For my first post on my revamped blog, I’d like to share a recipe with you all that I absolutely LOVE: Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai! Although the recipe is quite simple, squash does tend to soak up any flavors you feed it, quite generously, so using the correct portions and tasting what you mix/cook is absolutely essential!
For this recipe you will need:
1 Spaghetti Squash
1.5 white or yellow onions, diced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
Fresh Ginger, peeled (to be grated with a cheese grater)
3 large carrots or 10 baby carrots, diced
4 tbsp Tamari (or soy sauce)
Siracha Sauce
2 tsp Sesame Oil
4 limes
4-5 tbsp peanut butter (can be chunky or creamy)
1 Bunch of Green Onion
Bean Sprouts (1 small bag)
Fake Chicken (You can use Seitan or Vegan Chicken, or if you are gluten free, shiitake mushrooms)
Peanuts (optional)
cilantro (optional)
Instructions:
1. Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place your Spaghetti Squash in the microwave for 3 minutes. This will make it easier to cut. When the microwave beeps, CAREFULLY take out your spaghetti squash, and place in on a cutting board. Use a chopping knife to chop the spaghetti squash in half, short ways. Spoon out the seeds.
3. Take a bit of oil (olive/avocado/vegetable) and spread it both thinly and evenly on the meat of the squash. Make sure to get the rim! Flip, face down, onto your covered baking tray, and carefully poke 4 tiny holes with a fork (or knife/skewer) near the stem. If you can’t do it, wait till they’ve baked a bit and try again.
- The holes are important because they allow air to vent through the squash, so it does not steam and make the insides too soggy. Don’t poke through the whole squash, only poke 3/4 the length of your fork.
4. Bake at 400 Degrees F over for 25 minutes.
5. Next, get a bowl to start marinating your protein! I am not gluten free, so I used Sweet Earth’s traditional seitan, but feel free to use shiitake mushrooms, or any other plain chicken substitute! The marinade includes a mixture of half a lime, 1 drop of sesame oil, 4 tbsp of tamari, 1/4 of a diced onion, 1 clove of garlic (minced), and about a 1/2 inch grating of ginger. Taste the marinade. If you desire a more savory marinate, add another drop of sesame oil. Add Siracha to taste. Once you’ve finished creating your marinade, drop your protein inside, and let it sit, covered, at room temperature, until you need it.
6. Start preparing your veggies. Dice up the rest of your onion you used in your marinade, plus half of another. Mince the remaining 3 cloves of garlic, dice your 3 (or 10 baby) carrots, and grate about 1.5 inches of your ginger. In the photo below, I only used half the portion I grated, and I grated 3 inches, so this is an estimate. Also make sure to chop up an entire bunch of green onion (or peanuts, cilantro etc. whatever you chose to add in).
8. Time to make the peanut sauce! Get a mug and combine the juice of 1 lime, 4 tbsp of peanut butter, 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp of tamari, then mix. It should be VERY thick. Add water 1 tbsp at a time to thin it out. You don’t want it to be runny, so if you accidentally make it runny, add another tbsp of peanut butter, and thin it out with more lime juice instead of water. Add siracha to taste.
- The taste of this sauce is truly a personal preference. Remember it will be the flavor of your entire meal, so make sure you love it! The photo below is about the texture I enjoy achieving.
7. About now your spaghetti squash will most likely be done. To make sure, get your fork and try poking through the top. If it slides in with minimal resistance, it’s done. If it’s tough, keep it in for another 5-10 minutes and try again.
8. Scoop out the insides from the outsides in. Try not to rip the long circular strands in more than one place. Spread out onto your baking tray, lined with a new piece of parchment paper to cool.
9. Heat a large non stick pan on medium heat. I have a copper pan, so I typically don’t use oil on it, but you can use about 1 tbsp of oil if needed. Swipe your veggies into the pan (EXCLUDING THE GREEN ONION) after it heats, and cook until onions are nearly translucent. Add in your protein about half way through this process.
10. Once your veggies and protein have been cooked, add in the bag of bean sprouts, then immediately scoop in half of your spaghetti squash and mix. Turn your stove down to low. Pour half your sauce over the mixture and make sure it distributes evenly. Thin out your sauce slightly with 1-2 tbsp of water. Scoop in the other half, then pour in the rest of your sauce. Make sure the sauce distributes itself evenly, then mix in your green onion.
Serve with whatever topping you like: lime, siracha, peanuts, cilantro etc.
Enjoy!
~Soli
