Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

Need a little zest in your life? Well this is the perfect recipe – the large amount of lime will transport you to some tropical island – which sounds promising as half of the country is in the midst of winter weather. Now I’m going to boast and say that I am not one of those! It’s 85 degrees here in Southern California. HA!

Anyway back to the task on hand - My sister, who happens to be vegetarian, came to visit the other week, and we had so much fun coming up with new recipes, shopping for ingredients, and finally making all of this delicious food! This is the first dinner we made, and it is definitely a keeper. There are more ingredients then actual work here. Once you have everything diced and sliced, it is just a matter of combining in bowls. You will not regret making this!

Leftovers keep wonderfully. If you assemble extra bowls, cover tightly, and it will keep for several days (although I can’t imagine you leaving it that long). I actually made the cabbage slaw and avocado sauce solo a few weeks later (the store didn’t have spaghetti squash) and used it for lunches – I topped a bed of greens with the slaw, baked chicken, and avocado sauce.

Need another vegetarian or vegan meal idea for this week? Check out my chickpea curry (with broccoli and quinoa)!

Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowl – adapted from Cookie + Kate

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Squash Bowls

2 spaghetti squash, cut in half, seeds removed

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Cabbage Slaw

2 c. cabbage, thinly chopped into 2 inch long pieces (I bought pre sliced cabbage and saved a step)

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch squares

1/3 c. green onions, chopped (you can use both the white and green parts)

1/3 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

2-3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (I like a lot of lime and used 3 Tbsp.)

1 tsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. salt

Avocado Salsa Sauce

¾ c. mild salsa verde (I used Trader Joe’s salsa verde to keep things simple)

1 avocado, ripe, roughly diced

1/3 c. fresh cilantro, whole

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

Garnish (optional)

Crumbled feta or cotija cheese

Raw Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)

Cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the spaghetti squash on baking sheets, face up, and drizzle the flesh with the 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Use your fingers to coat the insides completely; you can use more olive oil if necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the spaghetti squash over so the insides are face down. Roast for 40-60 minutes, until a fork easily inserts into the flesh.

2.       While the squash is roasting assemble the cabbage slaw. In a medium mixing bowl combine the cabbage, black beans, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Mix until combined and set off to the side – this will continue to marinate.

3.       In a food processor, combine the avocado, salsa verde, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic. Blend until smooth (you may need to scrape down the sides once or twice).

4.       Now let’s assemble! Take one half spaghetti squash and place on a plate. Use a fork to break up the flesh a bit (it will be stringy). Place ¼ of the cabbage slaw inside the squash. Top with a big dollop of the avocado sauce (this is delicious so the more the better!). Sprinkle a small handful (about 1/8 c.) of raw pumpkin seeds and garnish with cilantro. If you like you can also sprinkle on some feta or cotija cheese (I did not). Repeat with the other 3 spaghetti squash bowls as needed.

Note: now if you live with non-vegetarians, you can add a small layer of ground beef or chicken to the squash bowl before putting in the cabbage slaw.