So, Jason and I got back from a hill repeat ride later than planned one night recently.  I had planned on making a grilled rack of lamb on the BBQ, but it was going to take too much time to get the BBQ up to temp and cook it.  As a result, I went “shopping” in my fridge to make a quick and easy dinner to help us recover from our ride and get us fueled for the next day’s rides.  I’ve made something similar in the past, but Jason really liked it and told me I had to post it.  Without further ado, here are my vegetarian spaghetti squash tacos full of protein, fat and fiber.  Enjoy!

• ½ spaghetti squash
• Avocado oil
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• ½ small onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming salt-free seasoning (love this stuff! – a combo of ancho chili pepper, black pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, cilantro, lemon peel, chipotle pepper, red pepper, jalapeno, cocoa and natural smoke)  If you don’t have any of this, you could probably wing it with some other salt-free Mexican seasoning or make your own combo from the spices in your pantry.
• Salt and pepper
• Tortillas of your choice (we were using a mix of whatever we had the fridge)
• 1 can of vegetarian refried beans
• Guacamole
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)
• Salsa (optional)

In a microwave, on high cook the spaghetti squash for 10 minutes (cut side down in a pie plate, covered, with a couple tablespoons of water).  Remove and let it sit until you are ready to use it.

Heat a teaspoon or two of avocado oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the bell pepper and onion.  Sauté until onions soften and become slightly translucent.  Add the garlic and as much Arizona Dreaming seasoning as you want (I used around 1 teaspoon).  Using a fork, shred the squash into the pan.  Stir and heat through.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking.

Meanwhile, heat your tortillas and the refried beans.

Starting with the tortillas on the plate, build your taco by layering refried beans, guacamole, cheese, the spaghetti squash filling, sour cream and salsa.

Quantity made depends on what kind of tortillas you have in your fridge and how hungry you are.  This makes enough to serve Jason and I as our dinner meal.  We usually have some beans leftover for another day.