spaghetti squish squash.

 who in the world doesn't love pasta? i think no one. but, and i mean big but, it packs on the carbs & calories, which my booty and lots of my friends don't like. so when i began dieting, i essentially just cut out pasta almost entirely. it wasn't something i needed or craved often, so it wasn't an issue. one day, though, my mom sent me home with some random groceries when i visited her & accompanying the delicious veggies was a spaghetti squash. i had read about this amazing pasta alternative on pinterest & countless blogs, but had never bought one for myself. but since it happened to land in my lap, i had to now find a way to prepare it. 

ingredients (for meal serving 2):
- 1 spaghetti squash 
- 1/3 yellow onion
- 9 campari tomatoes
- 5 mushrooms 
- 1/2 zuchinni 
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic 
- 1/2 cup of kale 
- crushed red pepper 
- cajun seasoning, pepper & salt to taste 

 

 

the first time i prepared it, the most difficult part for me was the actual cutting of the squash. you can bake it whole and cut it after, but i didn't have that amount of time to sit and wait for a squash to cook, so i settled for sawing away at this odd thing. it took me awhile, but when i used a serrated knife it went pretty well. once the squash is nicely cut into halves, you begin to scoop the seeds out as you would a pumpkin, or any other squash.  once it is neatly cleaned & halved, you reach the point where you decide how hungry you are. the first time i made it, i was starving, so i resorted to microwaving it (which doesn't change the flavor) for 6-10 minutes until it is soft. today, i baked it at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. once out of the oven and cooled, take a fork & fork away at the edges of your squash to create what looks like noodles. 

while i was waiting for the squash to cook and cool, i began to make my sauce. i started by chopping the onion & browning it in the pan. after it as browned, i added my chopped garlic & 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. i let that simmer a tad and then added my tomatoes & basil that i had chopped along with the seasonings (pepper, red pepper & cajun). cover & let it simmer while you prepare the veggies. i had mushrooms, zucchini & kale that looked delicious, so those are the veggies i chose. after about 10-15 minutes of the tomatoes simmering, add the chopped zucc, mushrooms & kale. cover & let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  & voila, you just made your own pasta sauce. combine sauce with your squash & your meal's complete.

final stats (per serving): 

calories: 121

fat: 0.5 g

carbs: 28 g

protein: 6.5 g  

fiber: 6 g 

sweet dreams & full stomachs :D.