spaghetti squash chow mein

I love Chinese takeout. OK. Let me rephrase that, I LOVED Chinese takeout. I think it's probably been close to three or four years since I've gotten take-out because of how they prepare the food, so I make it a mission to recreate old loves on a regular basis, in a much healthier, more organic way.

I found a gluten-free, spaghetti squash recipe that I wanted to try, but it used brown sugar and spices that I couldn't have, and some other items that are on my list of can't's so I altered it to make my own version. I make this when Mr. Charming and I need a vegan meal to break up the week, but you can add seafood, chicken or steak if you wish. 

We personally like to top ours with strips of fresh avocado. But what DON'T I like to top with avocado?

Ingredients:
1 Spaghetti Squash
1/2 Onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
1-3 tsp of fresh grated ginger (use 1 and will have a stronger soy sauce/garlic flavor, using 2-3 with make it spicy and gingery, I go back and forth depending on my taste buds.)
1/2 C. gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos if you are avoiding soy
2 C. cole slaw lettuce mix
1 stalk of celery
2 TBSP. of olive oil 


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash open length wise and scoop out seeds. Place in a cake pan with open sides down and fill shallowly with water so that the cut open portion is submerged. 

Place in oven and cook for 40-50 minutes until soft. While squash is cooking, dice onion and celery and sautee in olive oil over medium-high heat until warm, but not too soft. Toss in cabbage and cook for two to three minutes until fragrant. Set aside. 

In a small bowl mix together soy sauce, minced garlic and grated ginger. Set aside. 

Once squash is done put all ingredients into a wok or large pan over medium-high heat and mix until warm.

Serve immediately with chop sticks and top with any items of your choice. Shredded chicken, steak strips or avocado would be my top suggestions. 

For an added touch: Try pairing the meal with these awesome gluten-free fortune cookies from the Instructables Blog. 

Mandi's Tip: Replace the Cornstarch with Tapioca or Potato Starch. And use organic sugar in place of regular sugar.