The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook (13 page)
Read The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook Online
Authors: Kelsey Kinser
2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3.
To make the noodles, slice the zucchinis lengthwise halfway to the center, taking care not to cut all the way through. Spiralize the noodles on blade 1, salt, rest, and squeeze (
page 10
) to drain them of excess water.
4.
To make the béchamel, heat the milk in a small pan until it just begins to simmer but does not boil.
5.
In another pan, melt the butter and stir in the cornstarch on medium heat. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper, yogurt, eggs, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Whisk vigorously to combine. Set aside.
6.
To assemble: grease a 9 × 13-inch casserole dish that is 2 inches deep. Stir the drained zucchini noodles and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese into the tomato sauce and pour this mixture into the dish, making sure to press it down firmly and evenly. Top with the béchamel and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is set and golden brown. Allow the pastitsio to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe is inspired by what I used to buy in the diet frozen foods section. The brand shall remain nameless, but it came in a red box with the words “rice and beans” on it. This is a glorious, flavor-packed, preservative- and chemical-free version. It will be “wet” when you remove it from the oven, so do not worry. And if the fact that the inspiration was a diet food puts you off, do yourself a favor and give this quick-to-assemble recipe a chance before you pass judgment. You can’t fail with rice and beans.
MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS
1 small sweet potato, spiralized on blade 3, then riced
2 large parsnips, spiralized on blade 3, then riced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 cup corn kernels (frozen is fine)
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chilies
1/2 cup Spanish olives, sliced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend, divided
1 cup green salsa (spice level of your choosing)
1 cup light cream cheese
1/2 cup medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños (optional)
1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2.
In a large bowl, mix the vegetable rice, bell pepper, corn, diced tomatoes, olives, black beans, and one cup of the shredded Mexican cheese.
3.
In a small bowl, mix the salsa and cream cheese. Mix this into the large bowl of vegetables. Pour the entire mixture into a 9 × 13-inch glass casserole dish. Top with the diced yellow onion and remaining cup of shredded cheese. Add the pickled jalapeños last, if using.
4.
Bake the rice and beans, uncovered, on the lowest oven rack for 45 minutes or until the dish is bubbling and the cheese is a golden brown.
5.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
What’s more American than tuna noodle casserole? I love water-packed canned fish like tuna, farmed salmon, and brislings for their ability to deliver a low (or at least healthy) fat, protein, and a good punch of flavor.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (reduced fat if you prefer)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic power
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced red onion
2/3 cup drained canned tuna
salt and pepper, to taste
2 medium zucchini, spiralized on blade 1
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2.
In a large bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the celery, red onion, tuna, salt, pepper, zucchini noodles, and thawed peas.
3.
Grease a 9 × 13-inch casserole dish then add the mixture.
4.
In a small bowl (or the same large bowl from before if you don’t want to do extra dishes), mix the melted butter and panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle onto the noodle mixture.
5.
Bake for 5 minutes or until the crumbles are golden. Allow the casserole to cool, and serve.
Mains, aka entrées. These dishes are the meat and potatoes of this book. In fact, some of them feature meat and/or potatoes. These are the meals that are filling enough on their own to be called dinner, or a sturdy lunch. We’re talking “rice” stuffed peppers, meatballs with pasta, and beef stroganoff all the way to the more exotic banh mi sandwiches, paella, and amazing versions of take-out favorites like pad thai and chicken lo mein. They’re all here and more. With this section you can have dinner on the table in as few as 20 minutes, and there is at least one dish in here to satisfy every craving.
Garlicky Zucchini with Anchovy and Parmesan
While this dish has three main elements, it only takes one skillet and a food processor to make. The end result looks and tastes fancy enough to come out of any higher-end restaurant kitchen and it’s a great way to dress up a large plate of deceptively healthy greens. If you have extra zucchini ends laying around from other spiralizing recipes, this is a great dish to add them to. Just sauté them with the rest of the vegetables toward the end and enjoy!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
For the Parmesan crisps:
1/2 cup grated (not shredded) Parmesan cheese, divided
For the pesto:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 cups chopped kale
3 anchovy fillets
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
For the pasta:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large zucchini, spiralized on blade 3
2 cups thawed or pre-cooked broccoli florets
1 cup cannellini beans
1/4 cup pitted olives
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan into a circle shape. The cheese should all melt into a solid circle. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the bottom has turned nice and golden brown; you don’t want any white left on the bottom. Using a large, flat spatula, carefully flip the cheese disc and cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until both sides are completely browned. Set aside on a paper towel–lined plate and repeat with the remaining Parmesan. This will make 2 large, crunchy cheese crackers.
2.
In that same skillet, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the kale on medium-high heat until it has just wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the kale from the heat and toss it into a food processor with the remaining pesto ingredients. Blitz in the food processor until it forms a smooth paste. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil while you process. Taste to see if you prefer more a lemon or anchovy flavor.
3.
For the pasta, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in the same skillet. Add the zucchini noodles, stir to coat with some of the oil, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through and there is no water in the pan.
4.
Add the pesto, stirring everything to coat, and serve in two hefty portions topped with freshly ground black pepper and one Parmesan crisp each.
Banh mi sandwiches seem well poised to bypass pho as Vietnam’s “new” favorite dish. In fact, this sandwich is far from new. Banh mi merely refers to types of bread, but in the US, we use the term to refer to a flavorful veggie-packed sandwich served on a fluffy French-style loaf.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1/2 pound daikon, peeled and spiralized on blade 3
1 large carrot, peeled and spiralized on blade 3
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (24-inch) soft baguette or French bread loaf
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1/2 medium sweet onion, spiralized on blade 3
3/4 cup packed cilantro sprigs
1 cucumber, spiralized on blade 3
1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.
Toss the daikon and carrot noodles in a large bowl with the rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and salt. Let this marinate for at least 15 minutes.
3.
Cut the baguette open so it is split in half but still in one piece then cut into four pieces. Open the four pieces of bread and place them face down on the center oven rack. Toast in this manner for 5 minutes.
4.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Fry the tofu until crispy on the outside. Sprinkle with the fish and soy sauces. Stir to coat.
5.
Drain the carrot and daikon noodles.
6.
Brush the insides of the bread with the sauces from the tofu. Stuff the bread with the tofu, pressing down to slightly crush the tofu. Top the sandwiches with the mayonnaise, jalapeño slices, sweet onions, cilantro, cucumber, and marinated slaw. You may need to secure the sandwiches shut with toothpicks.
In one of the kitchens where I used to work, there was a Serbian chef who introduced me to the concept of baked stuffed peppers. They’re a wonderful way to package a nice, compact, yet hearty meal, and the baking brings out the sweetness of the red peppers. They also save well for lunch leftovers the following day.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium celeriac, peeled, spiralized on blade 3, then riced
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 (14.75-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
4 to 6 medium to large red bell peppers, tops cut off and hollowed out
1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the celeriac rice and cook, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes, making sure to stir from time to time. The rice should start to soften. Remove the rice from the heat.
3.
Add the chopped red onion, diced tomatoes, oregano, feta crumbles, parsley, and salt to the rice. Stir to mix all of the ingredients completely.