Thank you Hannah B. for this wonderful recipe contribution, which comes from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman.
Hannah’s beautiful and delicious creation
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds spaghetti squash (either 1 large or 2 small)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- Sixteen 6-inch corn tortillas
- One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained very well
- 4 ounces crumbled queso fresco, feta, or Cotija cheese
- ½ cup finely chopped red or white onion
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves (or flat leaf parsley)
To cook the squash in the microwave:
Pierce squash (about an inch deep) all over with a small sharp knife to prevent it from bursting. Cook at high power for 6-7 minutes. Turn the squash over, and microwave it until it feels slightly soft when pressed, 8-10 minutes. Cool the squash for 5 minutes.
To roast the squash in the oven:
Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and roast the halves face down in an oiled baking pan for about 40 minutes at 375 degrees. When removing from the oven, let the squash cool and then scrape the squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating the strands as you remove them. Discard the skin.
In a small dish, whisk the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, chipotle powder and salt. Pour over the squash strands and toss them together. Taste the squash, and adjust seasonings as you wish.
Assemble the tacos:
Heat a dry, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Warm and slightly blister each tortilla about 30 seconds per side. Transfer with tongs or a spatula to platter, and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of black beans, 2 tablespoons of spiced squash, 2 tablespoons of cheese, and a few pinches of diced onions and cilantro. Finally, squeeze a lime wedge over the taco and serve. This recipe yields about 16 tacos.
Roast those seeds:
The seeds from spaghetti squash can be rinsed and toasted as you would pumpkin seeds. On an oiled baking sheet, spread out cleaned seeds (it’s okay if they’re still damp), and sprinkle them generously with chili powder and a few pinches of fine salt. Roast at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes, tossing them about halfway through so that they cook evenly.
