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Monday, October 28, 2013

[Spaghetti Squash] Low-carb pasta substitute with Feta Cheese, olives and Tomatoes

I eat so much carbs that I feel guilty, at least sometimes if not often, since I got to know that too much carbs are never good for your health or well-being, probably about 10 years ago. But, still I can't refrain myself from eating pasta or bread for more than a couple of days in a row. Believe me, I've made and liked lots of recipes with low or zero carbs such as gazpacho soup or Cobb salad

Also, whenever I found a substitute for carbs, I've been trying it. You see? I'm really trying to use a healthy substitute rather than a high-carb ingredient! That being said, among all the low-carb recipes and ingredients,one of my favorites is spaghetti squash. 

I just love it. Have you tried it? If not, you absolutely should try it. It's lovely. I love not only the taste and low-carb amount it has, but also the texture and all the nutrients in it. 

When I purchased a spaghetti squash for the first time at a pumpkin patch, for the first time in my life, I simply googled 'spaghetti squash recipe', and found a very popular one at Allrecipes. I try All recipes recipes often as far as a recipe doesn't contain any pre-packaged or pre-mixed ingredients. 

I sound too conservative, don't I? I know. But, I prefer making food from scratch. Since I encountered for the first time, I've been trying to cook it as often as possible during the squash/pumpkin season. 

It stays fresh for a few months in a cool temperature like in fall or winter, I buy more than a couple of spaghetti squashes and keep them in a cool place.



You can basically coat spaghetti squash with any kind of pasta sauce, and it's really easy to make. Baked spaghetti squash shreds into thin and long strands which can be just just as spaghetti substitute. With any pasta sauce, it will do a great job. The only(?)  difficult part of cooking spaghetti squash pasta(?) would be halving it before you bake it. It's just so hard. If you find a stronger human being than you, ask that person to do the job for you. The only human being who is stronger than me in my household is, so far, Mr. D. So, it always has been Mr. D's job to cut a spaghetti squash into two equal pieces. After that, everything becomes pretty easy. Here goes the spaghetti recipe I adore.

Here goes the recipe for [Spaghetti Squash] with Feta Cheese, olives and Tomatoes
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 1 onion, chopped
 1 clove garlic, minced
 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
 3 tablespoons (or more) sliced black olives
 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). 

2. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place halved spaghetti squash with cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet. Poke the squash to make holes so that the squash could be baked faster.

3. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.

4. Use a large fork to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a bowl. 

5. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. 

6. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warmed through.

7. Toss with the vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

You can either mix in a skillet or in a bowl like the above.

You will be surprised how good it is~ !  Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash

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