)
>
> Anyways, any info on how to prepare spaghetti squash would be quite
> welcome. Thanks!
>
> Emily

Hi Emily,

I live by myself, so I look for small size squash.

I cut them in half, put one half in a microwave safe
bowl after scraping out the seeds (just like cleaning
a pumpkin for Hallowe'en), and put a little bit of
water in the bottom of the bowl (maybe two or three
tablespoons). Cover with plastic wrap, poke a few
holes to let the steam out, and put in the microwave.

Now, I have a 700-watt unit with a turntable. I put
it on high for 6 minutes, give it a minute to cool, and
then test with a fork - if it goes in easily, the squash
is done. If it is still a little hard, put it back in for
another four minutes or so. (Again, depending on
the power of your microwave, times may vary.
Also, if you don't have a turntable, do it for two
minutes a time, and rotate the bowl a quarter turn
each time.)

Once a fork slides in easily, let the squash cool
for a minute or two (unless you have asbestos
hands - then you can dig right in!). Now rake the
squash with a fork, going the long way down, not
across. The squash will magically separate into
separate strands. Put these into a bowl, and keep
going until all the flesh is gone. I find one small
half squash gives me two servings. (A small
squash to me is about the size of a canteloupe;
larger ones are about the size of a football, and
will give at least four servings.)

You can also bake the squash in a 375 oven,
uncovered, again in a small amount of water.
Depending on size, it may take anywhere from
45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours - test with a fork for
doneness. If you're going to serve it plain as a
side dish, you can sprinkle it with a little brown
sugar substitute and cinnamon.

But since I was a serious pasta lover, I use it
with a variety of spaghetti sauces (all tomato
based; I don't find it goes well with cream type
sauces.) If you want a vegetarian sauce, take
any jar/canned sauce, chop some celery and
onions (not too fine; you want the crunch), and
then add some sauteed mushrooms at the end.
Since I'm a carnivore, I'll add bacon, ham, or
ground beef (actually, whatever I have around).

You can also put servings into freezer bags,
and keep them for a few months - this really
speeds up prep time.

It's not exactly like pasta, but it's close
enough, it's good for you, and it won't send
your blood sugar through the roof. A 1-cup
serving only has about 6 net carbs.

Good luck!

Kevin