Spaghetti Squash -- big but not scary

Nov. 3, 2012   Paleo Diet says no grain (bread, pasta, corn, etc.), so I am certainly trying replacements for some of my favorite foods. I had eaten spaghetti squash as a salad (Italian and Chinese) at church dinners, but I wanted to see if I could use it instead of wheat pasta.  The first step was allowing myself to buy one of those giant beige squashes. Quite intimidating, and I was afraid it would feed an army.
   I cut the squash into fou large pieces, placed them in a foil lined pan and spread a thin coating of olive oil on all sides of the squash. Cut side down, I baked the squash for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. It was properly done, but another 10 minutes would have made it even more tender. I cooled it for 10 min.
   I took a fork and gently scraped down each surface of the squash, over and over. Each time, the strands separated and came out smoothly, even when I tried scraping in different directions. I think I got about 4 cups of spaghetti-looking threads.
   The first dish I tried was one cup of spaghetti squash with meat sauce (spaghetti sauce with ground beef). The texture was more al dente than I usually have, but perfectly edible. The squash absorbed enough of the sauce to give it some flavor. Most definitely a good substitute. Even better the next day!
   If you allow  yourself cheese, I'm sure that would be good, too. But I am trying very hard to stay Paleo, and dairy is not allowed.  Barely sauteed vegetables (or a can of mixed vegetables) and Italian seasoning or dressing seems a very good idea. I'm certainly going to experiment more with this veggie.

Meals for today:
Breakfast:  Omelet with eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and crispy bacon; strawberry-banana juice over ice; (at Alfredo's in Forney, TX)
Lunch:  Sliced smoked turkey with BBQ sauce; roast zucchini, onions and carrots; slaw with broccoli, tiny onions, raisins and shredded carrots.
Dinner:  Grilled KFC chicken, green beans and cole slaw (had to get drive through, and this meal seemed a better choice than most; gave my husband the biscuit.)

Tomorrow is Sunday. That often meals Lunch out, so we'll see what happens. I miss my Sunday morning donut in Sunday School, but I just eat at home. I really love eating out with the family.