The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook (18 page)
Read The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook Online
Authors: Kelsey Kinser
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (3-pound) butternut squash, spiralized on blade 2 and chopped into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1.
In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high. Cook the squash in the oil, stirring frequently until they are softening and almost cooked throughout, but not falling apart, approximately 5 minutes.
2.
While the butternut squash is cooking, combine the Greek yogurt and roasted red pepper until completely smooth in a small food processor or blender. Add this to the squash noodles.
3.
Stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese thickens and begins to bubble up.
4.
Remove from the heat, stir in the truffle oil, and serve immediately.
The yogurt in this recipe helps to make it slightly lighter than most flour-thickened macaroni and cheese–type dishes. The zucchini are spiralized on the first blade to give them a better ability to hold onto the cheese sauce. I’ve found this blade is the best for holding sauces, at least until someone clever invents an elbow macaroni spiralizer attachment.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchinis, spiralized on blade 1 chopped into 2-inch pieces
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup feta cheese
2 cups mozzarella
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish
1 tablespoon dried oregano, to garnish
1.
In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high. Add the zucchini noodles and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the noodles have softened and most of their water is cooked off.
2.
Add the spinach to the pan and stir, cooking for 3 minutes or until it begins to wilt.
3.
Stir in the Greek yogurt, feta, mozzarella, garlic powder, and salt. Continue to stir and cook until the cheese melts and coats the noodles.
4.
Cook this entire dish until the cheese sauce thickens, approximately another 7 to 10 minutes.
5.
Serve topped with the Parmesan cheese and oregano.
Sushi was an unexpected but delightful spiral-slicing discovery. Sushi is one of my favorite go-to meals to make at home when I am trying to eat healthy, as I can pack each roll with tons of veggies and I always feel very full after a roll or two. The only thing I didn’t love about sushi was all the rice I was eating. With spiralized and riced vegetables, though, I can double the amount of delicious and healthy vegetables that I’m getting.
MAKES 4 TO 6 ROLLS
For the rice:
3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 large parsnips, peeled, spiralized on blade 3, then riced
For the filling:
2 small zucchini, spiralized on blade 3
1 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce (you can use a mix of 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon honey)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shrimp or scallops, thawed and dried if frozen
4 to 6 toasted nori sheets (amount will depend on how much you fill your rolls)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced 8 times per half
To garnish:
soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi
1.
Make the rice. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, bring the mirin, sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons of water to a boil. Bring down to a simmer and add the parsnip rice.
2.
Stir to coat, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and sticking together. Set aside and allow to cool.
3.
Make the sushi. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, cook the zucchini noodles with the sweet soy sauce, stirring only to prevent the noodles from sticking. Cook until the noodles wilt entirely and are darker. Set the noodles aside and wipe the skillet clean.
4.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir constantly for about 30 seconds or until the garlic begins to release its aroma.
5.
Add the seafood and cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp are pink or the scallops begin to release liquid. Remove the seafood from the heat and allow to cool.
6.
To assemble, cover one nori sheet halfway with a thin layer of the rice.
7.
In the middle of the rice, place a thin layer of avocado slices, some zucchini noodles, and some seafood mixture.
8.
Starting with the riced side and moving away from you, roll up the sushi, making sure to hold the fillings in. Try to roll these as tightly as you can. This does take some practice, but once you have it figured out, it will be a breeze.
9.
Slice with a serrated knife and serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
Butternut Squash, Browned Butter, and Sage
I’m going to make a confession here. I think the best pasta recipes are the ones that don’t call for red sauce. In particular I’m thinking of butternut squash raviolis coated in browned butter and sage with a touch of Parmesan cheese. If you’re thinking that this is an awful lot of butter for one recipe, well, it kind of is. But this makes a large bowl of pasta and you’re putting it on top of vitamin-rich kale and butternut squash, so it all evens out right? Of course it does.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and spiralized on blade 3
7 large leaves lacinato (dinosaur) kale, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
salt and pepper, to taste
1.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are softened and translucent, but not caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly until the garlic releases its aroma, about 30 seconds.
2.
Add the squash noodles and stir to mix the garlic and onions into the pasta. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the kale. Stir and cover, continuing to cook for another 5 minutes. After a total of 10 minutes, the noodles should be cooked through and the kale should be wilted with a slight crunch at the rib.
3.
In the meantime, in a small skillet, start to melt the butter on medium heat. Get the butter fully melted once the noodles are halfway cooked.
4.
Once the noodles are cooked, turn off the heat. Raise the heat on the butter and brown the butter. Browning butter means cooking it until the color of the foam goes from white to tan. Turn off the heat once this happens or you run the risk of having blackened butter, which is burnt. The butter will continue to cook in the pan and should start to smell deliciously nutty. Once you can see small brown flecks in the butter and it has filled the room with a toasted aroma, it is ready. Immediately add it to the pasta.
5.
Add the 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine everything and serve topped with extra sprinkles of Parmesan cheese.
Quesadillas are one of my favorite foods and always a crowd pleaser. The spiral-sliced vegetables are a great way to cut down on the amount of cheese (and therefore fat) that is typically found in this dish. This is guaranteed to please even the pickiest eater.
Epazote is an herb commonly found in Mexican cooking. Its unique flavor comes off like a cross between mint, tarragon, and citrus.
MAKES 4 QUESADILLAS
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small to medium sweet potato, spiralized on blade 3
1 teaspoon dried epazote
1/2 medium yellow onion, spiralized on blade 3
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into long thin strips
2 teaspoons salt
8 medium tortillas
1 cup queso fresco
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
1.
In a large skillet on medium, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the sweet potato noodles and epazote, stir to coat, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the noodles are soft and limp. Set them aside.
2.
Returning the skillet to medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cook the onion and red pepper strips with the salt, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and the onion is almost clear. Set these aside.
3.
Wipe the skillet clean and spray with nonstick cooking spray. To assemble, lay down one tortilla and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the queso fresco, then top with the sweet potato noodles, onions, peppers, and some of the spinach. Top with another tortilla and gently press down. Once the bottom tortilla is nice and toasted and the cheese has melted, flip the tortillas and cook until the bottom turns golden brown. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve hot.
Surprised to see a desserts group in a book dedicated to a vegetable slicer? Don’t be! The desserts in the book are the real deal—everything from the apple and oat crisps to the apple kugel to the pear bread pudding is sweet and satisfying in the way that only dessert can be. The more indulgent fruit salads have been included in this area (anything with chocolate added to it is automatically considered indulgent in my book). The use of heart-healthy fruits to add sweetness and fiber to these dishes makes them a lot less guilt inducing and a whole lot more smile inducing.
Apples love to be baked, and baked apples love to be paired with oats. If you’re feeling especially indulgent, you can top this whole shebang off with some whipped cream or caramel sauce. This crumble is guaranteed to make your entire home smell amazing.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
3 firm apples, any color, spiralized on blade 2
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup oats (not instant)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2.
Place the apple noodles in a large bowl, drizzle with the honey and lemon juice, and stir to coat. Place this apple mixture into a 9 × 9-inch baking dish. Press the noodles down so that they are packed and even.
3.
In a food processor, mix the brown sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the mixture forms rough crumbs.
4.
Spread the oat mixture evenly over the apples, pressing down on them oh-so slightly so that they attach to the apples.