Culinary Kismet
I guess that’s what you could call what happened one Thursday morning. A friend called with a serious first-world dilemma. She was O.V.E.R. cooking dinner. Something she once loved now felt like a mundane task she was expected to take on and slay each day. And the truth is, I felt the same way. I had thrown in the towel about a week or two before.
Purchase your copy: EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A FORK: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive
See, cooking has never felt like a chore. It was something I loved. Prepping, thinking about pallets and preferences. Time and seasons. You know the drill. But that all came to a screeching halt this summer, I was done. Everything was starting to taste the same. Nothing felt exciting, I needed new ideas.
Recipe for Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
So it was during that phone conversation I decided to multi-task and sort the mail, and that’s when help literally fell into my hands. I sliced open a package to find a copy of EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A FORK: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive by chef, holistic nutritionist, award-winning entrepreneur, and solo mother of two children, Mareya Ibrahim. There was hope. And I mean, seriously, look how adorable she is!
It’s almost spaghetti squash season, so when I saw this Pad Thai recipe, I knew immediately this would be the first one I would try. I also loved the fact that I could easily substitute things and make this dish vegan-friendly. I was also looking for baked spaghetti squash recipes, specifically ones that taught me how to cook spaghetti squash whole. And don’t forget flavorful. If I was going to commit to Pad Thai, and not call for take-out, then these spaghetti squash recipes should be tasty with seasonal ingredients.
Over the next few weeks, be sure to check back as we prepare a few recipes from Mareya’s new cookbook EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A FORK: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive.
Ingredients
- 1 (3-to-4-pound) spaghetti squash, top trimmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded
- Nonstick olive or coconut oil cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons raw coconut oil
- 1 pound 16-20 ct. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons coconut amino acids
- 1 tablespoon granulated stevia or monkfruit sweetener
- 1 tablespoon red chile paste
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 scallions, sliced
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Mist the cut sides of the squash with cooking spray and place on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash’s flesh is tender and can easily be removed from the skin with a fork. Let the squash cool slightly, then scrape the flesh into spaghetti-like strands with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Set the scraped shells aside.
- In the meantime, in a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and opaque on each side, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, lime juice, amino acids, stevia, and red chile paste.
- Return the skillet to medium high heat and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Add the squash and pour the garlic-lime juice mixture over the top. Toss thoroughly to evenly coat the squash. Add the beaten egg and quickly cook for 2 minutes.
- Spoon the squash noodles back into the squash shells, dividing them evenly. Top with the shrimp, carrots, scallions, peanuts, and cilantro, and serve.
Notes
This recipe for Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai is courtesy of EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A FORK: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive. Copyright © 2019 by Mareya Ibrahim and reprinted with permission from St. Martin’s Griffin.
Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai with seasonal ingredients
