This weekend, I attended the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. It was a whirlwind tour of culture through cuisine. It inspired me to try my hand at cooking foods from other countries, instead of just making my usual Italian fare. Today when I went to the market, they had several varieties of squash to choose from. There were acorn, butternut, buttercup, and spaghetti squash. I usually cook spaghetti squash as the name suggests, with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Today, I decided to learn what spices constitute Moroccan flavors. Moroccan cooking uses lots of the same spices I love and already had in my spice rack: cumin, allspice, cayenne, ginger, and coriander. I applied my usual method of making a recipe by finding a few I liked and combining ingredients to make it my own version. Not only is this side dish loaded with flavor, but it's also a good source of fiber and vitamin C. I added the chick peas and almonds for some protein, substance, and crunch.
1 spaghetti squash, 3 to 4 lbs
Pierce skin with knife in several places. Bake squash whole in 375 degree oven for one hour until soft.
Let cool before slicing in half. Scoop out and remove seeds. Scrape pulp of squash into bowl with fork to make strands.
In skillet on medium heat, add:
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter (I used 1 Tbsp and it was fine for me)
Saute onion and garlic in oil and butter until soft. Season with salt and pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne
Mix onion/garlic with squash, then add spices and stir well.
Add:
1/2 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup almonds, sliced and toasted
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, or flat-leaf parsely
zest of orange, just before serving
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