Lasagna Spaghetti Squash

1 medium size spaghetti squash
1/2 onion, diced
8-16 oz mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 25 oz.  jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed chili pepper seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400*. Pierce  12-15  1/2” cuts with a sharp knife into squash. Pour 1-2 cups of water into instant pot and place squash on a cooking rack inside the pot. Place lid and seal. Select manual and set the timer for 15 minutes. Quick release when done. Remove squash and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

While squash is cooking, sauté chopped onions and mushroom until no liquid remains in the pan. Add sauce, garlic powder, pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Heat until hot and bubbly, then reduce heat and simmer until squash is done.

Slice squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and place on a baking pan. Shred the squash with a fork. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spread half of the ricotta mixture over 1/2 of the squash. Top with generous amount of sauce mixture and top with 1/2 of the remaining mozzarella cheese. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly toasted.

Serve with garlic bread and salad. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup (Electric pressure cooker)

3 - 15 oz black beans, drained/rinsed (can substitute other types of beans for combination of beans)
1 - 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can corn, drained/rinsed (the equivalent of fresh or frozen corn can be used)
4 C vegetable broth (can use chicken broth if preferred)
1 C dried red lentils (see note)
2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced seeds (remove seed for less heat)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced

Spices (add after cooking)
1 tsp-1tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 C chopped cilantro

Toppings: sour cream, green onion, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro

Pour all ingredients except the spices into the pot. Lock lid to seal and set timer to cook for 7 minutes.  After the cooking process, let pot release naturally for about 5 minutes and then quick release.  Stir in the spices and cilantro and serve. 

Note: Red lentils become soft and dissolve in the pressure cooker adding a thickness to the liquid.  Lentils make the soup very creamy without having to add cream.  When cooking dried beans/peas in the electric cooker, it's best to add the salt after cooking because the salt makes the peas tough and they don't cook well.