Spaghetti squash, cauli rice, etc actually good???

2

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    spaghetti squash is great...not as a substitute for spaghetti as it is not in any way similar in taste or texture...it's just a good vegetable. Cauliflower is great...it's a delicious vegetable...but IMO also not a substitute for things like potatoes and whatnot. I just look at these things for what they are, not as substitutes for this or that. Personally, I'm not worried about carbs and have no irrational fears about them so I don't see a need to substitute things for them.

    Side not...I don't generally eat starches or grains with dinner because it's a way for me to control my calories (I don't log or count calories)...but I don't look for substitutes for those things...I just eat double or triple veg with my protein.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    I don't have a spiraliser (seriously considering it) but I find subbing veg for some of your pasta can be a real improvement, in flavour and texture as well as nutrition. Cheesy pasta with carrots, peas and sweetcorn is good, as is lightly cooked courgette and pasta tossed with butter and cheese. The trick is to cut the veg a similar shape to the pasta so it mixes well and doesn't all sit on top or sink to the bottom.

    I also made gnocchi with sweet potato instead of ordinary potato and it was pretty good.
  • brighteststitcher
    brighteststitcher Posts: 62 Member
    Spaghetti squash is the devil, but cauliflower rice is my new fave. Perfect for cauliflower fried rice or with any type of meat. It's not rice, it's much different - but in fried rice you can hardly tell the difference. I agree with the spiralizer fans, too. So fun and awesome.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited July 2016
    I love cauliflower fried rice, made with riced cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, bacon, and eggs. Warning, it isn't like rice - it's a delicious way to eat a bunch of veggies.

    My favorite bread substitute that really is fairly close to bread is to make protein powder pancakes or quick breads. I forget that I'm getting 40 grams of protein, not a bunch of carbs. It's good with zucchini, pumpkin, banana, or riced cauliflower added to the batter, and I'm sure there are other ways to incorporate fruits or veggies. I make pizza bread by baking it with tomato sauce and cheese.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    Love the frozen cauliflower rice but it's always sold out at the store near me :-(

    I spray the pan w oil spray, pour the whole bag in the skillet, add salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic powder, chopped onions and frozen peas and its sooooo good, tastes like fried rice.

  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    I like spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, etc. but they have their own taste and they're not really substitutes for the originals; you have to appreciate them on their own without thinking "this ain't really rice I'm eating". The idea about mashing half potatoes and half cauliflower together is an interesting one, I have to try that.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    NaturalNancy wrote: »
    Love the frozen cauliflower rice but it's always sold out at the store near me :-(

    I spray the pan w oil spray, pour the whole bag in the skillet, add salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic powder, chopped onions and frozen peas and its sooooo good, tastes like fried rice.
    If you have a food processor, it's easy to rice cauliflower yourself. The hardest part is drying out the florets. I do it in the salad spinner.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    They are good but they're not substitution for the real thing if it's really what you crave.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    @lithezebra I don't have one :-( but I hope to get one soon, thank you! :-D
  • fitpal4242
    fitpal4242 Posts: 109 Member
    Spaghetti squash is awesome if you take it for what it is- if you think it should taste like pasta, you will be so, so disappointed. I like it sautéed with garlic, spinach and sun dried tomatoes,topped with some feta and Parmesan. I also eat it sometimes with trader joe's Thai curry sauce and tofu.
    Cauliflower rice is not good- it tastes like cauliflower, no matter what others say. I also tried cauliflower pizza crust this weekend and it wasn't great, and it was bonded together with more cheese than i'd ever use on a regular pizza.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited July 2016
    http://inspiralized.com/recipes/
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    I love spaghetti squash better than the best pasta I've made, but my husband remains unconvinced. I've tried the cauliflower thang once, haven
    t had a chance since, and I want to do more.
  • chassp8pooh
    chassp8pooh Posts: 131 Member
    cla11b wrote: »
    How do you spiral it? Do you need a special tool or just a knife?
    I bought a $10 vegetti spiralizerfrom Wal-Mart. It makes the prettiest and tastiest zoodles out there!
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I use the paderno spiralizer because the little hand held ones seem like they'd be impossible to do rutabaga, turnips, beets, and other round or oddly shaped vegetables. Plus it's only $29 on Amazon.

