Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash

This was delicious, lovely and spicy and the usual watery nature of the spaghetti squash was gone, so all in all a success.

Cajun Chicken Spaghetti Squash (from Destination Delicious)
(Serves 6)

2 medium spaghetti squashes
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
450g chicken breast, chopped into small cubes
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 peppers
3 tomatoes, diced
60g cream cheese
bunch parsley, chopped  

Preheat the oven to 200C. Prick the spaghetti squashes with a fork and put into the oven. Bake for 40mins - 1 hr until soft. set the squash aside until cool enough to handle. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cajun spice to the chicken and combine.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in  frying pan over a medium high heat, add the chicken and sauté for about 5 mins. Add the onion, garlic and peppers to the pan with 1 tsp cajun seasoning and sauté until softened.

Then, add in the tomatoes and cream cheese. Stir until combined. Take the mixture off the heat. When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the spaghetti strands out of each half. Add the spaghetti squash and the chicken to the sauté pan and toss to combine. Serve.

Spaghetti Squash and Kale Bake

This is a wonderfully low carb meal, the spaghetti squash takes the place of any pasta and the ricotta creates a creamy sauce. The original recipe had kale in it but I went for cavolo nero as I prefer the taste and it has less tough stems. 

Spaghetti Squash and Kale Bake (adapted from Sequins and Scotch)
(Serves 4)

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

425g ricotta

1 large egg

4 handfuls cavolo nero, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 tsp italian herbs

50g parmesan, grated

225g mozzarella, grated

Heat oven to 200°C. Place the squash on a baking sheet  and roast until tender, 40 to 50 mins.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, kale, garlic, nutmeg, spices, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper

When the squash is cooked, with a fork, gently scrape out the strands of flesh from the spaghetti squash and add to the ricotta mixture. Mix gently to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow casserole dish, sprinkle with the mozzarella, and bake until browned and bubbling, 18 to 22 mins.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Well this is something different to do with a spaghetti squash! Lots of my squashes went mouldy before I had a chance to use them so this is my last one and this was a fittingly tasty recipe to make with it! Full of flavour, this transforms this sometimes watery and bland vegetable.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (from Green Gourmet Giraffe)
(Serves 2)

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tbsp oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper
400g tin black eye beans, drained and rinsed
100g sweetcorn
1 tsp liquid smoke
Juice 1 lime
2 handfuls grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 190C. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and cook until it is soft, 45 mins - 1 hr. Cool so it is cool enough to handle . Spoon out and discard the seeds.

Heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion, garlic, chilli and pepper and fry until the onion is soft. Add the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and seasoning. Stir for 1 min. Stir in the black beans, corn, liquid smoked and lime juice. Scrape the spaghetti squash flesh into the pan with a fork. Keeping the shell. Mix the filling mixture with one handful of mozzarella and the spaghetti squash until everything is well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the spaghetti squash shells, pressing down with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella cheese.  Grill until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve.

Spaghetti Squash with Kale and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is quite a versatile dish, I added chicken and beans instead of chickpeas, you could you any sort of green instead of kale. I used cavolo nero, but it is really tasty. It also used up the last little bit of spaghetti squash I had in the freezer. I have the not so little plants sat waiting to be planted out for this year, so I can make more awesome spaghetti squash dishes.
















Spaghetti Squash with Kale and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
(from The Taste Space)
(Serves 2)

1 small spaghetti squash
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
200g kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
200g can beans/chickpeas
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
6 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips

Preheat oven to 200C.

Pierce the spaghetti squash multiple times with a fork or knife. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, turning the squash half way through cooking.  Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once the squash has cooled, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork.

Whilst the squash is cooling, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until the onion is golden, around 1 min more.

Add the kale to the pan along with a splash of water to keep it moist. Raise the heat to medium-high, and cook the greens until they turn a brilliant green, stirring often. Stir in the spaghetti squash, beans, curry powder, smoked paprika and chilli flakes. Continue to cook and stir the squash for an additional 3-4 mins, or until the kale ribbons are tender, but still nice and bright. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Season and serve.

Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This was so good. This was my last spaghetti squash from the garden so I wanted to try something different with it. This cookbook has some lovely old style recipes in it and this is a gem. Low carb and delicious!

Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole (from Old Fashioned Squash Recipes)
(Serves 4-6)

1 large spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
1 onion, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
250ml sour cream
1 small jar pimento peppers, chopped
2 carrots, grated
170g box stuffing mix
4 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Combine the onion, chicken, soup, sour cream, pimentos and carrots in a large bowl. Stir in the squash.

