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
[yumprint-recipe id='26']
Meanwhile, peel the pumpkin and cut in half. I just used a potato peeler! Scoop out the seeds (roast or discard) and cube the pumpkin. 
Add in the cubed pumpkin and continue to saute for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin begins to just become softened. Then, add in the remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the pumpkin can be easily pierced with a fork. 
Transfer carefully to a blender and whiz on high until silky and smooth. Make sure to allow the blender to vent at the lid or else you could have a hot soup explosion, and that's never good. It's never happened to me, but I've heard stories.
Serve hot with additional thyme, paprika and pepitas, if you wish! 
In a large soup pot, bring the water along with all the broth ingredients, excluding the miso paste, to a boil. Once boiling, turn to a simmer and once it stops boiling, add in the miso paste. Whisk well to incorporate. 
