The Great Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite vegetables. It doesn't have a strong vegetable taste or smell like regular squash does, and it tastes great with butter and a little salt.

Notice how good it is for you. A 4-oz. serving has only 37 calories. It's low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, potassium, dietary fiber and vitamin C.

The next time you make spaghetti sauce, cook up a spaghetti squash instead and use the strands for the spaghetti noodles.

You can make a lasagna-like dish with it:

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash with Vegetables
Serves 6-8.

1 spaghetti squash, cooked and separated into strands
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1-2 T. olive oil or Omega Nutrition coconut oil (doesn't have coconut taste)
1 lge. can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses together and set aside. Heat oil in a skillet and add the onion, peppers and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and basil.

Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Mix squash well with the cooked vegetables and put half in the bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Top with half the cheese mixture, followed by the other half of the squash mixture, then the rest of the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. (Adapted from FabulousFoods.com).

Or try this:

Spaghetti Squash Cakes

2 eggs
¼ cup flour
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 ½ cups of cooked spaghetti squash
¼ cup finely diced red pepper
¼ cup finely diced yellow pepper
¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
Salt & Pepper
Some type of grease

Whisk egg whites and flour in a large bowl to make the batter.
Grate garlic into the batter. Add remaining ingredients and sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Grease and heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Using about ¼ cup of the batter, plop on the skillet and flatten with a spatula.

Cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side until the squash cake no longer sticks to the pan and becomes golden brown. Batter makes about 8 cakes.

Adapted from greenlitebites.com.

Spaghetti Squash Storage Facts:

Store at room temperature for about a month. Cooked spaghetti squash freezes well. Partially thaw before re-using, then steam for five minutes, till tender but firm.

Ways to Cook Spaghetti Squash:

You can remove the seeds either before or after cooking.

Bake It -- Pierce the whole shell several times with a fork and put in a baking dish. Cook squash at 375°F about an hour or until the flesh is tender.

Boil It -- Boil a large pot of water, drop in the squash, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size. It's done when a fork can easily go into the flesh.

Crock-Pot - Pick a small enough spaghetti squash that it will fit into your crockpot. Add 2 cups of water. Pierce the whole squash several times with a fork, add it to the crock-pot, then cover and cook on low for 8 or 9 hours.

Once the squash is cooked, pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands.

Note: Spaghetti squash can be microwaved, but I'm becoming convinced that, regardless of what the experts say, microwaving alters food into an unnatural, non-health-producing state. The Soviet Union banned microwaves in 1976. See my article on microwaves on my other blog (denisehokiepokie.blogspot.com).