Recipe Maverick

    I have fallen in love with spaghetti squash. The sweet strands of squashy goodness yielded by baking a spaghetti squash look, smell, taste like potential. "We could be great, you know," they try to say, but find themselves lacking in vocal chords.

    This is the first of what will probably be several spaghetti squash recipes, since I still have two containers of cooked spaghetti squash in the fridge waiting to be turned into something.  It is extremely easy to make, and the spices and lemon juice give the squash just the right amount of zing.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash (you won't need all of it, but you can keep the extra in the fridge).
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp red chili powder
1/2 carrot, grated
1 red chili pepper, with the seeds removed and minced
2 tsp sliced almonds
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Cilantro to garnish

    Use a knife to poke several holes in the spaghetti squash. Bake it on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes. Cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Now use a fork to pull the strands of squash apart from the skin. Reserve all but 1/2 cup of it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use another time.

    In a small nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil until it spreads to coat the pan. Add the spices and cook them, stirring, until they give off a spicy smell. Add the carrot, pepper and almonds, and saute for about 5 minutes, until they are beginning to brown. Add 1/2 cup of spaghetti squash and stir to mix with the spices. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the squash is beginning to brown, and add the lemon juice. Stir the lemon juice in, remove the skillet from the heat, and serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro.