Southwest Spaghetti Squash

Okay. I'm working on getting back into healthier recipes. Tuesday nights are great, because Dan has class, so I can make more vegetarian dishes, or at least dishes with more veggies in them. One of the veggies that I love that Dan will never, ever, eat (not even a taste), is spaghetti squash. Well, all squash really. Dan can't take the mushy texture of them, so never mind the stringy spaghetti squash. Overall, I find spaghetti squash bland, so whatever I pair it with needs plenty of flavor. I've used it in place of regular spaghetti with some red sauce; I've paired it with spinach and cheese. I'm always game for some Mexican food (flavors Dan never wants to eat), so this recipe is great when I'm cooking for myself.

I changed it very slightly, but only by omitting the cilantro and using yellow pepper instead of red pepper. Cilantro always comes in gigantic bunches at the store, and I will never use the amount I get. Every time I've ever bought it, I waste about 3/4 of it. I also used Mexican cheese on top because that's what I had in the fridge. I found another way to serve this dish as well. A way that adds a little more sustenance and really makes it a Mexican style dish. The dish is plenty filling as is, so don't think that because I found another way to serve it that needs any improvements. It's great the way the recipe intends it to be. I also had enough filling to fill 2 whole squashes, so you'll have some leftover filling to enjoy later!

Southwest Spaghetti Squash

adapted from The Comfort of Cooking

1 small to medium spaghetti squash

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 bell pepper (any variety) chopped

1 jalapeno, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced (I sliced mine)

1/2 tbsp. ground cumin

1/2 tbsp. oregano

1/2 tbsp. chili powder (I used a little less, I didn't want too much heat)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 squeeze of lime juice

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or any variety)

1. Roast the squash. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with some oil, salt and pepper and roast at 375 for 45-60 minutes. Let cool and scoop out the flesh "spaghetti". Set aside and save the shells.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, jalapeno and garlic, saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add the spices and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the beans, corn and lime juice. Add the squash and cook until everything is heat through. Spoon filling into the squash shells and top each with half the cheese.

5. Broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Oh and were you wondering what the other way to serve it is?

As I was looking at how much leftover filling I had (and the other half of the squash I have for lunch tomorrow), something just dawned on me. This might be good inside of a tortilla, like a taco. I decided to test it out.

I took some filling and put it on a tortilla. I topped with some cheese and nuked it in the microwave for 30 seconds. I topped with a dollop or two of sour cream and rolled it all up.

It was delicious! I love finding different style of tacos and fajitas, and I'm pretty obsessed with Mission's Carb Balance Tortillas. They're healthier than others and the softest things on the planet. Seriously, it's like eating a taco or fajita that's been wrapped in a cloud. I think I kind of preferred it taco-style rather than just plain, but I'm a carb-a-holic, so if there's a way to add more carbs, I'll probably always prefer that. I guess I need greater will power...