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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Easy Sushi Bowl

This is a lazy person's dinner. Minimal veggies to chop. Throw the rice in the cooker and walk away. Sit your lazy butt down outside with a beer and shell edamame while you stare off into space. Then, mix them everything together and much away. You don't even have to use utensils if you don't want to...

I crave sushi pretty much around the clock. I could eat sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But rolling all those sushi rolls can be tiring and darn it, it can take forever! Ain't nobody got time for that. There's certainly nothing lazy about making sushi, so what's a lazy person to do? Surely going to the store or a restaurant and buying some sushi is out of the question...that would involve putting pants on. Well never fear, the Easy Sushi Bowl is here!

Who needs utensils anyway? Or plates for that matter...maybe a couple napkins though.

Easy Sushi Bowl

Inspired by Veggie Wedgie

Makes 1 very large bowl of rice filling, serves about 4-6

• 2 cups dry rice of choice (I used 1/2 Jasmine and 1/2 Forbidden) 
• 1 large cucumber, diced small
• 2 small avocados, diced small
• 3 packages of edamame beans, shelled (3-9 oz. bags or 12 oz. shelled total)
• nori sheets
• sesame seeds for garnish
• For the sauce:
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger paste
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp. fresh wasabi paste
• 3 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil

Start by cooking the rice according to the package. This, obvs, will vary by the type of rice used. Forbidden rice takes an ungodly amount of time, 35-45 minutes?! Ain't nobody got time for that! I dunno. Use whatever rice you want. I would have liked to use my red rice because that's my jam nowadays, but I needed to get of the rest of my other opened rice first!

While the rice is cooking, chop up the cucumber and avocado. Mix the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the veggies and let them marinate while the rice is cooking.

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Now, go find some poor soul to help you shell all those damn edamame pods. This is important. You can't be shelling them all yourself, ain't nobody got time for that! (I feel I must redirect you to this) Okay you can do it all yourself, if necessary. Don't worry, it only took me like 10 minutes.  Todd helped at the end when he got home. And yes, I did sit outside in the sun to shell them. In my lawn chair. In my nightgown. With a beer. You don't think I make these things up do you? Anyways, the time you're done shelling, the rice will be all done and ready to rock.

Combine the rice, sauce, veggies and edamame in a large bowl and give it a good mix up.

And now, the best part! This dish can be eaten a variety of ways. Make a handroll. Put a scoop of the filling in a bowl and add cut-up strips of nori. Or, make actual proper sushi rolls. Have it however you like!

My ever-present Sous Chef Bob, sticks his tongue out at the heat.