I was first introduced to spaghetti squash at a Weight Watchers meeting. We always cooked it in the microwave and topped it with spaghetti sauce. Very delicious! It does not taste like pasta. So don't believe people who boast that claim. But it is very, very good and a great low carb alternative.
Well I think dear sister and I have found a better way to cook spaghetti squash. It was her idea, we were at her house and she asked can we grill the spaghetti squash? I didn't know so I turned to Google. I found a how-to on Livestrong.com and we gave it a try. It is so much better than the microwave. The microwave method produces a lot of water in the squash strands which inevitably thins out the pasta sauce. The grill produces perfect strands with a slightly nutty flavor. They are moist but do not thin out the pasta sauce. Just perfect. Sister decided she likes it best on it's own as a side with butter and Parmesan. She is right it is delicious that way. But I still think it is great topped with all kinds of sauces.
This is the second time I tried the grill method. I had BBQ Spaghetti on my mind. So I took a leftover roasted chicken from Mom's and turned it into BBQ Pulled Chicken to serve over grilled spaghetti squash. It turned out so good. I like all the extra veggies in the chicken. The chipotle tomatoes add a lot of smoke and spice without drowning everything in BBQ sauce. The Sweet and Spicy Rub and basil add a sweet touch too. In the photos I show whole leaves of basil but I tore them up on my serving. I liked the occasional bite with the sweet fresh herb. This recipe could easy serve four to six depending on the size of the squash and chicken you use. I had a small squash and a large chicken, so I have some pulled chicken left. I sure wish I had another spaghetti squash.
BBQ Spaghetti Squash with Pulled Chicken
Well I think dear sister and I have found a better way to cook spaghetti squash. It was her idea, we were at her house and she asked can we grill the spaghetti squash? I didn't know so I turned to Google. I found a how-to on Livestrong.com and we gave it a try. It is so much better than the microwave. The microwave method produces a lot of water in the squash strands which inevitably thins out the pasta sauce. The grill produces perfect strands with a slightly nutty flavor. They are moist but do not thin out the pasta sauce. Just perfect. Sister decided she likes it best on it's own as a side with butter and Parmesan. She is right it is delicious that way. But I still think it is great topped with all kinds of sauces.
This is the second time I tried the grill method. I had BBQ Spaghetti on my mind. So I took a leftover roasted chicken from Mom's and turned it into BBQ Pulled Chicken to serve over grilled spaghetti squash. It turned out so good. I like all the extra veggies in the chicken. The chipotle tomatoes add a lot of smoke and spice without drowning everything in BBQ sauce. The Sweet and Spicy Rub and basil add a sweet touch too. In the photos I show whole leaves of basil but I tore them up on my serving. I liked the occasional bite with the sweet fresh herb. This recipe could easy serve four to six depending on the size of the squash and chicken you use. I had a small squash and a large chicken, so I have some pulled chicken left. I sure wish I had another spaghetti squash.
BBQ Spaghetti Squash with Pulled Chicken
Serves 4 to
6
Ingredients
For the Spaghetti
Squash:
1 Spaghetti
Squash
Vegetable oil
Sweet and
Spicy Rub for Salmon (recipe below)
For the
Pulled Chicken:
1 Tbsp
olive oil
1 onion,
chopped
1 green
bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic
clove, minced
1 (15 oz)
can diced tomatoes with chipotle
1/2 cup Hickory
BBQ sauce (I used KC Masterpiece)
1/2 cup
water
1 roasted
chicken, meat pulled from bones
1 tsp Sweet
and Spicy Rub for Salmon (plus more for a garnish)
Fresh Basil,
torn
Directions
In a 3
quart pot, heat olive oil on med-high heat. Add onions and peppers sauté until
they begin to soften. Add garlic and sauté a minute more. Add tomatoes, BBQ
sauce, water, chicken and rub. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and continue
to simmer covered until ready to serve.
Pre-heat
grill to high heat for 10 minutes, and then turn it down to medium heat to cook the squash. While
pre-heating the grill, wash the outside shell of the spaghetti squash, cut the
squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Rub the cut-side
with vegetable oil and sprinkle with Sweet and Spicy Rub before placing it on
the grill. Place the squash cut-side down directly on the grate. Cook the
squash for 20 minutes. Flip squash cut-side up after 20 minutes. Cook another
20 minutes checking for doneness on occasion. Check the squash by touch the
inside with a fork to see if the fibers are cooked and ready to pull apart. Remove
from grill.
When squash
is cool enough to handle, cut each half in half. Place each quarter on a plate
and pull the squash into spaghetti like strands. Top each with pulled chicken
and garnish with more Sweet and Spicy Rub and torn basil leaves. Serve!
Sweet and
Spicy Rub for Salmon
Ingredients
2
Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1
Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon
Cumin
1/2
teaspoon salt
1/2
teaspoon pepper
Directions
In a small
bowl, mix all the rub ingredients until combined.
Note: This
rub is great on the Cedar-Planked Salmon recipe found here. Also delicious on
grilled chicken and pork. Absolutely amazing on popcorn!
Linking to:
Buns In My Oven - What's Cookin Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Chicken - Saturday Dishes Linky Party
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid Mondays
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Leftovers
Hi Denise,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great dish, we would really enjoy this recipe. Hope you are having a fantastic weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen