Recipe Wednesday: Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai (serves 3-4)

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

INGREDIENTS:
 4 tablespoons coconut oil, separated
1 small spaghetti squash, roasted
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1-1/2 cup grated carrot
3 cloves garlic, minced
 ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons raw cashews, chopped
Cashew Ginger Sauce:
2 tablespoons cashew butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1 tablespoon red chili sauce (such as sriracha)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Chop the tip and tail off of the spaghetti squash cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and innards with a spoon. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil over each half and rub into the flesh so that the whole surface is coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until spaghetti squash strings release easily when scraped with a fork. Allow squash to cool before using a fork to scrape from one end of the squash to the other, releasing spaghetti strings. Repeat with other half of the squash
Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a small blender and blend until smooth. 
Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium-sized non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and jalapeno and sauté, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.
Add grated carrot and garlic and sauté until bell pepper has softened but is still al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Move the vegetables over to one side of the skillet and add the raw shrimp. Cook about 1 to 2 minutes, flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes until shrimp is plump, pink, and cooked through.
Add the cashew-ginger sauce and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add spaghetti squash and stir everything together until everything is coated in the sauce.
Serve with fresh chopped basil or cilantro and raw cashews.