I pictured my lost poems

scurrying on little feet

between the floors.