For those weeks you need to meal prep, and those days you want a quiet, simple meal without having to scale down the recipe, these spaghetti squash boats are perfect to keep in your back pocket!
I’ve always wanted to be larger than life.
Scratch that. Ever since breaking out of my shell and leaving the shy girl I used to be behind, I wanted to be mega. Super. Monumental.
It didn’t always seem like an attainable goal, especially once you factor in my short stature (5’1″ can only take a girl so far). But I didn’t let that stop me. After all, there was usually a stool that I could stand on. It was just a really comfortable place to be standing, a way to elevate myself above the madness.
Now that I’ve made myself sound like a huge presence, it’s time to be real. I do work continuously to put myself out there, but to a point. Taking time to myself to recharge is extremely necessary, a fact that took a long time for me to realize. In truth, I’m an extroverted introvert. Spending time with people and getting involved are two huge values of mine, yet it’s not something I can sustain 24/7 or else I burn out, like a flame without oxygen.
A couple of years ago I took the Myers-Briggs personality test for curiosity’s sake. As a general rule I take those types of online questionnaires with a grain of salt. I tend to fill them out for the entertainment factor that’s sure to come at the end, when I read their analysis of me. How could they possibly claim to know exactly what type of person I am or what will be best for me regarding my career, relationships, school, or anything without actually getting to know me face-to-face?
This time, though, I was pleasantly surprised. It was hard, but I forced myself to really consider my answers to each question, so that they would be as truthful as possible. The extra thought totally paid off, and the personality type I ended up with is pretty much me to a T. If you’ve never taken it before, I highly recommend giving this test a shot.
Ok Sara, how did you end up talking about this? Focus!
Right. Larger than life. How could I forget?
Sometimes meal-time can get lost amidst all of the other commitments we have and waves we’re making. Other times, recipes are meant for crowds way bigger than will be found at My Kitchen Table (population 1) on a standard Tuesday night. A quiet meal alone or with a person you love is sometimes exactly what you need.
Enter the spaghetti squash.
It’s a pre-portioned meal for two (or one, if you’re like me and like leftovers, which let’s be honest, how could you NOT?) that takes essentially no mental capacity to prepare. And for those weeks that meal prep has to happen, and you’ll be eating out of a container with a plastic fork? Get ready to banish those looming sad desk lunches for good.
Bonus? Even if you do need to take lunch to go, this meal can get packed back up in the squash’s skin so that you feel just a teeny bit fancier when you’re brown-bagging it.
Spotlight’s on you: how do you try to be larger than life?
If you make these, let me know what you think! Save it on Pinterest, tag #lensesandlentils on Instagram, leave a comment below. I want to hear from you!
- 1 spaghetti squash
- olive or avocado oil spray
- sea salt
- 1 red bell pepper
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes
- 1-2 scallions
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 avocado
- For the squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Spray each half with a little oil and sprinkle on salt. Place facedown on baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until flesh is soft and easily scraped with a fork.
- In the meantime, dice the pepper and scallions. Cut the avocado and sundried tomatoes into slices.
- For the boats: When squash is cooked, allow to cool for a few minutes. Then, scrape the flesh into spaghetti-like strands and combine with all the ingredients except the avocado.
- Place half of the mixture back into each spaghetti squash skin. Top each with half of the avocado slices.
Woah Sara, you sound like me. I love to be involved with others too, but this year I realized that I just couldn’t do everything. It’s been humbling to say, ‘No, I can’t do that,’ but it’s been a good lesson. And I’m realizing that God is working miracles even when I’m sitting on the sidelines…
One of those blessings is getting to know you and seeing your amazing recipes.
Exactly! It’s been such a humbling and important lesson to realize that, no, I cannot do everything and have to turn down some opportunities for the sake of others. The real challenge becomes understanding which ones are more important for me to take on and which ones to let pass by.
It has been amazing getting to know you as well, and I hope to continue to!