Cheesy left-over casserole

This was one of those there’s no food in the house-I’m starving-what are we going to do for dinner?? kind of nights, so I whipped this up, and as you can probably tell from the pictures..it was amazing.

I had some leftover cooked spaghetti squash with no sauce, some steamed broccoli, a portabella mushroom and half a red bell pepper laying around, so I threw it all in a casserole dish and covered it with this creamy mock cheese sauce and I was absolutely amazed with the results.  It was so tasty and left me feeling satisfied, not stuffed like usual cooked meals.  I want this every night!!!

You can basically throw in whatever you have on hand, but I love the combination I made.  The flavors really work well together with the cheesy sauce.  If you are using a vegetable that takes forever to cook, like broccoli or carrots, steam it first until tender to cut cooking time in half and make life a lot easier.  Substitute spaghetti squash for regular cooked pasta or cooked rice.  I used to make this with rice, broccoli and veggie chicken and it was amazing.

Put the oven on 450, cook uncovered and watch it after about 30 mins.  The top will turn golden brown when done.  I let mine bake a little longer because I love the combination of the thicker cooked cheese on top and the gooey cheese in the middle.  I also put it under the broiler for a couple minutes, watching it closely, to try to get the top a bit darker.  It was so simple and easy, I couldn't believe it.

I'm so glad to be vegan..  

Creamy cashew Alfredo sauce

Prepare spaghetti squash:
Cut in half.
Scoop out the seeds (dry and bake them for a snack :) )
Brush insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 1 hour, until tops are browning and skin is soft and flexible (might feel a little rubbery but a lot softer than when started)

Creamy cashew alfredo sauce:
1 1/4 cups raw cashews
2 TBSP lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup water for blending

Blend everything in a food processor with HALF of the water.  Gradually add the other half until it blends into a nice, thick sauce.

When spaghetti squash is done, let it sit until it's cool enough to handle.  Scrape longways with a fork to form noodles.  Stir in alfredo sauce and enjoy!

*Be careful, this recipe is extreeeemely addicting :)