Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

This is a fun, healthy twist on the traditional Pad Thai. It's a lot of prep work with all the veggie chopping and a little time consuming but totally worth it. This dish can easily be made gluten free. You can also take out the chicken for your vegetarian friends and even add tofu for some added protein.

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash

1 tbs + Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, crushed

1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup Carrots, shredded
1/2 cup Sprouts
1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped
10-20 large shrimp, deveined and cooked ( I keep the frozen pre-cooked shrimp on hand

   and then all I need to do for prep is defrost and pluck their tails off - because I HATE when shrimp in

   messy dishes have tails you need to pull off)
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes ( Sometimes I cheat and use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken)
1/4 cup (or more, add to taste) Pad Thai Sauce

    (you can make your own or buy it in the international aisle of the grocery store)

    I used this recipe --> http://thaifood.about.com/od/quickeasythairecipes/r/padthaisauce.htm

    I find the "Thai Kitchen" brand found in most grocery stores to be a little bland... so avoid this brand

   and leave me a comment if you know of another brand that tastes better!
2 eggs

Peanuts, chopped for topping.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut spaghetti squash in half, length wise. Scoop out the seeds. Brush with olive oil. Place facedown on a cookie sheet. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour (until squash is easily pierced with a fork).

Follow the directions to make your own pad thai sauce at this time, if you're making your own, set aside.

Prep all your veggies while your squash roasts.

Once I've pulled my squash out of the oven I set them aside to cool down a bit until they're cool enough for me to work with. 

While your squash cools a bit: In a large pan, sauté 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil with 2 garlic cloves crushed, half of a red onion chopped and raw chicken (if you're using cooked chicken, wait until the end to add it). Cook for a few minutes, until onion becomes translucent. 

Add in chopped mushrooms, carrots, and scallions (and any other veggies you like).

Once cooked down a bit, add shrimp (and cooked chicken if that's what you're using) and pad thai sauce, mix well. Add your sprouts last, as they wilt very quickly and become mushy and unrecognizable if cooked down too much.

Make a space in the center of your pan and add in 2 eggs. Let cook and mix well throughout the mixture.
Taste and adjust spices to desired liking

Scrape the spaghetti squash with a fork to create the "pasta". Top squash with pad thai mixture, sprinkle with green onions and finely chopped peanuts on top for garnish.