In a separate bowl, combine the stuffing mix with melted butter and stir into the mixture.

Turn into a casserole dish and bake for 25- 30 mins or until golden on top.

Pesto Chicken and Spaghetti Squash with Green Beans

This is not really a recipe, more of a something to do with spaghetti squash as I often run out of ideas! It's paleo friendly if you make your own pesto without cheese and follow that sort of thing and also gluten free obviously. It's also damn tasty and simple to make especially if you're lazy like me and used pesto from a jar.

Pesto Chicken and Spaghetti Squash with Green Beans
(Serves 1)

1 chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 small or 1/2 large spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
handful green beans
1 tbsp pesto

Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until it is brown, add in the green beans and cook for a couple of mins until soft.

Add in the spaghetti squash and cook for a few mins until the water evaporates or the squash is a little cooked. Stir in the pesto so that it covers everything. Serve.

Spaghetti Squash Burrito

I grow spaghetti squash in the garden and always end up with about 4 or 5 a year so I'm always looking for things to with them that are more than just a side dish with a bit of butter as tasty as that is.

This hit the nail on the head, it was deliciously different. It used spaghetti squash instead of rice for the filling of the burrito and was really tasty. You could add in meat to make it non vegetarian but I stuck with refried beans to bulk it out a bit.

Spaghetti Squash Burrito (from Green Lite Bites)
(Serves 2)

1 small spaghetti squash
1 small tin refried beans
4 tbsp salsa
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1 small avocado, destoned and chopped
2 large tortillas
60g monterey jack or cheddar

Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 40 mins to 1 hour until soft.

Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and then scrap the insides with a fork to form spaghetti like strands.

Heat a frying pan and cook the squash gently with the refried beans, 2 tbsp of the salsa and the cumin and chilli powder. Toss to combine occasionally.

Place the avocado in the middle of the wraps and top with the spaghetti squash mixture. Sprinkle on the cheese and the rest of the salsa, then roll up, cut in half and serve.

Veg Week Day 4

Tuesday

Breakfast: Lemon Yoghurt
Snack: Banana, Digestive Biscuit
Lunch: Spaghetti Squash Bake, Salad with Vinaigrette
Snack: Cookies and Cream KitKat
Dinner: M&S Egg Salad Sandwich, Pop Chips, Coke Zero, Banana and KitKat Chunky Hazelnut

Yesterday I was hungry, especially after lunch, which was pretty much just vegetables, and by the time it got to 6pm and I'd done an hour of Zumba I was ridiculously hungry. I was supposed to go home and cook but I ended up grabbing a sandwich from M&S as it was an hour home and I needed to eat before then. The only choices left seemed to be Cheese Ploughman's or Egg, so I went with the egg. There's not been a whole lot of protein so far, but I guess if I was doing this all the time and my tummy didn't feel so uncomfortable I'd be having chickpeas and more lentils.

Today for lunch Emma tried Boots first but there were no veggie sandwiches left and then went to M&S and the choice was Cheese and Onion or Egg and Cress and she had Egg and Cress. For dinner she went to Wagamamas and had Yasai Katsu Curry but said that she often has this anyway so it wasn't that different from usual.



Spaghetti Squash Bake
(Serves 4)

1 large spaghetti squash
1 tsp chopped parsley
125ml sour cream
125g cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Prick the spaghetti squash with a fork all over and then roast in the oven for 40 mins-1 hour or until tender. Leave to cool for a bit and then cut in half and scrap out the seeds.

Using a fork, scrape the insides of the squash and transfer to a small bowl. Combine the squash with the parsley, sour cream and half the cheese and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Moroccan Style Spaghetti Squash

This is what happens when you're looking for things to do with spaghetti squash! This one sees it put on it's Moroccan fez so to speak. It was subtle but delicious and went really well with the Roasted Veg and Chickpea Tagine.

Moroccan Style Spaghetti Squash (adapted from Gourmet Magazine February 2002)
(Serves 4)
(1 WW ProPoint per serving)

 

1 large spaghetti squash

4 tbsp low fat spread

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp cayenne

3/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 180C.

 

Pierce squash (about an inch deep) all over with a small sharp knife. Bake the squash in the oven for 1- 1 1/4 hrs. When it is soft all over removed from the oven and leave to cool for 5 mins.

          

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.

