Birthday Blog Takeover #4

I’ve gushed about my amazing in-laws numerous times on the blog, but their excitement for veganism and creativity as they are exploring it are just a few of the reasons why they are exceptional people.  I am extremely lucky to have such encouragement in my life (it’s pretty clear why Kyle is the way he is).  So without further ado, my second parents…

As what we would call ourselves “ Vegan Virgins” (VV) we welcome the fall when squash harvest is abundant and easy solutions for vegan cooking are plentiful! When Kyle asked us to do a guest post, we quickly resorted to some easy squash recipes that formed the basis of a vegan fast that we engaged in earlier this year. Acorn, butternut, spaghetti are all unique and all have different flavors and the colors in the stores are AMAZING! Winter squash is a great source of complex carbohydrates, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, folate, vitamins B1, B6, B5, niacin, beta carotene and tryptophan. In fact, pumpkin seeds are one of the highest NATURAL sources of tryptophan available. There is no debating the nutritional value of squash!

Options for VV’s are endless!

We chose one of our very basic vegan recipes for this post, Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Caper Sauce and Sautéed Tofu. We cannot say that the recipe is an original, but with each preparation, we add a little something extra to make it our own.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Lemon Caper Sauce and Sauteed Tofu (Serves: 2-3, Preparation time: about an hour)

• 1 small spaghetti squash
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 1/4 cup zucchini, diced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and pepper, to tast
• 1/4 cup tomatoes, canned or fresh, chopped
• Tofu, cubed coated in milled flax seed

1. Traditionally, you would preheat oven to 400 degrees F. However one of the “customizations” we put into our version is that we grilled this version on the grill! It just adds to the flavors.  Light your coals and get a good set going while you prepare the squash.

2. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub the inside well with the olive oil, cover it with foil, put it on a grill friendly pan and bake. When it done, you should be able to easily scrape it out with a fork.  This one took about 45 minutes on the grill but should take about 30 minutes in the oven.

3. When the squash has about 15 minutes remaining, dice the veggies and melt the margarine in a large pan or cast iron pot. Add the zucchini, bell pepper and capers, cooking them until they’re tender.  Stir in the lemon juice, parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Lemon pepper works great!

4. While the veggies are simmering, cube your Tofu and toss it in the milled flax. You can also use flour, the flax just provides some great added nutritional value. Not pretty, but definitely tasty! Using either a small amount of olive oil or a tablespoon of Earth Balance, sauté the tofu for 3-5 mins.

5. Taste the sauce to see if it’s seasoned properly, and then mix in the tomatoes and the parsley.

6. Don’t forget about your squash on the grill (or the oven). Remove from the heat and scrape out the spaghetti strings with a fork.

7. Add the sauce to your “spaghetti” and enjoy!

Elise, we love you! Happy Birthday!

Mom and Dad 2