Dinner : Spaghetti Squash

Through Pinterest, I discovered Spaghetti Squash.  I was really excited to find it at the store yesterday so I decided to make it for dinner tonight.  Now, let me warn you...people will tell you it tastes like spaghetti. It does not...it tastes like squash.  However, as long as you like squash or zucchini, you should like this.  Overall, I thought it was good. But I liked having a veggie or two for each bite to help with the taste.  In the future, I may try making this with spaghetti sauce as well.

Because I had no idea where to even begin, I used this recipe to get me started.
I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and started on my mission to try and cut the Spaghetti Squash in half.

And let me tell you...this was no easy task.  Based on what was on the sticker that came on the squash, I decided to microwave it for about 75 seconds.  This made it much easier to cut!

Once it was cut, I laid it face down on a greased baking pan and put it into the oven for 30 minutes.  Note : after going through this process, I think it would be easier to take the pulp out of the squash and the insides would cook better if you gut out all of the orange parts of the squash (just the top center portion) and the seeds.

After baking, this is what your squash should look like.  (Actually it will look a little different because you will have removed the whole middle portion!) You need to make sure you let it cool so you will be able to handle it.  While it cools, you can get started on your veggie toppings or pasta sauce.

Because I do not like tomatoes, onions, peppers, or mushrooms (haha, yes I know!), I decided to stick to some of my favorite veggies for the top.  I added a few tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to a skillet and put the carrots and broccoli in.  I let them cook until they turned a little brown and then I took them out.  Next I put the black olives on the skillet just until they were warm.

Next, I used a fork to scrape out the pulp.

I had a harder time with this because I hadn't taken the seeds and orange-ish part. So I un-tangled that and threw it out.  But, next time I will make sure to take that portion out before I put the squash into the oven!

Now all that is left is plating your dinner.  I added my vegetables, threw on some Olive Oil and topped it off with some parmesan cheese.  Overall, it was an easy, filling meal that I am sure to try in many more variations in the future!