Mexican Spaghetti Squash with Tropical Salsa

This recipe is delicious! It is definitely one of my favorites.

Based on a recipe from Veganomicon.

Salsa Ingredients:
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped mango
1 avocado, cut into chunks
juice of a lime

Spaghetti Squash Mixture:
1 spaghetti squash (the brighter the yellow the better)
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup corn (I use frozen)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp or more hot sauce

Before preparing the ingredients, bake the squash. Preheat the oven to 375. Slice the squash in half width wise and scoop out the seeds. Poke a few holes on the outside and place cut-side down into a baking dish. Fill with about an inch of water. Like this:



Bake for about 45 minutes or until tender.

Next, prepare the salsa. Combine ingredients in small bowl and stick it in the fridge. Done.

Bean Mixture:
Sauté the onions in water until tender. Add the beans, spices and garlic. Simmer for about five-seven minutes or until the water is reduced. Stir in the corn and hot sauce. Heat through.

If your squash is done now, carefully take it out of the oven. Scoop out the flesh (I move in and round and round motion, trying to keep the "noodles" long) into a medium sized bowl.

Get out a portion of the squash, spoon some of the beans over it, and top with the fresh, tropical salsa. And do the happy dance.

Spaghetti squash... What's good about it?

Spaghetti squash is an excellent source of vitamin A, supplying 145% of your daily value in just one cup. They are also a very good source of vitamin C, potassium, and manganese, providing you with 32, 25 and 21% of your RDV respectively. In addition, this squash is a good source of folate, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamin, copper, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, niacin and copper. Oh, and did I mention how low in calories spaghetti squash is? Only 75 calories per cooked cup! Compare that to regular noodles with about 300 calories. And the great part is that you can use spaghetti squash in many places that you would use spaghetti noodles, including spaghetti!

Black beans

Black beans are pumped full of fiber. We all know that fiber is key to being regular, but did you know it can lower cholesterol and keep your blood sugar from spiking after a meal? Plus, they are virtually fat free and are a great source of protein.

Do you have a sensitivity to sulfates?

Black beans can help. They contain 172% of your RDV of the trace mineral molybdenum, which is an integral part of the enzyme sulfite oxidase. What this benefitial enzyme does is work to detoxify sulfites (a preservative commonly added to salad type vinegars and dressings) and if you have a sensitivity, consuming enough will help keep you from experiencing rapid heartbeats, headaches or disorientation.

Antioxidants

Black beans contain ten times the amount of antioxidants that oranges have, and are comparable to the antioxidant superstars grapes and cranberries. In fact, black beans have the most antioxidant activity of any bean.

Vitamins and minerals

These little health stars are great sources of folate, maganese, magnesium, thiamin, phosphorus and iron.

All of this, and I didn't even get into the health benefits of tomatoes, mango, and avocados. So go ahead, eat up. Your body will thank you (and your taste buds just might too!).