I like when food makes its own bowl. Whether it be soup in a giant bread bowl, an ice cream cone (sort of a bowl) or vodka in a watermelon, the options are not always the most ideal health-wise. Spaghetti squash changes all that. It also gets bonus points for being a natural version of one of America’s most beloved simple carbohydrates. Using a grill and pre-made tomato sauce makes this meal very easy to throw together quickly and it requires only a few ingredients. Traditional spaghetti with pasta made from refined flour is usually heavy and difficult to digest. With squash as the base it is still hearty and grounding but much lighter and cleaner. While spaghetti squash only has around a quarter the amount of calories as an equal portion of pasta, it has similar amounts of fiber which ensures that it is still filling. Plus it has lots of extra antioxidants and a wider range of more vitamins and minerals.
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- 3 cups button mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 small spaghetti squash, cut in half length-wise with seeds scooped out
- Optional topping: fresh basil
- Turn on the BBQ and close the lid until it reaches 400°. While it is heating place the ground beef and shallots in a large wok or pot over medium high heat on the stove and sautée until the beef is fully cooked, it should be nicely browned with no pink left. Then add in the mushrooms and tomato sauce and leave it to simmer on a low boil, turning the heat down to medium if it is boiling too aggressively. Whenever the BBQ is ready place the spaghetti squash halves cut side down over the grill and close the lid for 10 minutes. Then flip them over and close the lid for another 3 minutes. By now they should be fully cooked but check to make sure by using a fork to pull the flesh away from the skin and separate the strands with a couple strokes. If the individual strands do not easily separate it needs a couple more minutes on the grill. Once ready, place each half in a bowl and scoop the sauce on top.
