What In The Heck Is Spaghetti Squash?

         I first heard about spaghetti squash in college. I had absolutely no desire to try it-ever. As a picky eater I just knew that it wasn't for me. Recently, however, a friend told me how much she liked it and suggested that I try it. Since it met both of my requirements (1. It has to be nutritious, light on calories, and free of processed foods-so, overall healthy, and 2. It must be easy to cook because I am an amateur cook at best and have limited time to cook) I decided to give it a whirl! To my great surprise, I LOVED it.


       Health Benefits:  The squash and peppers are full of Carotene which protects against certain cancers, heart disease, cataracts, and macular degeneration. The peppers also have Vitamin A which helps with night vision, and Vitamin C which boosts immunity, protects against heart disease, and helps heal wounds.


*WARNING: Like I said, I am an amateur cook at best...


Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 onion

1 clove minced garlic
1and 1/2 cups tomatos
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 orange pepper
3/4 cup feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half and remove all of the seeds. Place the squash cut side down on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 30 to 45 minutes or until a sharp knife can be inserted with minimal resistance.
Remove from oven an put aside until it is cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, saute onion, garlic, and peppers in olive oil. Stir in tomatos just long enough to warm them.
4. Use a fork to scrape out the squash and place in a bowl. It will look like angle hair pasta. Toss with vegetables, basil, and feta cheese.  Serve warm.
1/6th of this recipe has 155 guilt free calories. :)
You can also bake the squash as above (just the squash portion of the recipe) and top with your favorite pasta sauce for a low cal way to enjoy spaghetti. I have several friends that LOVE it this way.


Resources: Whole Living Magazine, livestrong.com