Tag: spaghetti squash

Mexican Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

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It’s a sad day when you realize your idea of fun is traveling an hour to the Trader Joe’s.

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That’s how we spent our Saturday. The first Saturday we had BIG plans in weeks.

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It was amazing.

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We started the day off with a nice brunch in Raleigh. I found a place that serves $1 mimomas and has a buffet that’s included with your entree. OK, this sounds like a Ruby Tuesdays, but I promise it was pretty legit and economical! Then we did some major damage up in the TJ’s. I mean, we come prepared. We literally pack an ice chest so I can stock up on frozen things and produce…. we’re sane, we know. We ended our Saturday adventure at the most super duper Target I have ever seen. It had a DELI. Like, nice folks ready to slice me up some ham. At the Target! I’ve dreamed about this before, but never thought it would actually happen for me.

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I have nothing going for me, I realize this.

 

 

Time: 1 1/2 hours (prep + cooking) | Serves: 2 boats!

Ingredients:

  • 2 spaghetti squash, halved + de-seeded
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed + drained
  • 1 cup of frozen corn
  • 3 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 1 tsp. of cumin
  • 1 tsp. of chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika
  • S+P, to taste
  • 1 lime
  • Red cabbage, for serving
  • Cilantro, for serving

How to:

  • Preheat oven to 375
  • Drizzle 1 tbsp. of olive oil in each spaghetti squash + add some S+P
  • Roast, halved side down, for 45 minutes
  • Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
  • Add red onion + S+P, cook 3-4 minutes
  • Add red pepper + jalapeno, cook another 3 minutes
  • Add beans + cumin + chili powder + smoked paprika + S+P, cook another 4-5 minutes
  • Add corn + juice of 1/2 the lime, cook another 3-4 minutes
  • Once squash is cooled, using a fork, start loosening up some of the noods
  • Top with bean mix + cabbage + cilantro + serve with lime wedges
  • Twirl up some noods + goodness + enjoy your luxury vacation in your spaghetti squash boat!

 

Adapted from here!

Autumn Greek Salad

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Lately, my biggest fear and greatest hope are the same thing.

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Is that the opening verse of a pop song or what??? Call me, T. Swift.

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It’s true, though. It’s like I’m so terrified of this thing happening, but I also I kind of desperately want it to………….

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So I live in a townhouse and share a wall with neighbors on the left and the right. They are fine folk, kind, agreeable, all that. I work from home so I spend a lot of time inside said townhouse. While I work or do house chores or just generally live, I have music playing. The genres vary depending on my rapidly changing moods. I can go from top 40 to indie to Broadway to Christian to folk to emo jams I used to have as my MySpace songs all in a day’s work. No matter the genre or my mood, I sing along. And I only have one volume. Can you guess what it is? Basically a deafening, blood curdling scream. You would think I would have more consideration for my neighbors, but nah. I’ve got the music in me, what can I do?? I have a sneaking suspicious my neighbors have all heard me at least 39458 times and they make fun of me to their friends. The thought brings me to my knees in terror, but also….do you think they think I’m good? Like, what if they tell their friends that their neighbor is maybe a professional singer and they send recordings of my performances to them to prove my talents??? That would be neat.

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Eventually, I’m going to find a strongly worded letter in my mailbox telling me to invest in a muzzle.

 

 

 

Time: 1 hour (prep + cooking) | Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 cups of arugula or mixed greens
  • 1 spaghetti squash, halved + deseeded
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled + deseeded + cut into cubes
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 english cucumber, sliced thin
  • 1/2 a red onion, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup of kalamata olives, halved
  • 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp. of garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp. of agave
  • 1/3 cup of olive oil + 2 tbsp.
  • S+P, to taste
  • Pumpkin seeds, for serving

How to:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Arrange spaghetti squash halves on a baking sheet + drizzle with 1 tbsp. of olive oil + some S+P, arrange cut side down
  • Line another baking sheet with foil + arrange butternut squash in an even layer + drizzle with 1 tbsp. of olive oil + S+P
  • Bake both for 40-45 minutes, tossing butternut squash once in the middle of cooking + checking on your spaghetti squash to make sure it’s not charring
  • Once cooled, pull out the spaghetti squash noodles
  • Meanwhile, combine apple cider vinegar + garlic + Dijon + agave + remaining olive oil + S+P
  • In a bowl, combine tomatoes + cucumber + onion + olives + 1-2 tbsp. of the apple cider vinaigrette, let marinate until ready to serve
  • To serve, arrange some greens on a plate + top with spaghetti squash + butternut squash + marinated veggies + pumpkin seeds + a lil more dressing
  • Hopscotch your fork from squash to squash, getting a lil bit of everything on your utensil, then slingshot it all into your pie hole, repeat until you are full or your wrist is exhausted from slingshotting

Spaghetti Squash with Veggies + Tomato Sauce

2 Comments

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WHAT A WEEK AND A HALF, I TELL YOU!

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Your girl has been plumb RUNNING. Not like the exercising kind, though. Quite the opposite, in fact.

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My BFF came to visit for a few days. Then I went home to Memphis for a week. When these two things happen, I lose all self control and morph into the gluttonous creature God intended.

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For example, while out to dinner last Saturday before the Kacey Musgraves concert, I single handedly ate three baskets of chips with salsa. I really wish I was exaggerating. I was in actual pain the next day and resolved to never do that again. Then Monday rolls around and my daddy offers to take me to my favie Mexican restaurant in Memphis. What do I do? WORK on another two baskets of chips. Moral of this story: I LOVE CHIPS. & also I have this problem where I don’t stop eating when I’m full???? It’s not great. How does one just not overeat when there is tasty food in front of one? Like, as a rule, I don’t take home leftovers from restaurants. Not because I’m morally opposed, there are just literally 0 leftovers to take.

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Now I’m home and trying to detox but my stomach is stretched out so lotssss of peanut butter is happening.

 

Time: 1.5 hours (prep + cooking) | Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

  • 1 spaghetti squash, halved + seeds scooped out
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed + halved
  • 1 carrot, peeled thin with a vegetable peeler
  • 1 zucchini, cut into tiny bits
  • 4 tomatoes off the vine, cut into chunks
  • 4 tbsp. of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp. of basil, chiffonaded
  • 4 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. of crushed red pepper
  • S+P, to taste
  • Toasted pumpkin seeds, for serving

How to:

  • Preheat oven to 400
  • Drizzle spaghetti squash insides with 1 tbsp. of olive oil + some S+P
  • Arrange on a lined baking sheet, cut side down + stab with a fork a couple times
  • Roast for 40 minutes
  • Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil
  • Add asparagus + cook 3 minutes, pour into a colander + rinse with cold water
  • Chop roughly into tiny bits
  • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
  • Add zucchini + S+P, cook 3-4 minutes
  • Add asparagus + carrot + S+P, cook another 3-4 minutes
  • Remove veggies from the pan
  • Add tomatoes to a food processor + process until smooth
  • Heat remaining olive oil to the skillet over medium heat
  • Add garlic, cook 1 minute
  • Add tomatoes + S+P, bring to a boil, reduce heat + let simmer for about 20 minutes, if a lil thin, add some coconut milk
  • Add basil + crushed red pepper
  • To serve, place some spaghetti squash noodles in a bowl + top with veggies + sauce + pumpkin seeds
  • Gently mix up all of the goodness + use your fork to gingerly twirl the noodles like you’re in an Olive Garden commercial + slurp them down like you’re also at an Olive Garden