AIP spaghetti squash stir-fry bowl with mushrooms, ginger, coconut aminos, and pork

Pad Thai built on rice noodles is not available to you right now, and if that is one of the dishes you actually miss, this comes close enough to matter. Roast the squash ahead, the night before or earlier in the day, and what is left for a weeknight is a fast stir-fry, a bowl that tastes like something you chose to make.

Spaghetti squash is a good source of vitamin C and manganese, and it is gentle on blood sugar in a way rice noodles never were, which matters when steady blood sugar is part of keeping inflammation calmer. Mushrooms contain beta-glucans, compounds researchers are still studying for a possible role in immune modulation, and they soak up the flavor of whatever they are cooked alongside.

Leave the pork out entirely and double the mushrooms if that is where you are right now, plant-forward and still satisfying. Either way, finish it with lime and cilantro right before you eat, while the squash is still warm enough to hold the sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 small spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
• 8 oz mushrooms, roughly chopped or sliced
• 1 tbsp minced onion (or 2 tbsp sliced green onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz ground pork (optional; see note)
• 1.5 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1/2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/8 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice (omit for strict low-histamine)

Note: sunflower seed butter, cashews, and black pepper all omitted (not AIP-compliant). Pork is an ARM addition to the original vegetarian recipe - confirm with Daniela.

Method

Heat your oven to 400 F. Rub the cut sides of the spaghetti squash with a little coconut oil and place cut-side down on a lined sheet pan. Roast for 45-55 minutes until the flesh pulls apart into strands when scraped with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then use a fork to pull the strands loose into a bowl. Set aside.

Warm 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. If using ground pork, add it now and cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking it apart, until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Add the remaining coconut oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook without stirring for 2-3 minutes until they begin to brown. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the spaghetti squash strands and the cooked pork (if using) back to the pan. Pour in the coconut aminos and water. Season with ground ginger and sea salt. Toss everything together and stir-fry for about 1 minute until the liquid has been absorbed and everything is evenly coated.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the green onion. Finish with cilantro and lime juice.

Serve warm in bowls.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*