Scrumptious Spaghetti Squash Cakes

Easy vegan spaghetti squash cakes.

spaghetti squash (squash that looks like spaghetti but is not spaghetti because it is squash...it just has the appearance of spaghetti, but it is not in any way pasta)

If you have never had the pleasure of tasting spaghetti squash, then your taste buds are missing out.   Spaghetti squash are the one’s that look like yellow footballs.  One way to cook them is to:

• wash it
• stab it with a fork
• put it in the oven at 350 for 1 hour

Cut it in half, discard seeds, and scrape out the inside. It looks like spaghetti but it tastes great.  If you like sweet, put a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice with a pinch of sweet (organic sugar, maple syrup..etc)

Winter  squash, like other richly colored vegetables, provide excellent sources of carotenes.  Generally, the richer the color, the richer the concentration.  They also offer a very good source of vitamins B1 and C, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber, and
potassium.  Winter squash are also a good source of vitamin B6 and niacin.

Studies show that due to their carotene properties, winter squash exert a protective effect against many cancers, particularly lung cancer.

I got the recipe below from a cookbook I bought from one of my favorite restaurants, “Cafe Sunflower”. If you are ever in Atlanta there are two locations: Peachtree Road in Buckhead and Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. I highly recommend them for a delicious vegetarian meal (they have a dairy-free chocolate layer cake that is to-die-for!).

When people think “vegetarian” they may think “tastes like tofu”, but if you have never gone to vegetarian restaurant, I challenge you to try one…I think you will be surprised that it’s not what you think.

I had these spaghetti squash cakes the last time I was at Cafe Sunflower.  They were amazing (as was everything else)

You can serve them as appetizers, or as a main dish, or on the side with soup or salad……or as a midnight snack.

Spaghetti Squash Cakes

• 1 medium spaghetti squash-these come in variety of sizes–any size will work you need approx 3 pounds
• 1 leek washed well and finely chopped-again, sizes.  I had a large leek and used the greens up to the bulb-3 scallion greens work equally as well
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 tBs olive oil
• 3/4 cup dried yellow corn grits-(recipe calls for corn grits–you can also use corn meal and corn meal mix which is ground fine and has baking powder in it)
• 1/2 can coconut milk (7oz)–I used the low-fat kind organic-can also use soy, almond or rice milk
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric (a powerful cancer fighter–I added a bit extra)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp seaweed flakes–(optional)
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of flour–whole wheat, all purpose or rice

1. Cut squash in half. Remove seeds. Boil spaghetti squash with skin on for about 20-25 minutes or until soft enough to pull skin off easily. (mine needed 25–I don’t think you can over boil)  or bake for 1 hour on a cookie sheet whole at 350 degrees F.  with seeds removed, scrape with a fork and place the “spaghetti” in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Use oil in pan to saute leeks and onion until translucent. Set aside.
3. Except for flour, mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Add spaghetti squash.
4. Add the flour gradually and stir well until the mixture resembles thick pancake batter.  It looks thick even before the flour, but add at least 1 cup…more if needed.

5.  Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter onto fry pan or grill. When the bottom is firm, and you can see the edges are browned, flip and cook on other side.  I used the smallest amount of oil I could.  For the second batch, I used a non-stick spray in the pan to prevent sticking

This makes 15 or so pancakes.

6.   Serve with caper mayo:  1/2 cup soy or low-fat mayonnaise, 1 TBS capers,1 tsp pure maple syrup, 1 tsp lemon juice. (capers optional) Or for a vegan option: mix 1 soft, ripe avocado with 1-2 tsp maple syrup, 2 tsp olive oil, and 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Mix well until smooth.

These cakes were so good for dinner!

My husband, who refuses to eat anything healthy, actually asked me to make these again!  Anyone who knows my hubby , knows that if he likes it, everyone will like it.

Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

Yeilds about 15 cakes… Calories 110/cake, fat 2.2 g, fiber 1.5 g