"Squash" the Carbs!!!

    

Ms. Spaghetti Squash knows her angles

    If I could be one thing in the entire world it would be a noodle in a steaming bowl of mac and cheese. Or a piece of spaghetti swirled so delicately around a fork. Or EVEN BETTER. A potato gently sliced, fried, and salted in the back room of a Wendy's (they're fries are the best, don't @ me). But overall if I could get paid to be a carb, I'd do it hands down. Who doesn't like a carb? Aside from my waistline, no one. A staple in the culinary world, carbs, are everywhere around us. They make up some of my favorite treats. Chocolate croissants, french bread and herby oil, loaded baked potatoes, or god forbid mac and cheese in a BREAD bowl. Side note if you haven't tried mac & cheese in a bread bowl from Panera stop reading right now, get in your car, and make it happen. But by far my favorite form of carb is pasta, specifically spaghetti. 

    I have vivid memories of spaghetti night as a fat kid. I would beam with joy when my mom announced we were having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. This meant I could eat three plates of spaghetti (probably equivalent to an entire box), use enough parmesan cheese for 10 people, and eat enough red meat to feed the size of a small lion. But I didn't care back then. I remember spaghetti night was the only time I could "eat" with my hands. I would sit at the table and fold the noodles in half and act like I was biting a sandwich. Quantity over quality of bite I guess. My family would laugh and that's what I remember not the taste of pasta, but the connections made on these nights. Even better would be when we had garlic bread, and I could combine carb on carb and make the worlds biggest carb sandwich. I would feel happiest after I finished a big meal like this (this sentence should give you the vibe of where we're going).

    Yepp, you guessed it! Comfort eating, emotional eating, binging. Whatever you call it, you know the feeling. When you are a stressed, sad, or emotional eating allows you to curb that emotion, especially eating in large amounts. For me this "eating to cope" mentality is exasperated by carbs. Throughout high school and college if I was ever feeling down or not like myself I knew a good (BIG) meal would numb those feelings. Eating large amounts of food to cope is no stranger to my household, and often times eating copious amounts of carbs would bring me back the same joy I felt eating mounds of pasta as a child. One time in high school I didn't make it to speech sectionals (yeah we'll get into the beast that is speech in another post) and I was the most upset I can remember myself being. So I got home and ate. And ate. And ate. Cookies, pasta, crackers you name it, I ate it. Flash forward to college and the same habits ensued. Now in present day "Tanner World" stopping these carb binges are crucial to fueling my body. While not all bad, carbs in large amounts tire you out and make you less motivated to do simple tasks. So the food I was eating made me feel better in the moment, but long term made me feel worse. Which is why I was inspired to create this fuel focused pasta night dish! So friends, I present to you "Squash the Carbs Semi-Authentic Italian Night".

Spaghetti Squash:

What you'll need:

1 spaghetti squash

2 tbl olive oil

1 tbl coarse sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

How to do it:

1. Preheat over to 450 degress (wow that's hot)

2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds and guck like you would a pumpkin

3. Coat each half with 1 tbl of olive oil and half the salt and pep

4. Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes OR until edges are slightly brown

5. Take a fork and "spaghettify" the sqaush. Hard to explain but if you do it it'll make sense. 

6. Top with sauce, protein, and plenty of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Tanner's Red Sauce (I do not claim for this to be authentic, but it is good):

What you'll need:

1 shallot, finely minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium yellow onion, finely (like real small) diced

1 8 oz. can of tomato paste

1 12 or 16 oz can tomato suauce

2 28 oz. cans of crushed or diced tomatoes (I used one of each bc chunk)

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 tbl dried oregano 

1 tbl dried basil

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp thyme

2 dried bay leaves

2 tbl brown sugar

3 sausages of your choice (I used Turkey Italian sausage, you can use something else OR none at all)

2 tbl unsalted butter

How to do it:

1. Cook shallot, onions, and garlic with butter in medium skillet until slightly brown and fragrant 

2. Dump that buttery onion garlic mix into your crock pot

2.5 Add in literally everything else.

3. Cook on high for 4 to 6 to 8 hours. Really whatever you have time for or until the flavor is what you want it to be. (just make sure the sausage is cooked).

4. After completion transfer on to spaghetti squash and top with parm. Enjoy!

Veggies: there really isn't a recipe for this part. If you want to cook veggies cut them up, season them, and throw them in the same oven for the last 15 minutes of squash cooking. I did mushrooms and okra with a local sea salt I have. Very yum!

    It was a weirdly emotional day when I made this dish, and unknowingly I was having a a rough day so I made something pasta inspired. Once I was eating it, it brought back the same feelings I got shoving pasta into my mouth as a kid. It's earthy, vibrant, fresh and most importantly fuel! The squash really does taste like "spaghetti" and will take on the flavors of the sauce. While comfort eating may be different for everyone, know that it's not a bad thing to want a bad thing. Moderation is key. I got Taco Bell last night. Food is comforting and I hope I can inspire you to find comfort in what you eat. Guilt doesn't belong at my table anymore, and neither does 3 plates of spaghetti.

xoxo,

The Fat Foodie