Sunday Cook-in: Vegetable Fajitas With Spicy Spaghetti Squash.

Well, friends, as you know, we enjoy cooking out on Sunday evenings.  Whether via the grill or the smoker, it’s a year-round affair here at Chez Recessionista, and I was hoping tonight to squeeze one last meal out of the charcoal grill for the season!

Alas, the wind just would not die down, and after evaluating the situation (read: How badly did I want to have to extinguish any wayward flames from the bush next to the grill?), I elected to cook indoors instead.  Oh, well.  Best laid plans and all that.

So with that in mind, I pulled a pan out of the cabinet and got cooking!

First, I put a spaghetti squash atop a baking sheet in the oven, baking it at 400 degrees for about an hour.  When the hour had elapsed and the squash was soft, I brought the pan out of the oven and began to sauté my fajita vegetables!  (The squash needed a few minutes to cool just a bit before I could handle it, you see.)

Prior to cooking, I cut three peppers (two bell, one poblano, all from Bigg Riggs Farm), and one medium onion into strips, each about a half-inch wide, and then marinated them for half an hour in a zip-top bag with olive oil, chipotle seasoning, ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt.  When it came time to cook, all I did was pour the bag out into a pan and fire up the heat to Medium-High!

After a few minutes, the peppers and onion were beginning to soften and caramelize nicely.  Once I was satisfied with their progress, I added several handfuls of sliced white mushrooms and stirred everything around to coat the mushrooms with oil.  A couple of minutes later, I added several handfuls of cherry tomatoes and let everything cook down for just a few more minutes, until the tomatoes were heated through.

While the sauté pan was working its magic, I heated up a can of refried beans on the back burner on low heat.  Since the fajitas themselves didn’t have a particularly protein-y ingredient tonight, I figured a layer of beans in the tortilla would be a useful addition!

As the veggies finished their cooking time, I split the spaghetti squash in half, scooped out (most of) the seeds, and then transferred the spaghetti-like strands of squash to a serving dish using two forks – I’ve found that’s the easiest way to cultivate the spaghetti texture of the squash!  Once everything was transferred over, I added several pats of butter and then a very generous helping of chipotle powder, stirring to combine.  The end result was a wonderfully zingy side dish, brimming with spiciness!

Finally, I warmed up several flour tortillas in a foil packet at 350 degrees for about three minutes, and when they were heated, it was time to serve the meal!  We spooned beans atop each tortilla, then added the fajita veggies, and then added a series of toppings – sour cream, cheese, Tabasco, some sauerkraut from locally based No. 1 Sons, and black olives.  Then we each enjoyed a hearty helping of spicy spaghetti squash on the side and declared our plates plentifully prepared!

Then it was time to chow down.  We both loved the fajitas – they sizzled just like in the restaurant! – and adored the spicy squash.  Who needs a visit to the Tex-Mex joint when you’ve got a spread like this on a Sunday at home?  We’ll definitely be back to this menu again.

:)