Recovering from Surgery with Spaghetti Squash!

So happy to be back blogging! I had an emergency appendectomy last week and I have a word of advice: Don't be afraid to wake your family when you have pain! I waited ALL night long and by the time I made it to the ER, Mt. Saint Robin had already erupted! I spent 4 days in the hospital and I am pretty slow around the house right now. But, you know me, as soon as I found out, I started researching the best foods for a speedy recovery.

As you might expect, there are true winners: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and lean protein. I'm a huge fan of a plant-based diet, and that's what my body is craving right now. When it comes to nutrients, the more color, the better. Crazy as it sounds, when I checked out of the hospital, I didn't head straight home, I headed straight to Sprouts, my favorite farmer's market (mind you, I'm still in stitches, and I don't mean laughing...). I loaded up on butternut squash, yams, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, dark green kale and broccoli, purple Dragon fruit, black plums, Spring Mix salad greens, lentils, and organic, whole grain cereal. Today, I'm going to enjoy the spaghetti squash, and here's how you can enjoy it too (no need for surgery first)! Oh, and I'll keep you posted on how I prepare the other goodies...

Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Note: I kept my roasted spaghetti squash simple, but you can certainly toss yours with basil pesto or spoon over your favorite pasta sauce. Treat the vegetable as you would cooked spaghetti.

1 spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, or more to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
Brush the inside of both halves of the squash with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place the halves flesh side down on the baking pan. Roast for 1 hour, until the flesh pulls into strands when tested with a fork. Optional: Flip the squash and cook for 5 more minutes, until the top is golden brown (this is how I do it, you can skip the flipping over step).
When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to gently scrape the flesh from the skin, making long spaghetti-like strands. Transfer the squash to a large bowl and toss with the parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. 




FreeDigitalPhotos.net, Simon Howden