Hi everyone, I’m back and better than ever!

What a crazy year 2020 has been. Between traveling to Asia, getting my trip cut short because of COVID-19, then staying on people’s couches, the desert of New Mexico and with family, I’m finally back in a house and what’s more, a house with a big kitchen!

I’ve been cooking up a storm, so expect the weekly recipes from me to resume, starting with my latest one, Stuffed Spaghetti Squash!

This is a recipe I’ve been wanting to try for awhile now, but it does take time because of roasting the spaghetti squash in the oven. Overall it’s easy to do, very budget-friendly and tastes fantastic!

So without further ado…let us begin!

You will need:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• One large spaghetti squash
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped asparagus
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 8 oz)
• avocado oil for cooking
• spray oil for baking (optional)
• salt and pepper

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the spaghetti squash lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. (You can actually roast the seeds with the spaghetti squash, it tastes great).

Spray or brush a baking pan with oil, and spray or brush the inside of the spaghetti squash. Add salt and pepper and place them face-down on the tray. Poke holes in the tops with a fork then place them in the oven to bake, about 45 minutes.

Step 2:

As the spaghetti squash is cooking, chop the vegetables and start cooking them.

Add about a half to 1 tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan and cook the onions on medium high heat until brown. Add the garlic in halfway through so it doesn’t burn. Remove from the heat and put in a bowl.

Next cook the mushrooms until golden brown and add them to the bowl with the onions. Add the asparagus to the pan to cook, and halfway through add the cherry tomatoes. You want the asparagus to remain a bit crunchy and the cherry tomatoes to remain intact to avoid them becoming soggy and soupy.

Step 3:

As the asparagus is cooking use another pan to cook the meat. Add about a half tablespoon of oil and put the meat in the pan, breaking it up, but not too small. Brown the meat on all sides, minimizing the stirring to avoid it becoming sautéed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4:

By this time all the vegetables and the should be cooked. Add them all back in the large pan with the tomatoes and asparagus, and cook together for a couple minutes with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat.

Finish cooking the meat and remove from the heat.

Step 5:

Stuffing the squash is easy. First use a fork to loosen the spaghetti squash from the shell, leaving a small layer lined around the peel so it holds its shape. As you loosen the spaghetti squash from the sides, scoop it towards the center to start a pile.

Add a generous serving of vegetables on top of the squash, then follow with some meat pieces. If you want to garnish with shaved parmesan cheese, hot sauce, or rosemary, you may do so.

Serve immediately!