Peanut Sauce Spaghetti Squash

INGREDIENTS:
- Spaghetti squash- https://cookinginclerkship.com/2020/11/02/spaghetti-squash/
- Vegetables- I basically added all the veggies I had in my fridge!
  - 1 sliced bell pepper
  - 1/4 sliced yellow onion
  - Sliced carrots – I used 4-5 baby carrots
  - 1 jalapeño diced
  - 1/2 zucchini cut into bites
  - 1 handful of mushrooms sliced
  - Seasoning: garlic (either minced or garlic powder), red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, pepper
  - Optional additions: broccoli, cauliflower
  - Toppings: cilantro and red pepper flakes
- Peanut sauce:
  - 1/3 cup of peanut butter (I used half creamy and half crunchy because I had both!)
  - 1 tablespoon of honey
  - 2 tablespoons of fish sauce or soy sauce!
  - 1/2 cup of water
  - 3 tablespoons of lime juice
- Protein- chicken, tofu, shrimp
DIRECTIONS:
1. Start your spaghetti squash- I linked how to make spaghetti squash in the microwave above! I had the squash in the microwave the entire time that I was cooking (5 min each side and then let sit for 10 minutes).
2. Make your sauce. Combine the peanut butter, honey, fish/soy sauce, lime juice, and then add water- add just enough water so that your sauce is smooth- you may need more or less depending on the original consistency of your peanut butter. You don’t want it to be watery!
3. In a large pan, place olive oil and garlic and cook your protein. I used chicken that I cubed. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through- either white all the way through or internal temperature of 165F. Remove chicken from pan.
4. Add the veggies to the pan with garlic and more oil and ground pepper. Cook for 3 minutes or so until all your veggies are cooked.
5. Add the chicken back to the pan and mix the chicken and veggies together. turn off the stove.
6. Combine your spaghetti squash, chicken, and veggies and add the peanut sauce in a big bowl. Stir until the sauce coats the spaghetti squash, chicken and veggies.
7. Serve and top with red pepper flakes (if you like spice) and cilantro.
TIPS: You can make this any way you like! If you don’t want spice, then don’t add as much jalapeño. You can seriously add any vegetable in your fridge – so if you don’t have the veggies listed above, no stress, add as much or little as you would like!
Microwave-only conversion: use steam-able veggies, and shredded chicken (either rotisserie or make your own https://cookinginclerkship.com/2020/10/21/shredded-chicken/). The rest of the meal is microwave-friendly.
Pros: This meal is delicious, and you can make the peanut sauce ahead of time and use as a salad dressing (I would add more water if that is the case!).
Cons: Peanut butter is a dense food and combined with the soy sauce, this could be a meal that is higher in sodium- just be conscious of the amount of sodium in your peanut butter and soy sauce!