Spaghetti Squash Tacos

These tacos are a great vegetarian meal for the Fall, and something different from plain old vegetarian black bean tacos.  The chili powder, cumin and coriander give a great flavor to the squash without it tasting too spicy.  I roasted the squash in the morning to save myself some time later on, and you could even roast the squash the night before. Just pull it out of the fridge and toss it in the microwave for a minute to heat it up.

The recipe that I used suggested rinsing the seeds from the squash and roasting them with some chili powder and salt, so I did just that, and they turned out to be a pretty tasty little snack!

Spaghetti Squash Tacos

Makes ~ 10 tacos

Ingredients

1 large organic spaghetti squash
Juice of 1 lime (~2 Tbsp)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 package 6-inch whole wheat tortillas
1 (15oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz queso fresco, crumbled or finely chopped (omit for a dairy free meal)
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds. Grease a baking pan with canola oil and place squash-halves facing down on baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.

2. Scrape squash flesh with a fork, making strands, into a bowl and discard skin.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pour over squash and gently toss together.

4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Warm tortillas for 30 seconds per side in skillet. Place on platter.

5. Sprinkle each heated tortilla with 2 Tbsp of black beans, 2 Tbsp of squash mixture, 2 tsp queso fresco, and a couple pinches of onion and cilantro.

6. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce and enjoy!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds

Ingredients

Seeds of one large spaghetti squash
Chili powder to taste
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Oil baking pan with canola oil and rinse seeds. Toss seeds with chili powder and salt and spread on pan. Roast for 10 minutes.

(Recipes adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Spaghetti squash is a good source of vitamin C and A and K, as well as B vitamins. Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Red onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Cilantro is packed with antioxidants and vitamins A and K. Whole wheat tortillas are less refined than flour tortillas, and contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals as a result. Cumin is a good source of iron and calcium. Coriander is also a good source of calcium.