The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook (11 page)
Read The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook Online
Authors: Kelsey Kinser
This recipe was designed to be flexible and compatible with the widest array of vegetables possible. Feel free to play around with it. No leeks? Substitute a medium yellow onion. Not a fan of bacon? Try some cubed sausage or any other fatty meat.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
4 pieces thick bacon, chopped
1 leek, the green portion only, sliced thin
approximately 4 cups leftover veggies, spiralized on blade 2 or chopped small
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2.
In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the bacon until it just begins to release some of its fat. Add the leeks and stir until the leeks are coated in the bacon fat.
3.
Toss in the remaining veggies and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to coat and cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables and bacon start to “sweat” or slightly soften. While they do this, line a baking sheet or 2 with parchment paper.
4.
Transfer the vegetables to the baking sheets, making sure they are not crowded and no more than layer deep.
5.
Roast for approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until the bacon is crisped and the vegetables are browning on their edges.
This is an unexpected side dish that never fails to please. Cooked carrots coated in a hazelnut-Parmesan butter topped with honey. This dish feels very classic yet new at the same time. The honeyed carrots are a nod to a classic American side dish, but the hazelnuts lend a distinctly European flavor.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 pound carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts, divided
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey, for drizzling
1.
Slice lengthwise down each carrot, cutting into its core. Do not cut all the way through. Using blade 1 of the spiral slicer, spiralize each carrot until you have tiny discs left.
2.
In a large skillet on medium heat, melt the butter and add the carrots. Cook, covered, for approximately 7 to 10 minutes or until the carrots are softened but not falling apart.
3.
While the carrots cook, put 3/4 cup of the hazelnuts, the garlic, the kosher salt, and the Parmesan into a food processor. Chop the ingredients until they are nearly a paste. While the processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil. You want a thin paste consistency.
4.
Remove the carrots from the pan and toss in a bowl with the hazelnut mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining hazelnuts and honey.
I love sweet potatoes and I love chips. Love them. Sadly for me, chips do not love me back, so I began looking for ways to get my salty-crunchy fix without all the frying. Enter the baked sweet potato chip! Plenty of recipes abound for homemade baked chips, but the spiralizer really helps to cut down on the prep time. In this recipe, it basically works as a stand-up mandolin. I like the unique shape made by the spiral slicer and find it’s especially great at picking up dips.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
2 pounds sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1.
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
2.
Cut the sweet potatoes with a knife lengthwise halfway into the center (do not cut through!). Spiralize them on blade 1. You should be getting little thin discs of sweet potato. The thinner the better!
3.
Place all the chips in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat.
4.
Spread the potatoes out in thin, even layers on the baking trays. It is important not to overcrowd them.
5.
Bake as close to the center of the oven as possible for approximately 30 minutes or until the chips are cooked through and crispy. Check on the chips every 10 minutes and stir or rotate the pan if needed.
6.
Allow to cool completely before serving.
Fried Onions and Flavored Mayonnaise
When Thanksgiving rolls around, I always used to find myself buying two boxes of the “shall not be named brand” fried onion toppings to go on the ubiquitous green bean casserole. The recipe only called for one box of the crunchy little gifts from heaven, but I would need the extra box to make up for all of my snacking. These babies are straight up-fried, but they are still better for you than the aforementioned “shall not be named brand” and one certain steakhouse chain’s onion appetizer that consistently topped the charts for “the worst foods you could eat out.” Stay in, make these instead, and use them sparingly on salads or indulge and dip them in some chipotle- or anchovy-infused mayonnaise (you know, for you health nuts out there!).
MAKES 2 CUPS ONIONS AND 1 CUP MAYONNAISE
For the fried onions:
vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried mustard powder (optional)
1 large white or yellow onion, spiralized on blade 3
For the flavored mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo or 3 anchovy filets
1.
In a medium pot, heat 3 inches of vegetable oil on medium-high until it reaches 350°F. Any hotter and you will burn the oil, any lower and the onions will not fry properly and instead will become soggy.
2.
While you wait on the oil to become hot enough, mix all of the ingredients except for the onions in a large bowl. Add the onion strips and toss to coat. Use a strainer to gently shake off the excess flour mixture.
3.
Fry the onions until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch, and remove from the oil using a slotted spoon or metal strainer. Allow to rest in a paper towel–lined bowl.
4.
To make the chipotle or anchovy mayo, blend all the ingredients in a food processor.
5.
Serve slightly chilled.
Pickled beets are great on their own but ever since I discovered how easy they are to make, they have become a staple in my kitchen. This recipe is absolutely capable of being canned, and I do so at home often. Pickled beets are one of the quickest ways to brighten up a salad or sandwich, or to stuff into a morning omelet, and they go with warmed goat cheese like peanut butter goes with jelly. Before you pickle, however, you must roast! And if you so choose, you can stop right there, top them with some salt and pepper, and call it a day.
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 4 CUPS OF PICKLED BEETS
3 large red beets, peeled and spiralized on blade 3
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
1 teaspoon salt
1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 2 baking trays with tin foil.
2.
Spread the beet noodles over the 2 trays and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil per tray. Toss the noodles to ensure they are all coated in olive oil.
3.
Place the trays in the oven and roast for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the beets are softened.
4.
Allow the beets to cool and place them either in a large quart jar or in a bowl where they can sit and pickle for at least a day.
5.
Add the remaining ingredients plus 1/2 cup hot water, shake the jar or stir the bowl to incorporate all of the flavors, and allow this pink beauty to sit refrigerated for at least 1 day before using.
Kinpira
is a Japanese dish. Technically, it is a style of cooking that refers to any dish (usually root vegetables) that are sautéed and simmered. The resulting flavors are crunchy, sweet, a little spicy, and salty. While many recipes differ, they all call for soy sauce and mirin, a sweet rice-based cooking wine. My favorite version is made with parsnips, but burdock root is the most traditional. Carrots, rutabagas, and turnips are wonderful in this, as are leftover broccoli stems!
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 large parsnips, peeled and spiralized on blade 2
1 to 2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1.
In a medium skillet, heat the sesame oil on medium-high.
2.
Add the parsnip noodles and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to coat with the sesame oil.
3.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the parsnips for 8 to 10 minutes or until there is no longer any liquid in the pan.
4.
Enjoy hot or cold!
Zucchini fritters are a great start or side to any Mediterranean meal. Filling yet light, they go especially well with yogurt and hummus dips. I like to dip them in my soups as well.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
2 medium zucchinis, spiralized on blade 3, salted, drained, and chopped lightly
1/2 large yellow onion, spiralized on blade 2
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.
In a large bowl, mix the zucchini and onion noodles, garlic, dill, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in the egg and egg white, and stir until the mixture is wet and sticky.
3.
Using a large spoon, shape 8 flat pancakes per tray.
4.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the fritter holds together when lifted off the tray. Gently flip and bake another 7 to 10 minutes or until the top is once again golden brown and the fritter is crisped.
5.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Classic zucchini bread is great, and by that I mean it’s stupidly, wonderfully, ridiculously delightful. That being said, every time I took a bite of the sweet treat, I couldn’t help but picture a rich, savory, garlic-laden version, so I came up with this recipe.
MAKES 1 LOAF
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour