Southwest Spaghetti Squash

Name: Southwest Spaghetti Squash
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1 spaghetti squash; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 red onion, finely chopped; 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped; 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, minced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano; 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, or 1 (15 ounce) can corn, rinsed and drained; 1 cup cooked edamame beans; 1 lime, juiced; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; Avocado Crema (recipe below); Queso fresco, crumbled, for garnish; Cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish; 1 ripe avocado, roughly mashed; 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt; 1 lime, juiced; 1 clove garlic; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper

By Chris Cockren 42 Comments

A healthy, creative southwest spaghetti squash bowl topped with southwest succotash and avocado crema. So good you’ll forget it’s good for you!

Remember back towards the beginning of January when I announced it was time for me to stop being a fatty? It’s about time I give you an update with how that’s all been going.

My buddy Steve and I have been going to the gym several times a week before work. It’s hard rolling out of bed in the pitch black knowing full well it’s stupid cold outside. But we’re committed. He’s getting married in July and we need to look good in tuxes.

Weeknight take-out dinners have been replaced with strategic healthy cooking. All junk food snacks have been hidden from sight. And I managed to only take a single bite of those homemade brownie sundae klondike bars I made. That was the toughest moment of my “diet” so far. I had to dig down deep for some willpower.

And, in three weeks, I’m down 14 pounds.

I still have about 20 pounds to lose, but to know that I’m on the right track is a great feeling. We can do this!

So I could tell you 2 things right now. I could try to make a case for how spaghetti squash tastes just like pasta and blah blah blah. But that would be a complete and utter lie. It doesn’t taste like pasta. What it does taste like is spaghetti squash. And you know what? That’s okay, because spaghetti squash is delicious and like a bajillion times healthier than pasta.

So although it’s not pasta and doesn’t taste like pasta, it does make for a great base to build on tons of different flavors.

The southwest succotash has the normal suspects… onions, peppers, jalapeno, black beans, corn, lime, and some of those Mexican-y spices. But I threw in some cooked edamame as well simply because it was lying there in the freezer looking at me and it adds a nice pop of color. Feel free to omit that if you’re not feeling it.

No matter what, don’t skimp on the avocado crema. It’s totally crucial to maximizing the full enjoyment of this Southwest Spaghetti Squash. And since it’s made with Greek yogurt, you can go nuts with the stuff.