Anna Sultana’s Spaghetti Squash, Middle Eastern Style

Last week the Middle Eastern Style recipe for Chicken with Cardamom was popular.

I had posted the link for it on the blog Carole’s Chatter.

It’s written by Carole, a lovely woman of a certain age who lives in New Zealand, an island country southeast of Australia.

Thanks to that, I got a very nice message from Lydia, who lives in Maryland, a state in the southeastern part of the United States.

Such is the shrinking, sharing world of blogging.

Interested in other Middle Eastern Style chicken recipes?

Try

Baked Chicken with Basil and/or Baked Chicken with Curried Fruit

I also got some e mails asking if there was a Middle Eastern Style recipe that could be enjoyed by vegetarians. 

Thank you for asking.  Of course there is.

Spaghetti squash is also called vegetable spaghetti, noodle squash, vegetable marrow, spaghetti marrow, and squaghetti.

It has flesh that is similar to other raw squash.

It can be baked, boiled, steamed or microwaved.

Then the flesh can be scraped out with a fork.
You'll get strands like spaghetti.

Served with or without a sauce, it’s a great substitute for pasta.

That's right - this recipe is also gluten-free!!

A two-fer, if you have guests who are so inclined.

Oh, be sure to save the seeds.

They can be roasted, just like pumpkin seeds.

                        Spaghetti Squash (Middle Eastern Style)

Toast

1/2 Cup slivered almonds

Peel the zest from

1 orange

Quarter or slice the orange to use as a garnish.

Cook

1 medium spaghetti squash

Scrape the inside of the squash and set aside.

Discard the rind.

In a dutch oven heat

2 Tablespoons butter 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Add, stirring

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

3/4 teaspoon coriander

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon allspice

Cook one minute.

Add the squash and stir well to coat the strands with the seasoning.

Place the squash in a large heated serving platter.

Season with 

salt and pepper

Garnish with the orange pieces.

Top with the toasted slivered almonds and the orange zest.

Serve with a mixed green salad.

And do make the cardamom sugar and spice blend!