          

Carefully halve squash lengthwise (it will give off steam) and remove and discard seeds. Working over a bowl, scrape the squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating strands as you remove it from the skin. Toss the strands with the spiced butter and coriander.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagne

I have had a few spaghetti squash this year, not as many as last year but enough to keep me going! I'm always on the look out for things to do with it, and I knew that it was a good substitute for pasta, so when I came across this recipe on Skinny Taste I knew I had to try it. Gina's website is brilliant for healthy meals and although the WeightWatchers points system here is slightly different to in the States, I know that what I'm making is likely to be low in points and always delicious.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagne (adapted from www.skinnytaste.com)
(Serves 4)
(9 WW ProPoints per serving)

2 large spaghetti squash, cooked
150g mozzarella
40g Parmesan cheese, grated
100g ricotta
130g bacon or pancetta, cut into cubes
400ml tomato sauce

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Fry the bacon or pancetta until golden and crispy.

Ladle 200ml of tomato sauce into the bottom of a large oven proof dish. Top with the spaghetti squash and then the ricotta and bacon.

Sprinkle with half the Parmesan and half the mozzarella.  Add the remaining sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese in layers on top

Cover with foil and bake for 15 - 20 mins, or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook for an additional 5 mins. Serve with a green salad.

Sesame Soy Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli and Edamame

I am always looking for new things to do with spaghetti squash, last year I had a massive crop of them and by the end of the season I had loads of small ones left over. I kept them in a cupboard over winter, most went mouldy but one didn't! So when I stumbled upon this recipe I knew I had to make it! I added in some french beans and mange tout to the dish and overall I loved it! Very tasty and a great vegetarian dish.

Soy Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli and Edamame (from Once Upon a Cutting Board)

(Serves 2)

(7 WW ProPoints per serving)

For the Sesame Soy Tahini Sauce:

3 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
1-2 tablespoons water

half of a spaghetti squash
half a head of broccoli, chopped into florets
110g frozen shelled edamame
Sesame seeds for topping
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 200C. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp from the centre. Place the halves with the cut side facing down on a greased or lined baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until tender. When done, use a fork to scrape the flesh off the skin and into a bowl (it will scrape off in strands, like spaghetti).

Meanwhile whisk together all ingredients for the sauce. Taste and adjust any seasonings to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more water to thin it out.

Place chopped broccoli in a steamer and steam over boiling water for 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender and bright green. Set aside. Cook edamame according to package directions.

When all components are ready, divide spaghetti squash into two bowls, top with broccoli and edamame, and drizzle sesame soy tahini sauce over the top. Top with sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper.

Spaghetti Squash masquerading as Pasta with Prawns, Scallops and Cream Sauce

Over the summer I grew some spaghetti squash, I have only ever eaten this vegetable simply done as a side dish with a little butter and some salt and pepper. I had however read somewhere that it can be used as a substitute for pasta so I asked my friends on the cooking community at LiveJournal to see if it was true, and they confirmed that it was. I tried it out and came up with prawns and scallops in a cream sauce.



This is how it came out, I added a handful of mange tout to the dish, to add some crunch. It was delicious and worked perfectly as a dish, you could probably use pretty much any pasta sauce with this and it would work. It left me feeling full but not with the over full feeling I often get with pasta.

Spaghetti Squash as Pasta with Prawns, Scallops and Cream Sauce
(Serves 1)

1 small spaghetti squash
handful of raw prawns, deshelled
4 scallops
1 tsp old bay seasoning
handful of mange tout
2 tbsp creme fraiche
couple of squeezes of lemon juice
grated Parmesan

Put the prawns and scallops in a Ziploc bag with the old bay seasoning and shake so that the fish is coated. Leave to marinate for up to 24hrs.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Prick holes in the spaghetti squash with a fork and bake the squash in the oven for about 40-50 mins, until it feels soft.

About 10 mins before the spaghetti squash is ready heat a frying pan with a little oil. Saute the prawns and scallops for about 5 mins, until the scallops are cooked and the prawns have turned pink. Add in the mange tout about 2 mins into cooking the scallops and prawns.

Add a couple of squeezes of lemon juice to the pan and the creme fraiche. Stir until combined and the creme friache has heated through.

Take the seeds out of the spaghetti squash when it has cooked and scrape out the insides into a pasta bowl. Cover with the fish and creme fraiche mixture, and grate some parmesan over the top.

Serve with garlic bread and a side salad.