Well, well, well. It’s that blessed day of the week again, the day when I get to completely and unabashedly discuss food for as long and in as much detail as I want. 🙂 Sigh… life is wonderful.
Today I want to discuss the attempt of last night night: spaghetti squash. 🙂
I was given a spaghetti squash this past Wednesday, and to me, a cook at heart, I was super-excited to try making it. I’ve heard so much about this stringy squash–even tasted it once– so getting to cook my own was a joy.
Before I say anything, let me apologize for my lack of pictures. I have been using my camera on my phone, but that is dying, and I don’t know where my cord (to connect the camera to my computer) is for my actual camera. Bummer.
I did some research before I even started on the correct way to cook these squash. You can bake them, boil them, slow-cook them, and even microwave them. Because I was the only one trying it, I decided to microwave it. Adam wasn’t really into the whole eat-a-squash-that’s-stringy-like-spaghetti thing, so while I made a breakfast-style dinner for him (pancakes and bacon), I decided to do a little test-run of this veggie for myself.
Ok, so the first thing I did with this beast of a veggie (my squash weighed a little less than 6 lbs!!) was attempt to cut it in half. Wow! I almost didn’t make it! I had to use a huge knife and a lot of full-body leverage to get it cut lengthwise, but I managed it after a good few minutes. Then, I cleaned out the seeds, placed face-down in a microwave-able dish, covered loosely with plastic wrap, and microwaved for 10 minutes. (I would say I could have used to cook it for a good two more minutes –just a side note.)
From here, I took a normal dinner fork and pulled at the walls of the squash. It separates on its own into spaghetti-like strands. Pretty sweet!
From here, there’s so much you can do with spaghetti squash! You can use it in casseroles, enchiladas, just like spaghetti, etc. I chose to eat my first spaghetti squash like I would normal spaghetti, and I found it really tasty. Again, I think I could have used to cook mine a few minutes longer, but overall, I liked the taste. It’s like spaghetti in its somewhat plain taste, and that taste allows for a wealth of versatility in cooking. 🙂
Needless to say, I have a good bit left. I ate a bowl’s worth and have about another big bowl left. PLUS… I still have a whole second half to cook sometime.
I think I want to try to integrate it into some sort of casserole/enchilada, but we shall see. 🙂
Another key aspect of spaghetti squash is its low calorie content. Of course, I’m struggling with a sickness that reduces my appetite, but I did find it very filling. I looked online and Calorie Count told me that there’s about 50 calories in a cup of spaghetti squash. I know, I know. I shouldn’t be counting calories, but I thought it was worth mentioning if you planned on putting it into a high-fat, high-calorie casserole. You can cut the calories of each serving by using spaghetti squash instead of normal spaghetti. Just a thought. 🙂
Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you and how you enjoy it! 🙂
Tune in next week for this blog’s first-ever guest blog regarding food! Next week we’re talking grape pies during Food-Filled Fridays!
Making My Boast 