Healthy Recipe: Spaghetti Squash with Chard

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash (You will use 4 cups after prep)
• 3 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 bunch Swiss or rainbow chard
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 tbsp. olive or walnut oil (basil infused is wonderful if you can find some)
• Nutritional yeast (to taste)
• Sea salt (to taste)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pre-cook squash by slicing in half and scooping out seeds and pulp from inside. Place each half squash face up in baking pan with 1/2" of water and bake for 35-40 minutes or until you can easily pierce squash with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When ready, scrape all the squash out with a fork creating spaghetti like strands and store in large bowl or Tupperware.
2. Cut chard into strips. I like to fold a big bunch in half then slice across. That usually gives me good size pieces. 'Smash' walnuts. Place in plastic baggie and use the back of a wooden spoon or mallet to break and 'smash' walnuts until they are very small and fine in consistency.
3. In a large cast iron skillet, heat about 3 tbsp. sesame oil on medium high. Add chard and sauté until well wilted. Add squash and basil and mix well. Drizzle in olive or walnut oil. After about 2 minutes, add chopped walnuts and salt to taste. Sauté another two minutes then turn the heat off and allow to sit for a bit. Transfer to large bowl and sprinkle nutritional yeast for additional cheesy flavor and sea salt to taste.