Spaghetti Squash Stir-Fry

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. If you prefer to use an oven to cook the squash instead of a microwave, place an oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Using a sharp, sturdy knife, carefully halve the squash lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds. Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

MICROWAVE: Working in two batches, transfer the prepared squash to a microwave-safe baking dish, cut side down. Fill with 1/2 inch of water. Microwave on high 8 to 10 minutes, or until the flesh easily pulls away from the skin.

OVEN: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (or foil). Transfer the prepared squash to the sheet pan, cut side down. Roast 25 to 35 minutes, or until the skin is lightly browned and the flesh easily pulls away from the skin.

Transfer the cooked squash to a large bowl to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; thinly slice, separating the stems and leaves. Peel the carrots; thinly slice on an angle. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Thinly slice the scallions on an angle, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper; beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter spread, soy sauce, honey (kneading the packet before opening), tamarind paste, 2 tablespoons of warm water, and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. 

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. 

In the pan of reserved fond, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced bok choy stems and sliced carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the sliced bok choy leaves, chopped garlic, and sliced white bottoms of the scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened. Move the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the other side, then add the beaten eggs. Cook, stirring the eggs constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until cooked through. Stir the vegetables and eggs to thoroughly combine. Turn off the heat.

When cool enough to handle, using a fork, scrape the flesh of the cooked squash into a bowl; separate any clumps. Discard the skins.

Add the squash strands, cooked chicken, and sauce to the pan of cooked vegetables and eggs. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished stir-fry garnished with the chopped peanuts and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!