Italian chicken and spaghetti squash

If you've never eaten or cooked spaghetti squash you are missing out!

It looks intimidating, but it's a cinch to cook.

from here

First, I have Andy cut the squash length-wise for me (I don't recommend microwaving it whole, but it can be done). I remove the squash seeds and the goop around it and then I put a little butter and salt and pepper in the well and pop one half of the squash into the microwave for 7-9 minutes, depending on how big it is. One half of a large spaghetti squash is plenty for the two of us. I put the other half into a baggie and stick it in the fridge for leftovers.

from here

Once the squash has been cooked, carefully take it out of the microwave with a towel or an oven mitt. It's going to be really hot! Unless you're rushing to get dinner on the table (like me), let it cool for a minute or two before you begin to shred it. Shredding is the fun part - I anchor the squash with one fork and use another fork to scrape at the edges and bottom of the squash. It's so satisfying to watch the little "spaghetti" form. Scrape until you can scrape no more. Serve the squash as a side OR as a base for this amazing and guilt-free meal my sister concocted:

I made a verrrry similar version to this on Tuesday. The flavor blew us away! I used three large chicken breasts and pounded them down a bit so they would cook faster. I didn't have chardonnay and didn't use any other liquid to replace it. I also used my Italian Herb grinder to season the dish instead of basil and oregano (though both of those herbs are in the grinder). Oh, and I used refrigerated parmesan. Other than that I stuck to the recipe, and I will definitely be making this again. I had enough chicken mixture left over so we used that to top the other half of the squash the next day. In case you're wondering, spaghetti squash doesn't taste at all like spaghetti - it just looks like it. You can put most anything on top of spaghetti squash that you would pasta and make it a much more healthful meal. The squash will have a slightly crunchy texture but a similar flavor to regular squash. 

Side note: We still had a few chicken pieces left over, so I stuck them in the fridge. They were fantastic cold. Perfect for a little bowl of chicken salad. :)