What should you amke for dinner this weekend? How about Spaghetti Squash?
Both regular pasta and spaghetti squash have low amounts of fat, salt, and fiber. However, pasta has over 100 calories, while spaghetti squash has only about 20 calories, is richer in protein, and has far fewer carbs than pasta’s 31 grams. You’ll also get 9% of the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber, also delivering a range of nutrients, including vitamins C and A, Potassium & Calcium from spaghetti squash.
Creating vegetable spaghetti from spaghetti is fairly simple but it’s also available ready-to-serve at your local grocery store.
One of our favorite chefs, Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ shares this delicious recipe to help you satisfy your hunger without compromising your diabetes health.
Spaghetti Squash of LOVE by Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’
Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash (2 pounds)
1/2 medium green pepper, diced
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, diced
4 medium fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down in a microwave-safe dish or plate. Roast at 400 for 45 min. or Microwave, uncovered, on high for 12-20 minutes or until tender. Cool.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the peppers, mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and garlic; sauté 4-5 minutes longer.
3. When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands. Place squash into the pan with the veggies, sauté until hot and fully mixed. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 4 servings.
Chef Robert’s Tip: This recipe was tested in a 1,100-watt microwave. The cook time might take longer or shorter.
Nutritional Facts
One serving (1/2 cup spaghetti squash with 1/2 cup pepper mixture) equals 110 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 372 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein.
In a recent profile on the Everyday Diabetes website, Chef Robert Lewis admitted that he feared the worst for his own love of great food following his diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes in 1998.
“I suspected that my days of good eating were over,” Lewis writes on his blog. “Yet, as I worked through my ups and downs, I came to realize that the selection of foods I could and should eat was vast and included many of my favorites. This motivated me to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.
Today he’s a man on the go! is a man on the go. When he’s not working as a director of training for 60 restaurants in the Midwest, he’s traveling around the country as a keynote speaker for Taking Control of Your Diabetes and/or hosting his own podcast, ‘The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast’! Read more about Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ in Diabetes Health Monitor magazine.
Listen to our 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast entitled ‘Gypsies, Tramps and Peas’.
Synopsis: Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy diabetes-friendly caterer. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found sleeping with the fishes. What it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, an amorous amputee and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand. Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?
Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.