Thunder play list on iPod
My name is Red and I am a newly converted spaghetti squash devotee. Make no mistake that I am giving up pasta entirely because my comfort food will always be a steamy hot bowl of wholemeal spaghetti drenched in a tomatoey/garlic sauce with a few strewn about garden peas. Forever. But I have been seriously taken with this light, nutrient dense, low carb alternative. For a while now I have been watching as the craze for this squash has taken over veggie web however I have never been able to source any in England. ML had bought some seeds to have a go at growing some for me...then got diagnosed with the 'gardens are evil' illness. Sad but true. I graciously gave up my yen to try it and simply admired others recipes as they floated by. And in all honesty I wasn't entirely convinced that a squash could be made into spaghetti but since then I regularly enjoy carrot and mooli noodles mixed in with my scant amount of buckwheat noodles for lunch. So what did I know, eh?
NOTHING! That's how much! lol. After a recent visit to my GP we were walking back to our car and being the veggie junkie I am I was paying more attention to the independent grocers next to where we were parked. I was taken by the enormous Romanescos that were sat in the baskets outside so I detoured over the stands to select one. Then I saw the basket of squashes....I very nearly hyperventilated when I realised sat amongst them was a single spaghetti squash. It, along with a large funky shaped pumpkin, was stashed in my basket. Happy veggie junkie day! Hey! You gotta get your kicks in life where you can, right? lol.
Now being the novice at this task that I am..I sought out advice from veggie web and before too long I was roasting off my halved and de-seeded squash. Ann was over that day and so we both nervously looked at them sceptically as I removed them from the oven. Risking burns I grabbed hold and got forking! And it worked! Within minutes I had an enormous pile of spaghetti strings. Now will they ever be completely mistaken for pasta...no. But if your bent is for trad pasta...then cook trad pasta! This spaghetti held its shape even as I mixed in the flavoured sauce I'd made to go with it. It absorbed the flavours and only slightly wilted. After photos were taken and believe me it was still steaming as we sat down to taste our efforts....we devoured it. Nope...no nice way of saying it...we didn't elegantly taste it...we went for it. Now apart from the slight initial burn from the chipotle...it was a sheer pleasure to eat.
The smokey chipotle sauce seeped through into every strand. The black beans were comforting and the sweetcorn were little bursts of freshness. The spaghetti was extremely light and added a great texture. It all worked...even down to the aroma that floated around. I will be making this dish often...I wouldn't change a thing. I was disappointed that it was going to be a one shot dish...how lucky would I be to find another squash anytime soon? Well, my veggie luck wasn't too shabby as ML came back from a pharmacy trip with not only a bag of meds....but another spaghetti squash! I was so happy!
So on other news...I am currently nestled in the little village of Hayfield in the Peak District, England. We are taking in the relaxing vibes from the beautiful hills and I am trying not to freak out at every shop having dead creatures strung up for purchase. (OK I am freaking out but apparently I'm in the hunting, shooting, fishing area...did not know that!!! Urgh!) We are being joined by Ann, Caz, Dev and Bev along the way so it's a shared pals holiday. So I will be dipping in when I can with recipes and holiday tales over the next week. But for now I shall wish you all a fantastic weekend...
 |
| Rocket & Roses Chipotle Black Bean Spaghetti Squash |
Rocket & Roses Chipotle Black Bean Spaghetti Squash 1 med squash
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)
1 medium spaghetti squash, halved and de-seeded
1 tsp rapeseed oil
1 med red onion, finely chopped
2 chipotle chillies in adobo, finely chopped
1 tsp mild chilli powder - optional
1 tin of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small tin of sweetcorn, rinsed and drained
1 large red bell pepper, small dice
juice of one lime
handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Himalayan salt and black pepper corns to season
Pre-heat your oven to 350'F/350'C/GM4 and place the halved squash cut side down in a shallow baking sheet and add some water to the tray. Bake for 4o minutes until tender. Remove from the oven but cover with foil to keep warm until the sauce is ready.
In a skillet heat the oil and cook the onions and pepper until the onion has softened. Add in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Using a fork, drag the prongs down along the flesh of the squash and this will create the spaghetti. As you make the mounds tip them into a large bowl until you are left with two empty squash shells. Pour the chipotle bean sauce over the spaghetti and stir until all the spaghetti is covered. Tip back into the shells to serve...or into bowls. Choice is as ever, yours!
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a very splendid weekend...
~Red~
NB: This is my creation apart from the cooking suggestion for the spaghetti squash..that was posted by Anon. I have no problem with you using this recipe or sharing it as long as you give credit where its due as I always try to...thanks Anon!! Namaste...~R~
