Day 275: Spaghetti Squash with Moroccan Spices

For weeks, my sister has been raving about spaghetti squash. (Don't you just wish she'd do a guest post? All in favor, comment Aye!)

But taste-wise this version turned out bland and watery -- it just didn't work, despite all the good ingredients. (See? Don't you think my sister should do a guest post? No pressure though, 80KD!!)

And even though it was very convenient to cook the squash in the microwave (right in its own skin with no pan!), it was a real pain to pick the seeds out of the strings afterward.

NEXT TIME I'd be tempted to skip sauteeing the butter/garlic/spices (thus eliminating an extra pan) and just stir them into the hot strings. And I'll definitely cut the squash in half to remove the seeds before cooking.

FROM THE ARCHIVES For other microwave vegetables, see here in the Recipe Box.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH with MOROCCAN SPICES
Hands-on time: 1 minute up front, 10 minutes at the end, occasional attention in between
Time to table: 35 minutes
Makes 5 cups

1 spaghetti squash (3 1/2 - 4 pounds)

1 tablespoon butter (reduced from 4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon garlic (from a jar) or 3 garlic cloves (increased from 2 garlic cloves)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Wash the squash, then pierce the skin with a knife all over. (Okay yes, I counted, 36 cuts was enough to prevent the squash from exploding in the microwave). Cook on 100% power (mine's an 850-watt oven, if yours is higher or lower in power, these times will need to be adjusted) for 6 minutes, turn over, then cook for another 8 - 10 minutes until the squash is soft. (The difference was really obvious once it got soft.) Let cook for 5 minutes. Cut in half (be careful, steam will release) and pick out the seeds.

Melt the butter in a small sauce, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the spices. Stir into the cooked squash. Stir in the cilantro.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
NOTE: This estimate is rougher than usual in that I had to finagle the squash details.
Per Cup: 87 Cal (33% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 61% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 15 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; NetCarb 15; 55 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 508 mg Sodium; 6 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Adapted from Gourmet February 2002


(c) Copyright 2006 Kitchen Parade
Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. Aye, aye!

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  2. We'll help, Mom, really!!

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  3. Aren't we tricky! THE SISTER also cooks her spaghetti squash in the mike, but halves it first and cleans out the seeds before cooking. When THE SISTER made it last week, she used the first half for supper, but then forgot the second half in the mike and didn't find it until the next morning when she wanted to reheat her coffee. THE SISTER just scraped out all the strings into a dish and put it in the fridge and used it anyway with no problems.

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  4. I absolutely vote for Alanna's sister to do a guest post. (Hmmm. I have 6 sisters. The possibilities are endless.)

    ReplyDelete

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna