Eric and I have been quite obsessed with HGTV and DIY Network for some time now. We know all the shows. All the hosts. Bryan Baeumler fan girl/boy right here! We can recite all the annoying commercials by heart (ugh). We watch repeated episodes multiple times to the point where we could recognize the homeowners on the street. Eric is tormented by the fact that we’re renting right now and can’t really do anything major to spiff up this place. Not that it’s a bad place to live, but it doesn’t really feel overly personalized for us. It doesn’t quite feel like home. He’s so desperate to build things he didn’t complain once when putting together an Ikea cabinet the other week! How does that even happen?
The point of this story, however, is that the DIY shows are brainwashing me.
Proof? I’m entertaining Eric’s idea of gutting an old house from top to bottom. That’s on his bucket list. His dream is to buy the crappiest, oldest, creepiest house on the block and gut it to the bones. We recently went to look at a 100-year old house that hadn’t been updated since the original owner moved in. Green cabinets, knob and tube electrical, scary stains in the basement, rotary phones. It was straight out of a horror flick. Isn’t that every girl’s dream? Can I even survive that kind of torment? Who knows. Watching them make it look so easy on TV makes me feel like it’s possible though (or insane, depending on the day).
I hate to be a dream crusher, so I’m entertaining this idea. Plus, I love when he’s happy and doing what he is passionate about. I just don’t want a house gutting to be a marriage gutter, you know what I mean? I recall the renos we did in our previous house and it wasn’t always puppy dogs and rainbows. There were tears, fights, hefty bills, excruciating trips to Home Depot (loathe), dust, and more dust. Did I mention dust? Maybe renting isn’t so bad after all.
I’ll keep you posted on what we end up doing. In the meantime, feel free to share your own home renovation stories with me! Are you living through any right now?
Something that isn’t a marriage crusher? This recipe right here. Smiles and happy bellies all around with this meal. As per my theme of Vegan Glow in September, this meal was super easy to throw together. In fact, I think I’m going to put it on the rotation every week! It’s also a great way to boost your vegetable intake significantly.
When the squash is done roasting, season it with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and more salt and pepper. I go wild with the spices. Then layer on a hefty serving of black bean guacamole. I repeat: go wild.
aaaaand feast!
Tex Mex Spaghetti Squash with Black Bean Guacamole
Yield
2-3 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A satisfying and healthy dinner for two! Recipe inspired by Whole Foods.
Ingredients
For the spaghetti squash:
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- extra virgin olive oil
- ground cumin
- ground chili powder
- dried oregano
- salt & pepper
For the black bean guacamole:
- 2 avocados, pitted and flesh scooped out
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups cooked beans)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
- fine grain sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice off the stem of the squash and place the squash cut side down on a cutting board. With a chef's knife, carefully slice through the squash lengthwise to create two long halves. Scoop out the seeds and guts with an ice cream scoop. Brush some olive oil onto the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for 30-50 minutes, depending on how large your squash is. When the squash is tender and you can easily scrape the strands with a fork, it's ready. I like to check the squash after 25-30 minutes to make sure I'm not over cooking it. Be sure not to cook for too long or it will turn mushy.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the black bean guacamole. Mash the avocado flesh in a large bowl. Fold in the onion, tomato, drained and rinsed black beans, and cilantro. Season to taste with lime juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Remove squash from the oven, flip over, and scrape the flesh with a fork in vertical motions. Do this until you've scraped all the strands off the skin. Now sprinkle on some chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper (as much or as little as you want). Top the squash with guacamole and serve warm. You can also plate the spaghetti squash, if preferred.
Tip:
For a step by step photo tutorial for roasting spaghetti squash, see this post.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
I may have found something quick to make this weekend! Your site is actually the one to teach me how to make spaghetti squash so I have a warm affection for seeing recipes that call for it.
Also how can you go wrong with guacamole??
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE! I’m new to the Vegan world and have always hated to cook, but I try to cook at least once a week and eat leftovers the rest of the week :). I’ve never eaten spaghetti squash before and never knew I could actually make my own vegetable pasta / noodles until about a month ago; always thought the process would be too hard to do at home. I don’t think I cooked it long enough, but I was late and needed it to be done and ate it anyway! It was SO GOOD! I ate leftover black bean guacamole with Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato tortilla chips – also a new favorite of mine – for lunch today. I’ve emailed the link to your recipe to 5 people and put it on my FaceBook page. So good I can’t get enough!
I have a spaghetti squash arriving in my CSA tonight so I’m really excited to try this recipe! I love how its so different from the usual spaghetti squash with red sauce.
I also rent so I’m a stranger to home renos. I love the fact that when anything goes wrong I can just call my landlord and she figures everything out.
My family loves spaghetti squash and guacamole but I never thought of putting them together. I’ll definitely be trying this recipe soon!
Love using spaghetti squash! Just made it the other night and topped it with some vegetarian chili – YUM. Feels guilty but then…its just a vegetable! Definitely will try out your black bean guacamole! Looks awesome!
I adore spaghetti squash (I actually prefer it taste-wise to “real” pasta, and of course love the nutrient punch it packs!), and who doesn’t love guacamole? I will definitely be making this soon – because everything is more fun with a built-in bowl! Thank you!
That would be really fun to buy an old house and renovate, but so draining at the same time! when I was younger and lived at home my parents put hardwood in most of the house. I remember tearing away the carpet and removing flooring. Even that was enough for me!
Wow- this recipe looks amazing. I’ve actually never roasted a spaghetti squash but think this recipe might be the one to throw me over the edge! Thanks for sharing!
This looks amazing! Adding this to my weekend line up. I need more budget-friendly, simple, clean recipes. :)
We just moved into our first home about a month ago and are already starting on projects. I think the key is to realize your capabilities, know when to ask for help, and know when to put down the hammer and just relax. You should enjoy the process!
“I just want Brick”, name that show, it’s my fav… I have been looking for a new twist on spaghetti squash, this looks awesome! Thanks
REHAB ADDICT!!! hahah I could literally hear her voice in my head when I read this comment. I luuurve her! Am I right?
You’re right! Yes, I’m addicted to Rehab Addict!
My partner is a carpenter so he is constantly doing projects around the house and wanting to change things. Right now he’s rebuilding the garage, so at least it’s outside. Drives me crazy sometimes, but it keeps him busy and our house looking nice!
when dayv and i were looking for houses last year, i was always attracted to the ones that needed the most work and he would look at me like i was crazy. we ended up getting the one he wanted ;)
i am obsessed with hgtv, too. i could watch 12 hours of “love it or list it” and never leave the couch. i recently started making over my house and it is so rewarding!
Mmmm tex-mex anything is right up my alley.
As for home improvements they are hard on a marriage. Especially since things NEVER go right the first or second time. Right now we are replacing awful metal closet doors with wooded doors but the problem seems to be project burn out. One out of 3 is finished and I get the feeling my husband thinks we are done?
And GROAN about Home Depot. I refuse to go there anymore to “just look around”. I will only go if we are actually buying something and even then I think that store sucks energy from me ;)
hah oh this made me laugh (but yea, I feel for you!!). There’s something about Home Depot that makes me feel like an impatient 5 year old every time.
I love the idea of starting from scratch, if I had somebody to do it for me and I could move out for 6 months while it was being done…! Even putting together Ikea furniture is stressful for me.
This meal looks so good. I’ve never had spaghetti squash as I’ve not seen it to buy here (England) before :( The black bean guac would work with anything though.
I’m in England too, and wish I could find spaghetti squash – I’m braving the lunchtime rain in the hope of getting one at the Farmer’s Market…
I’m in London, England, and did this with a butternut squash and it worked perfectly. I think a little pumpkin could be cute too!
I’m in England too- I got a spaghetti squash in my Abel and Cole box last week! Which is how I ended up here looking for what to do with it :)
I generally see them in health food shops when in season but only for a limited time. It’s not a year-round buy.
I am in London and just bought spaghetti squash at whole foods (high street Kensington). Go check it out :)
I just found Spaghetti Squash at the Whole Foods in London…not sure if you’re in London, but if you are, check out Whole Foods. I go to the one in Clapham and it’s just a small one, so if they have it, I imagine the others will to.
Also, Borough Market usually has it.
That looks tasty! I just went on a vacation to Tucson, and had guacamole where they added mango. I’ve been craving it ever since.
My husband and I just finished our basement ourselves. The people at Home Depot knew us so well that they’d come say hi and catch up! I think that hanging doors (even pre-hung) is a marriage killer (I pity people loading doors into their vehicles at Home Depot). Absolutely everything else (electrical, studwork, etc) was fine, except for those doors! Getting them perfect so that they would still close was a nightmare. We still have two doors to hang. We may hire that out.
sending you positive reno vibes!!
My husband has similar dreams — only he’s crazy and wants to build a house from the ground up — not even creepy walls to start us out! I’m a little frightened. We are looking into the whole ultra-modern pre-fab thing with shipping containers etc…and hopefully waterfront land to drop it on one day!
I love all things avocado and spaghetti squash so great recipe today!
This looks AMAZING! But where the heck do I get spaghetti squash in the UK?? I’ve been looking forever and am starting to think it’s a purely North American thing… :(
I just replied a few messages up as well..if you’re in London, check out Whole Foods or Borough Market. I’ve found it in both places!
I’d totally agree to purchase an old house and let the husband gut it but only if he knew exactly what he wanted to do. I’d be afraid of living in a mess for the next 25 years. I need order and organization to function at my best!
I say go for the house – gutting project. You know what to expect this time having gone through it before – lay out some ground rules so you don’t argue over things like trips to Home Depot and other items that became an issue the last time. The first one is always difficult because you never account for the unknowns. The project will rarely go exactly as planned but when you realize to expect the unexpected it makes the surprises a little less scary and frustrating. Have fun with it when you decide to tackle the project! We just survived our first one and can’t wait for the next one. Both the hubby and I worked at Home Depot and we still didn’t account for everything that popped up.
Yum-o! A great twist to add guacamole to spaghetti squash.
Love love love Property Brothers. what is your favorite show?
Right now I’m obsessed with Million Dollar Listing New York. omg…the characters on that show are hilarious!! have you seen it?
Do you even need a plate!? ;) haha That’s awesome. I totally hear you about the whole marriage gutter business! We bought our house last year. It was built in 1954. We redid the main bath, which led to the kids bathing in our bathroom, yuck! Don’t want that to ever happen again. Now we are renovating the downstairs. We had a baby not to long ago, 6 months, and she is now in our sons room. Our teenage daughter got the huge room of course. So we are extending a wall 3 feet into the garage to make the room downstairs large enough for our son’s new bedroom. My husband, who loves his whites, picked a navy smoky blue for our son’s new room. YAY! Maybe he will let me add some colour to our walls upstairs (They are all white!) It’s hard going through a reno. It’s loud, your even more broke then you were before, and you have to agree on every litle thing..well try to at least. I just give in at times. I’m still on maternity leave with our baby and the banging is keeping her up during nap time. :( But this recipe will be sure to cheer us all up at the end of the day! Thanks Angela
Oh man, I can’t wait to try this!!
My parents bought a giant old run-down house on the grounds that my dad really wanted to fix it up himself…that was thirty-two years ago. They’re now trying to get it ready for sale, and my mom’s having to get rid of all the things she’d collected in anticipation of the interior decor phase of the renovation. We’re all hoping that instead of an infill developer, an ambitious young couple with a plan and some extra cash will buy it, gut it and make it into a giant old nice house.
We bought our house two years ago and it came with a gutted master bath. It wasn’t a huge deal project wise, but it to FOREVER, and then became so time consuming. It felt like every free weekend and spare time we had was spent on the bathroom. I agree with a previous commenter that you should set ground rules so you are both on the same page. Also make sure you schedule small amounts of time away from the project so you can keep some of your sanity. If you are up for it and can make it happen go for it. It would be so rewarding in the end and your house can be exactly how you want it.
I am putting this meal on the menu for next week, it looks delicious.
Oh, my! This looks amazing! I have most of the ingredients on hand, leftover from Taco Tuesday, heading to the kitchen now. Thanks so much for sharing!
I am always trying to find new ways to eat my spaghetti squash. Usually I just add some tomato sauce and beans and munch. This is a nice twist on it.. love it!
i would’ve never thought to combine spag. squash & guac, but why not? two absolutely delish things & ya can’t go wrong!
A rotary phone? I love it!!
Our kitchen reno was nightmare-like…2 weeks without a functioning kitchen and oh, the mess…but I would liken it to childbirth; you forget the pain when you see how beautiful it all looks. Good luck with whatever you decide :)
Wow. Your first paragraphs are so outside my frame of reference that it feels like I’m getting a glimpse into an alternate universe.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE DINNER MISSY?! xoxoxo
I just picked up a spaghetti squash and have been contemplating how to doctor it up for an exciting meal. This looks like the perfect way to spice things up! LOVE the black bean guacamole. I will never say no when there are avocados involved!!
LOL! It doesn’t surprise me that Eric has a dream of gutting an old crappy house – that man was born to be on HGTV!!! You guys are both awesome at it, and I have no doubt that you will live in your dream home some day! As for this recipe, you are speaking my language! I am loving all things squash right now and have some serious cooking plans for the weekend. And PS, I miss you, and think we should get together soon!
that guac looks bangin!! :)
I know what i’m eating for dinner tomorrow night!!It looks delicious!! I love guacamole, beans and spaghetti squash but i never thought to mix them together!!wow!!
Gosh that looks sumptuous! Do you think you could use a different type squash if you can’t find spaghetti squash? I’ve been seeing lots of butternut and acorn squash at the store, but no spaghetti squash!
PS. I feel your pain regarding the reno, only with CARS. My fiancee is a car guy and dreams about getting some old, rusted (but classic!) car (you know, the kind that the mob used to transport bodies, probably) and wants to fix it up. :) Hobbies and dreams are good things, says I! Of course, I’m not dealing with a creepy rotary phone infested old house. ;)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bought a spaghetti squash, let it sit for weeks and walk by it…taunting me. I need to get over that…and make this.
I just made a huge batch of black beans a couple weeks ago and froze some. I think I need to thaw them and add to this!
Hi there, Vegan Girl…
So my hubby and I are in the middle of a renovation. We bought a house built in 1926, and so far we’ve ripped out the kitchen, ripped out the floors and put down new hardwood (turned out great), and we’re getting ready to put in new trim and door casings, and a few windows here and there. I would say, budget-wise just be prepared to go over by sometimes as much as 50%. It just happens. Schedules shift with workers and things always seem to take longer which means more days of labor wages. Also, as you’re picking materials/finishes you decide you want to go up a notch and that mean, cha-ching, more money. It’s just the way it goes. It also helps if you’re a little younger! We did this once when we were in our 40s. And now me at 53 and hubby at 49, well, it’s a little harder on the older joints, backs, stress levels. We’re getting there, but it can be really stressful. So, assuming you are a bit younger, and are continuing to make money, then go for it! But, it can be wearing and oh my goodness the dust! Another word of advice is to be sure their are basic features in place: solid foundation, a good site, no termites. Good luck living the dream!
Holy crap that looks good! I’m making it next week!
it is my THIS WEEK resolution
to MAKE THIS for real.
q: is there a way
to make links open in
a NEW window?
i love to click around your site
but
no likey losing my spot.
eh? : )
Okay, so my childhood best friend and I just reconnected over a much-needed phone call yesterday, and before then, she had no idea that I went vegan a few months back. She was all “I don’t know how you can do it, what do you eat?” And I tried to explain how wildly diverse my diet is–that it even includes plenty of (cleaned up versions of) our childhood and teen-years staples! Knowing she’s a hardcore Tex-Mex girl–we both are, really–this dish will totally win her over. Cannot wait to share.
Just about to buy our first house – and I’m rather put off the reno work already :-) Thanks guys! On a separate note, wish I could find spaghetti squash in the UK…
wow! Im so happy i found your blog! As an Irish person living in Belgium I have lots of time to cook – newly arrived! A friend told me about your blog and am so impressed. Looked at it for the first time 3 days ago and have made about 3 things so far! This is delicious! Im also loving the fact that there is a much wider variety of squash here than in Ireland. Unfortunately no WHole Foods though! Keep on blogging!
Hey Aimee, Thanks so much for your kind words! So glad you are enjoying the blog :)
I’m always amazed at the combinations people put together. We have both those dishes in our household but have never put them together. Its the simple things that do it.
Wow, this looks delicious. I love beans, avocado, and squash in pretty much equal measure!
I love TexMex! I’ve never cooked my own spaghetti squash, I’m excited to try!
OMG love the idea of texmex squash!!! Never would have thought to do this myself… definitely happening in my kitchen, like, tonight!
I, too, am addicted to HGTV shows, but have no desire to renovate. But, I would love to build new, again. This time under 1,000 sq. feet. Modern. Longing to downsize and de-clutter.
I am spiralizing zucchini these days (as they are so prolific in the garden) so will substitute it for spaghetti squash. Sounds like a great alternative to the salads I’ve been enjoying. Thanks for the inspiration!
BTW – Joyce Chen spiralizer. LOVE it!
Eric’s dream and mine are the same! Sadly, my hubby to be is totally a dream crusher on that one :( One day maybe I’ll manage to convince him!
Gonna try the recipe, typically not a fan of spaghetti squash, but always willing to try again!
The idea of buying an old house and gutting it is kind of scary, but if it works out, I think it would be worth it. Old houses are so beautiful!
Also this recipe looks awesome. I was just thinking about different ways to use spaghetti squash (since I almost always eat it with some kind of tomato sauce, and that’s getting old), so this recipe came at the perfect time!
This looks delist! Can’t wait to try it!
This looks super yummy! I also have an HGTV obsession. Ahh, real estate porn!
Has anyone mentioned the classic Tom Hanks comedy The Money Pit? You should see it before taking on a tumble-down palace!
Exactly what I was wondering. Wonderful movie from the late 80s/ early 90s. Maybe live vicariously through them.