Friday's with Francesca- Spunky Spaghetti

So this year is the first time I have lived in my own place, a cute little apartment that does the trick for my last year of school (can I get an amen?) :) And one of the things I love the most about living off campus is being able to choose my own food! I love reading books and searching for creative ways to eat the foods I love without all the calories. On a recent trip to the library I found a recipe book called Hungry Girl to the Max!- The Ultimate Guilt Free Cookbook and let me tell you it is pretty much my new favorite thing.

The author of the book takes all of the food you love and makes them into low-calorie treats. And we all know those low-calorie recipes where the serving sizes are literally fit for a baby but these are filling and delicious! I have tried 4 recipes at this point and have plans to try many, many more (or as many as I can before I can't renew the book anymore hehe)

So without further ado here is the recipe, along with the things I learned along the way!

Pepperoni Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash (about 4 1/2 pounds)
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
One 14.5-ounce can creamy tomato soup with 4 grams fat or less per serving
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
30 slices turkey pepperoni, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Optional: salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Second, microwave the spaghetti squash until it is soft enough to cut through-This the first time I have ever cooked or eaten spaghetti squash and found it pretty easy to cut through the middle after about 4 minutes on high. After cutting them in half, scoop out and discard all the seeds. Fill large baking pan with 1/2 inch of water and place squash halves in the pan with cut side down. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes!-I watched them and mine ended up being soft enough around 30 minutes so just keep an eye on them when you're nearing the end.

Use a fork and scrape out the squash in strands. Place them in a strainer to drain the excess water and set aside in a large bowl with a lid to keep them warm.

Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and cook and stir until softened, about 8 minutes- make sure they are softened because I found out the hard way what its like when they're not ;) Then, stir in the soup, sour cream, pepperoni, and basil. Cook and stir until well mixed, about 2 minutes. 

Add the mixture to the squash and there you go- A delicious, filling meal for half the calories! 1 3/4 cups is only 212 calories, yes- 212 calories!! Eat and enjoy! 

What recipe books have you all found to be healthy but delicious? I would love suggestions-I'm always up for trying new things and finding different takes on foods!