This is my take on a recipe for Thai-style broccoli and spaghetti squash. I like to make it a meaty main dish, so I added chicken and changed out a couple of ingredients to make it low carb. If you’d like to make it a vegetarian dish, then omit the chicken.
Thai Peanut Chicken and Broccoli Over Spaghetti Squash
1 small spaghetti squash, about 2 pounds
2 Chicken breasts, cut into cubes
For the Roasted Broccoli
1 small broccoli crown, broken into florets (2 cups)
1-2 tsp. sesame oil, can sub another vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
For the Peanut Sauce
3 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar-free maple syrup
1 tbsp. lime juice
1-2 tbsp. water, as needed
1 tablespoon Thai Chili Sauce
Garnishes:
1-2 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp. roasted peanuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 375°.
Prepare the squash by cutting in half length-wise with a sharp kitchen knife. Scoop out the seeds, but don’t dig into the inner pulp. Oil the insides of the squash and place face down on a foil-covered baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool until you can handle them.
About mid-way through the roasting time for the squash, begin preparing the broccoli. Place broccoli, oil, and garlic into an oven-safe pan or baking dish and toss until broccoli is coated. Put in the oven with the squash and roast until it is fork tender but still crisp. This should be about 15 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil then add the chicken cubes. Cook until lightly browned, but not overdone, then remove to a plate to rest.
In the same skillet, add the ingredients for the peanut sauce and stir together with a wooden spoon. Add as much water as needed to keep it a smooth, pourable sauce. Do not cook at this point.
Using a fork, rake the insides of the squash to loosen the noodles. It will shred easily and yield about two cups of noodles.
When the broccoli comes out of the oven, add the chicken to the peanut sauce and warm over low heat. Stir in the broccoli with salt and pepper and coat the chicken and broccoli.
Serve over the spaghetti squash and garnish with chopped green onions and roasted peanuts. Makes four servings.
Beginning with this recipe, I am posting more nutrition information for those who need a little more detail. For those who just want the nitty-gritty net carb total, this dish is 8.9 net carbs per serving.
