Southwestern Spaghetti Squash

"Quality over quantity." This phrase says that it is better to eat small amounts of good quality (aka delicious) food rather than large quantities of less-than-great food. Why not have both? With this recipe, you totally can.

There is a spaghetti squash under there somewhere...

I promise, you will filled by the end of this dinner. This recipe is high in fiber and delivers a pretty good amount of protein too. Not only will you be pretty darn full, you won't have exceeded your calorie goal for the day! This recipe makes two large servings, and each is only 332 calories! Meaning you may be able to squeeze in some dessert...if there's any room.

For those of you with allergies, this dish is free of "The Big 8." It is also vegan and gluten-free.


Southwestern Spaghetti Squash
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 cup corn, frozen & thawed
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice spaghetti squash in half length-wise. Spoon out seeds. Place face down on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, or until tender.
3. Meanwhile, prepare filling. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers, onion, jalapeno, and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, cayenne (if using), salt and pepper, and sauté for an additional minute.
4. Add beans, corn, cilantro, and lime juice to skillet. Stir until well-combined.
5. Scrape out "spaghetti" from the squash and place in a large bowl. Mix the bean mixture with the "spaghetti" . Stuff each squash halve with the mixture, and enjoy!

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 331.9 calories,    Total carbohydrates: 67.7 g,    Fiber: 16.2 g,   Total fat: 4.2 g,   Protein: 14.1 g