The Good Kind of Squash

I used to be a very picky eater. My mom was a health-food nut, and even though I'll eat all kinds of "disgusting" veggies now, it wasn't something I wanted any part of when I was a kid. They also hadn't invented edible whole-grain bread back then, so I was stuck with sprouts-and-cucumber sandwiches between two slices of cardboard. It's surprising that I didn't get beat up every day at school!

It seems that each year that's gone by, I've added more foods to my "OK" list. First it was green peppers, then red peppers, mushrooms, sushi (I know that's not a vegetable, but whatevs), and now, squash. Specifically, spaghetti squash. This recipe is my veggie favorite, and when I'm cooking for just me, it's a healthy and easy dinner! (The boyfriend is still riding the "veggies are gross" train.)

Take a small-ish spaghetti squash and poke holes all over with a fork, then microwave for about 8 minutes, so you can cut it without the danger of slicing your finger off. (The first time I made this, I tried to cut it while raw, and realized 1) that I am not The Hulk, and 2) I am smarter than the squash. So, I microwave it first to make it a bit easier and safer for my piggies.) Using a towel to remove, because it will scorch your little fingers, place on a cutting board and cut in half length-wise. Then, place face-down in a glass casserole dish with about a 1/4 inch of water, and pop in the microwave for another 8 minutes. While this is cooking, slice up your fave veggies (I used red onion and Roma tomato).



When the squash is cooked, you can use a fork and just shred off as much as you want to eat. Toss the squash strands with EVOO, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste, and your veggies. Pour a glass of vino and trick your brain into thinking you're eating actual noodles! If you smother it in marinara, it's even better.

Happy eating!