    For the cauliflower rice, I use a box grater. I like the texture better than with a food processor.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    edited July 2016
    I like spaghetti squash, but I can't think of it as a substitute for pasta. Pasta is pasta, squash is squash, they're different things but both are good in their own way. I agree that spaghetti squash can get watery and needs a thicker sauce. I think cauliflower is gross and nothing has changed my mind about that.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I use riced cauliflower as a sub for mashed potatoes. It's pretty amazing. It has the same consistency, and imo, a better flavor.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    They're vegetables. Do you think veggies are nasty?
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Spaghetti squash is bank! I like cauliflower cooked as is or mashed. Rice cauliflower?? Meh. I would just eat the rice. If you are inventive, make curry with cauliflower. Zucchini is the bomb.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Oh I forgot. Make turkey spaghetti sauce BUT take two cups of baby carrots, grind them in a prep or Cuisinart until it's the consistency of ground meat and add that to the turkey as it is cooking. It will thicken up the sauce, add a slight sweetness that takes away the acidity of the tomato and well you get the minerals in the carrot and barely notice it. You can do it with zucchini too.
  • 44to44
    44to44 Posts: 896 Member
    I *love* spaghetti squash. Rubbed with a bit of EVOO and roasted in the oven, then a touch of parmesan cheese, salt & pepper and you've got yourself a very tasty side. I love roasted cauliflower - usually toss it in a bit of EVOO and lemon juice and add some spices and it's delish. Those are actually 2 of my favourite vegetables. Zucchini, on the other hand, I find tasteless and pointless.
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
    I love steamed vegetables. Pile the veggies in a steamer and steam all together == potatoes, sweet potato, rhutabaga, onions, broccoli, etc. I recently found bags of diced cauliflower at Walmart. It is great to slip into a lot of things, and I don't even taste it (like on homemade pizza--I pile it on and I can't even tell it's there). Spaghetti squash is good, but I prefer it with a little butter, cinnamon and sweetener (or honey) instead of with pasta sauce I slice cucumbers, onions and peppers into a jar; then, fill with a little over half of vinegar and the rest water; throw in a little salt, pepper and a pinch of sweetener. Let sit in fridge for a bit---yummy!!!
  • kahed8
    kahed8 Posts: 1 Member
    Trader Joe's has frozen bags of cauliflower rice...all the work is done and very versatile :)
  • fitgoals23
    fitgoals23 Posts: 43 Member
    I have tried and loved cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, and zucchini noodles, when prepared properly. In all cases, that means incorporating good sauces/flavors, because on their own these foods can be a bit disappointing. For example, I use cauliflower rice in stir-fry with teriyaki sauce or honey-garlic sauce, but it would be bland and awkward just steamed on its own. I find spaghetti squash too sweet and almost sour on its own, but it is really tasty with a tomato-based sauce, or as the crust for a pizza or quiche. And zucchini noodles are very tasty, especially when sautéed with flavorful components like onions and garlic and with tomato or alfredo sauces (but that may be because I strongly associate zucchini with Italian cuisine - there could be many other good flavor combinations).

    I definitely recommend giving some of these a try. I am especially satisfied with cauliflower rice as an easy substitute for regular rice and spaghetti squash crusts have helped me satisfy pizza cravings at a lower-carb price. Good luck with whatever you try!
  • annnastasia6776
    annnastasia6776 Posts: 34 Member
    To be honest, if it's not something you are used to then it may take a while for you to get used to the veggies. I love them, I actually don't like white pasta or rice, it just has no flavor to it at all. I love spiralized zucchini (when I havn't had too much of it because of my garden) I like to cook it up and use it as my pasta or mixed with pasta. I also like spaghetti squash but it takes a bit more effort to prepare it so don't have it often. I have not had cauliflower rice so I don't know how it tastes but I like long brown rice, it's good and fills me up.
  • unique741
    unique741 Posts: 7 Member
    I personally love cauliflower rice Asian style with sesame oil and other veggies plus lemongrass.
  • lilligraz22
    lilligraz22 Posts: 183 Member
    Two absolute favorites. ...cauliflower rice made with coconut oil, tumeric, paprika
    Cauliflower mash.....I could eat that every day.
  • alyssa_rest
    alyssa_rest Posts: 276 Member
    Haven't tried cauliflower rice yet but I'm a huge fan of zoodles and spaghetti squash. Don't go into it thinking it's going to taste like pasta, though. A lot of my friends expected zoodles to be the perfect substitute and were highly disappointed, haha.
  • AlisonH729
    AlisonH729 Posts: 558 Member
    I had this awesome coconut curry quinoa in a restaurant that I've gotten realllllly close to recreating. I'm going to see if I can add in the cauliflower crumbles tonight.
  • HeidiThe9
    HeidiThe9 Posts: 48 Member
    My super picky husband and 3 year old daughter love cauliflower fried rice. Made with peas, carrots, scallions, bean sprouts, and broccoli. We usually add stir fried chicken and scrambled egg. With a dash of soy sauce and some Chinese 5 spice, it is pretty darn close to fried rice!
  • CatherineLaurel
    CatherineLaurel Posts: 197 Member
    HeidiThe9 wrote: »
    My super picky husband and 3 year old daughter love cauliflower fried rice. Made with peas, carrots, scallions, bean sprouts, and broccoli. We usually add stir fried chicken and scrambled egg. With a dash of soy sauce and some Chinese 5 spice, it is pretty darn close to fried rice!

    That sounds amazing

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