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Fabulous Spaghetti Squash

By December 30, 2014Recipes

Are you a carboholic? You know, what a carboholic is right? LOL  When carbs are your BESTEST (not really a word…lol) friend; you just can’t get enough of your bestie!!  So now that we are trying to lead healthier lives; we have to change up our eating, and this includes reducing our carb consumption a bit.  Enter the FABULOUS spaghetti squash, yaaaas hunty, this squash gives the full feeling, just like it’s cousin pasta, but without all the bad carbs and calories!!!

I know you’re just like us, and you may be thinking, “there is just NO way I will like SQQQUUUUUUASH as much as pasta”.  Or you may be saying to yourself “I don’t like squash, so WHY would I even try this?”  Oh, but we are here to change your mind!  Spaghetti squash is so easy to cook, has a nice noodle-like texture, and tricks your mind into thinking that you are actually having pasta when you are really getting more vegetables into your diet.  What we love best of all, is only one squash goes a long way.

So here it is, today’s recipe!!  It is the first of many that will be shared.

For this FAB veggie, the recipe is titled, “Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash Boats“. It can be prepared as a vegetarian dish and/or add chicken for added protein.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium spaghetti squash
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 large bell pepper, diced
  • 14 oz red kidney or black bean beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp diced canned chilis or jalapeños (or to taste)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped + more for garnish
  • 1 + 1/2 cup Reduced Fat Colby Jack/Tex Mex/Mozzarella cheese, shredded & divided
  • 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Cooking Spray
  • *Optional (1 lb of grilled or lightly sauteed Chicken Breast)

Directions

    1. Microwave your squash for 4 minutes per pound to soften them up so that will be easier to cut open.
    2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Lightly coat the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Lay skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 mins or until cooked to a touch with a fork.013014
    3.  If you are making the optional chicken, preheat a medium skillet on medium heat and use a little olive oil to coat the pan.  Sprinkle your chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste.  I prefer to use chicken tenderloins because they cook faster and are easier to chop up into bite sized pieces.  Remove the chicken and let cool so you can chop it up.012
    4. Spray the same skillet with cooking spray and place on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and saute for 4 – 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add beans, chili powder, chilis/jalapeños, tomato sauce, cilantro and stir. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup cheese. Stir again.
    5. Remove baked spaghetti squash from the oven and let cool a few minutes. Fluff each squash “boat” with a fork releasing some of the strands, leaving the squash in a shell. Fill each “boat” with heaping 3/4 – 1 cup prepared bean/pepper etc. mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese each. Bake for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve hot, garnished with extra cilantro.020top-spaghetti-squash-boats-recipe

Storage Instructions: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving = 1 boat:
Calories: 268.5
Total Fat: 7.9 g
Cholesterol: 22.7 mg
Sodium: 732.2 mg
Total Carbs: 38.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 10.4 g
Protein: 9.1 g

Amount Per Serving = 1 boat with chicken:
Calories: 398.4
Total Fat: 9.4 g
Cholesterol: 88.5 mg
Sodium: 791.2 mg
Total Carbs: 38.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 10.4 g
Protein: 35.5 g

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