One of my best carb substitutions is the Spaghetti Squash. It has many nutritional benefits but I love it most because it is almost flavorless on its own and can blend well with whatever it is being paired with.
It can be substituted for rice or for noodles. I use it as a replacement for white rice when I make my curries or swap out the noodles in its favor in any of the noodle dishes. It even works great as a stir fried dish. Good-bye Chow Mein, who needs you anymore!
But in order for you to truly enjoy the substitution, there is one crucial component: getting the texture right. While you want it fully cooked, you also don’t want it too soft or mushy…at least not when you are looking to swap it in for rice or noodles.
So, let me share what’s worked for me the best.
Prep It
There really isn’t much prepping involved. It just requires a nice strong kitchen knife to cut through the hard exterior length wise. I then use a serrated scooper to take out the seeds and pulp as much as possible. That’s all there is to it.
Cook It
Basically you want to bake it at 350F for about 30 minutes. I usually do not add any oil or salt or seasoning even though I’ve seen some recipes call for it. My goal is to keep it simple in its purest form. And I prefer to bake my squash in my countertop toaster oven and avoid having to heat the entire conventional oven. If you have a multi-cooker, you can bake it in there too…but just be sure to use the bake setting and check often to avoid overcooking it.
Check for Done-ness
After it’s been baking for about 30 minutes I usually check the texture. This is very simple to to. Just take it out of the oven and using a fork start pulling out the inside of the squash and it should come apart. The center will almost always be cooked but it is important to go all the way to the edge to make sure it’s cooked as well. If not, bake it little longer, re-checking every 4-5 minutes until you are satisfied. Then set it on the countertop and let it cool.
Enjoy
Now there is only one thing left to do. Scrape out all the inside of the Spaghetti Squash in order to begin pairing it with your meal fixings. To fully extract it, start with a fork to get all the “noodles” loose and then use a spoon to complete the scooping effort.
Go ahead and give it a try. It is a total game changer in the quest to find a healthy carb substitute that is also easy on the budget.
Jubila 365 