Gobble Gobble on this post-Thanksgiving meal

Happy Thanksgiving friends! I considered doing the traditional post on, "my favorite dishes", celebrating this Turkey Day, but I decided to change things up a bit...going with something a little more practical, and figure-friendly (since that's what we are all thinking about now, our weight or staying in shape!) While I have no shame or guilt in pigging out on this beloved holiday (oh, and I so did!), I also feel like the day after Thanksgiving, also known as, Black Friday was titled it's ominous name, from regretful over indulgence, undoubtedly happening the day before... like really, I'm still hungry the day after Thanksgiving?! (surprise, surprise!) The first thing I did this morning was a eat a bowl of cereal, still no shame...

So the real question is, what can I eat, the days after Thanksgiving, without feeling like a hefer? the answer is, spaghetti squash my dear friends. Trick yourself into a fake carb overload by tossing your favorite sauce (think pesto, marinara, bolognese etc.) with spaghetti squash. I know your stomaches have already been stretched by Thanksgiving, so this dish is perfect for getting it back into shape, without compromising big flavors and skimping on fullness!

My recipe below includes instructions on preparing spaghetti squash, as well as a hearty, yet healthy Turkey Bolognese sauce. What I love about making my own bolognese is that I can control the amount of ingredients that go into it and it can be frozen and saved for a lazy, rainy day or, perhaps, the days after Thanksgiving part deux, also known as Christmas!

So go ahead and indulge in a delicious dinner that's under 350 calories. You'll fool everyone with how meaty this dish is and how full everyone will feel!

Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Turkey Bolognese

Perfect for a rainy day or post-holiday meal that feeds a crowd!

Adapted from Personal Chef Appraoch

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, with the seeds and pulp removed
• 1 28 oz. can season diced tomatoes ( or unseasoned, whichever you prefer)
• 1 1/4 lbs. lean ground turkey
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbl. red wine (optional)
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of cayenne pepper (for ground turkey)

Directions:

Instructions for roasting spaghetti squash:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Rinse Squash and cut, lengthwise. Remove seeds and stringy pulp. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
3. In a baking dish, fill dish with 1/2 inch of water. Place squash in water bed and bake for 30-35 minutes. 
4. Remove from oven and water bed and let it stand for 5 minutes until cool enough to touch. 
5. With a fork, begin scraping the inside of the squash. The squash will peel into strings, looking like long pieces of spaghetti. One squash makes about 2 1/2 cups of "spaghetti". Store unused spaghetti in air tight container for up to several days.

Squash disguised as spaghetti!

Instructions for turkey bolognese: 

1. Heat 1 Tbl. of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add ground turkey and break up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Season with pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, to taste.  Cook turkey until no longer pink, for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Remove turkey from heat and place on plate. To keep turkey warm, place plate in the microwave to insulate heat. 
3. In the same pan, add 1 Tbl. olive oil, chopped onions and carrots. Cook  on medium-high heat, until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add chopped garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
4. Add can of crushed tomatoes, red wine and season with Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Let this simmer for about 15 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and add cooked ground turkey.
6. Plate spaghetti squash and top with bolognese. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and basil.