Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie

       Before I get into my pie story, can we please take a moment to appreciate the incredible fluffiness of my protein pancakes this morning?!

 Holy YUM!!! These are the same as my Banana Bread Psyllium Panckes, except I used Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow protein powder.

Ok, now my post:

I hadn't bought seitan in a while, so when I saw a package of "seitan crumbles" I thought it would be fun to experiment. Seitan, or "wheat meat" is made from wheat gluten. Not only does it have a very similar look and texture as regular meat, it is also a great source of protein. One of my favorite ways to prepare seitan is to simply roast it with a little garlic powder. It's now sold as strips, crumbles, and cubes, so its easier to incorporate into your favorite recipes.

I originally thought of seasoning the seitan crumbles like taco meat. The entire idea for this recipe came together when I noticed I had a spaghetti squash that needed to be cooked, and a half a jar of salsa looking lonely in the fridge. The rest just happened. This was SO delicious and flavorful, and really simple to make! This recipe makes two meals, or four side dishes.

Browning up the seitan:

 

Squash and egg white mixture:

 

 Finished!!

Mexican Spaghetti Squash Pie

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 package seitan crumbles (or 1 cup ground turkey, chicken, beef)
Cinnamon, cumin, and chile powder, to taste
1 tablespoon raisins (optional, can do more if you like)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup egg whites
2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1/2 cup low-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
1.  Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add garlic and onion and cook until they begin to soften.
2. Add seitan to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the "meat" starts to brown.
3. Add spices, raisins, salsa, and cilantro and mix well.
4. Mix together squash and egg whites in a bowl. Place the mixture into a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Lay the seitan mixture evenly over the squash. Bake for about 25 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the pie and bake for an additional 10 minutes (or until cheese melts).
6. Let the pie sit for about 5 minutes before serving. You can top this with plain Greek yogurt or fat-free sour cream, salsa, avocado- whatever!

I served mine as a side dish with Fiesta Lime Barramundi and roasted asparagus- YUM.

Side note: I am obsessed with Sriracha.