Thai Peanut Spaghetti Squash Veggie Bowl

I've been wanting to make this dish for quite some time. So long in fact, that the spaghetti squash I bought a week, a month ago had started to look pretty, well...sad. It was time. I couldn't put it off any longer. You see, spaghetti squash is my kitchen nemesis. I dread cutting them open. So, I usually opt for some much friendly squash to murder like, say, acorn squash. Butternut can still be pretty tough but delicata is my BFF in the squash world. That shit's like cutting butter. Plus, the rind is edible which is the bees knees in my book.    I've never actually harmed myself (or anyone else!) while trying to dismember a squash, but it's only a matter of time. Really. However, I'm excited to say that this dish was absolutely and totally worth it. If you want to cook spaghetti squash but your stronger significant other/roommate/random stranger isn't home to help you, don't fret. If I can do it, then you too possess the power to murder that godforsaken spaghetti squash.  

My best advice is to just take it slow. It probably took me about 15 minutes to crack this badboy open. No joke. I've heard of people microwaving the squash first to soften it, but then...you still have to wait for it to cool, so it probably takes just as long. Maybe I'm just a wimp. Am I making a big deal out of this squash thing? Who knows, but I think we've adequately examined this issue. Moving on. 

Back to this bowl! Okay, super yummy. I may (or may not!) have just been eating the sauce from the blender with a spoon. Whaaat? Don't judge me! I had a tough day yesterday. There's really not much to say except this veggie bowl is full of healthy buddies like squash, yams, broccoli, kale, and cashews for crunch of course. Mint, cilantro, sesame seeds and a Thai lime peanut sauce top it off. 

Thai Peanut Spaghetti Squash Veggie Bowl 

Inspired by The First Mess

Serves 4-6

• --For The Bowl--
• 1 large spaghetti squash, roasted
• 1 head of broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 medium garnet yam, diced (or sweet potato)
• half a bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews or peanuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
• sesame seeds (to garnish)
• --For The Sauce--
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. erythritol or sugar
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh ginger paste (or 1 Tbsp. sliced fresh ginger)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. fresh ground chili paste
• 1 lime, peeled and chopped (no seeds or pith!)
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Very carefully cut the squash in half, veggie hot dog style. This is always terrifying for me, hopefully you possess better squash murdering skills than I do! Place  the two halves on a baking sheet, face down. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour. When done, a knife tip should pierce the outside fairly easily. Allow to cool slightly before scooping out seeds. Then using a fork, string the squash meat free.

When there are about 15 minutes left for the squash. Place the chopped nuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 10-15 minutes. Careful that they don't burn! Remove and allow to cool.

While the squash cooks, steam the chopped broccoli, yam, and kale until the yam is soft. Chop the yam into pretty small pieces so you could steam them all together. Laziness for the win! They'll take about 15 minutes to steam, but check up on them. Once done, mix in the toasted nuts and set aside until ready for use. 

Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Serve the veggies and nuts over a bed of stringed spaghetti squash and top it all with the Thai peanut sauce.

Garnish with sesame seeds and the chopped herbs!

Oh and an update on Oreo, apparently one of our local coffee shops put his picture on their Facebook page yesterday and now he's off the shelter list! So, I guess he got adopted. This is a wonderful thing...aside from the fact that he was supposed to be mine! Todd had even said I could inquire about him! I called the shelter but no one picked up. Argh! Not to worry though, there are two other dogs at the shelter that I have my little doggie-loving eyes on...

Listening to Lenka – Anything I'm Not

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Curried Ginger Cabbage with Cashews & Quinoa

I think I may be on a bit of a cashew streak. So if you don't like cashews, I apologize...also, who are you? Apparently there's a whole tribe of people hating on ginger, too. Oh, the horror! Vegan Yack Attack is one of said people. It's okay, Jackie, I forgive you and your ginger detestation. Anyways, this is one ginger, curry, and turmeric laden dish that's brimming with healthy goodness. With the addition of quinoa and cabbage, is there a healthier dish out there? Ginger and turmeric are both super anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powerhouses. For nutritional information on them click those links. And of course we all know that cabbage is super nutritious. It's in the cruciferous family of vegetables and is one of the best overall cancer fighting veggies. You could read the article "Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of common vegetables: A comparative study" from the Journal of Food Chemistry (yes, there's a journal for that). Or, you could just watch this very informative video. Go watch! And learn.

Yep, paired up with protein rich quinoa, this makes one super healthy dish! Quinoa is a vegan source of complete protein which means it has an adequate proportion of all nine of the essential amino acids. Basically, eat your quinoa folks. It's better than eating parts of a cow.

This is one badass dish and look how cheerful the turmeric makes it. Ooooo. Aaahhh.

Curried Ginger Cabbage with Cashews & Quinoa

Inspired by Washington's Green Grocer

Serves 6

• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced finely
• 1 Tbsp. whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 green cabbage (about 1 1/2 - 2 lbs.), sliced thinly
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric 
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Bring the quinoa and water together to a boil in a large saucepan. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. 

Heat the oil in a super large frying pan or wok (the biggest you have!), then add the cashews, ginger, and cumin seeds. Saute for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile slice up the cabbage and add it to to pan. This can be done in parts, if needed. The cabbage will shrink down though, I promise you. Also, my German's going well. Have you been to Duolingo yet? What! No? Do it, do it now. Put down the Candy Crush/Fruit Ninja/Angry Birds and go learn a language. 

 Add in the remaining ingredients also and stir well to combine. Allow the cabbage to cook for about 10-15 or until just tender.

Add the cooked quinoa to the cabbage mixture and stir well to combine. Serve hot! 

For fun, what am I listening to? Rachael Yamagata – Be Be Your Love

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