The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook (7 page)

BOOK: The Veggie Spiral Slicer Cookbook
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2.
   
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

3.
   
Add both types of tomatoes to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for another minute.

4.
   
Add the green beans, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

5.
   
Once the 10 minutes have passed, uncover, add the zucchini noodles and cannellini beans, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the noodles are softened.

6.
   
Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

Mexican Noodle Soup (Sopa de Fideo)

I love using crisped potato noodles in place of al dente vermicelli. They bring a nice toasty and earthy flavor to the party that is both instantly familiar and unexpected. This acidic and light soup is a great start to any Mexican-themed meal, but I also love it as a light lunch on hot days.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

      
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

      
2 stalks celery, diced

      
2 large carrots, spiralized on blade 3

      
1 yellow onion, spiralized on blade 3

      
4 cloves garlic, minced

      
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice

      
1 teaspoon ground cumin

      
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

      
1 Russet potato, spiralized on blade 3 and chopped into 1- to 2-inch noodles

      
juice of 1 lime

1.
   
In a large pot, heat up 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil on medium-high.

2.
   
Add the celery, carrots, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion is translucent. You do not want to caramelize them.

3.
   
Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes with juice and cumin. Cook for another 5 minutes.

4.
   
Pour the vegetable or chicken stock into the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes.

5.
   
While the soup is cooking, heat the remaining vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Fry the potato noodles until they are browned and crispy.

6.
   
Add the crunchy potato noodles to the soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

7.
   
Sprinkle the lime juice over each individual bowl of soup right before serving and enjoy!

Thai Noodle Soup

The lovely and unmistakable flavors of Thai food really shine through in this soup. Spicy ginger mingles with fresh and bright lemongrass and lime. The hint of sweet brown sugar marries with the hot chili sauce perfectly, and the hearty dark meat chicken stands up to all of the flavors. This dish takes less than 20 minutes to prepare once you have your ingredients at the ready.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

      
4 cups chicken stock

      
2 carrots, spiralized on blade 3

      
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

      
2 tablespoons fish sauce

      
1 tablespoon soy sauce

      
1 tablespoon Thai hot chili sauce

      
4 cloves garlic, minced

      
2 tablespoons ginger, grated fine then measured

      
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

      
1 tablespoon brown sugar

      
1 stalk lemongrass, cracked

      
8 ounces any dark meat chicken, chopped

      
2 large zucchinis, spiralized on blade 3

      
2 cups chopped bok choy greens

      
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

      
cilantro, for garnish

      
juice and zest of 1 lime, for garnish

1.
   
In a large pot, bring the chicken stock plus 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the carrots, green onions, fish sauce, soy sauce, hot chili sauce, garlic, ginger, basil, brown sugar, lemongrass, and chicken. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

2.
   
Add zucchini noodles, boy choy, and mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes.

3.
   
Remove lemongrass before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime zest, and sprinkles of the lime juice on each bowl.

Beet Tarator

Tarator
is the national food of Bulgaria, and for good reason. Traditionally it combines crisp cucumbers with tangy yogurt, fresh dill, savory garlic, and crunchy walnuts, and turns all of that delightfulness into a chilled soup that is absolutely perfect for a hot day. In this recipe, the water that is released from the cucumbers works to your benefit and gives the soup a fresher flavor than just using water alone, so do not pre-salt or drain them. I like to use pecans in place of walnuts and add extra vegetables to the party to make what is usually served as a light starter course into a solid meal. Beets work especially well and make this soup a fun and bright pink.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

      
2 large cucumbers, spiralized on blade 2

      
2 medium red beets, spiralized on blade 3

      
3 cups Greek yogurt

      
4 cloves garlic, minced

      
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped, plus extra for topping

      
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

      
1 tablespoon olive oil

      
1 teaspoon salt

      
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
   
In a large bowl, stir all of the ingredients together and let rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour, allowing the liquid to come out of the cucumbers.

2.
   
Check the consistency of the soup. If it is too thick to pour, add water 1/4 cup at a time. You want this to resemble very chunky and pink pancake batter. It’s important not to make this soup too thin.

3.
   
Serve well-chilled and topped with extra pecans.

CHAPTER THREE

Salads

These salads are here to entice you. I eat a salad every day and there is no way I could keep this up if they were boring. Yes, there are some classic green salads in here, but they are all absolutely bursting with flavor, and sometimes the occasional unexpected ingredient. The Great Winter Salad is one of the best recipes in this book, if you ask me. Feeling adventurous? Try the Russian
shuba
, or fish salad—you’ll be glad you did. This section also contains a lovely handful of French salads or slaws. So go ahead, get your salad on and your body will thank you.

Great Winter Salad

This recipe has been a favorite of mine since I moved far away from the tropical warmth of Florida to the harsh winters of Chicago and eventually settled down in New York City. This delightful salad is full of flavors, colors, and textures, and thanks to the hemp seeds, it has a decent amount of protein. It’s the perfect midwinter breakfast. Or lunch, snack, dessert, or…. Like any recipe that focuses on a select few fresh raw fruits, the quality of the final dish is totally dependent on the quality and ripeness of your pears and persimmons. If your persimmons are not soft and squishy (without being too ripe) their astringent juices will taint the flavor of the rest of the dish. If your pears are not ripe, the consequences are less severe, but you won’t experience the full potential of this dish, and I’d just hate to see that happen. In the winter, I recommend having extra persimmons and pears lying around. To quote the amazing pastry chef Emily Luchetti, “You have to have a premeditated use for pears.” For this recipe, I prefer to use a Bosc pear, but any pear that you enjoy is fine.

MAKES 1 SERVING AS A MEAL OR 2 AS A SNACK

      
1 pear, spiralized using blade 3

      
1 ripe fuyu or hachiya persimmon, cubed small

      
3 to 4 pitted dates, minced

      
1/4 cup goji berries

      
3 tablespoons hemp seeds

      
2 tablespoons honey

      
dash of ground cinnamon, to taste

1.
   
In a bowl, lightly toss the pear noodles, cubed persimmon, minced dates, goji berries, and hemp seeds.

2.
   
Drizzle the honey over the salad and mix until everything is coated with a light layer of honey. The pear will eventually begin to release some of its juices, and this is fine. I use chopsticks to mix everything without being too rough, but that’s a purely personal quirk.

3.
   
Sprinkle with a couple of dashes of cinnamon to your own taste and enjoy!

Anchovy and Escarole Salad

Raw broccoli can have a very strong flavor. Some people love it and others, well, not so much. The same can be said for anchovies, which is why I feel that this recipe works so well. The bitter of the raw ingredients plays with the savory and the sweet of the roasted ones.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

For the salad:

      
1 head broccoli, florets cut off and stem spiralized on blade 3

      
2 cups shaved Brussels sprouts

      
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

      
salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

      
3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped coarsely

      
2 cloves garlic, chopped

      
2 egg yolks

      
1/4 cup chopped parsley

      
2 tablespoons lemon juice

      
2 medium heads of escarole, green and yellow leaves only, torn into large pieces

      
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1.
   
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2.
   
Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Toss the broccoli florets (reserve the broccoli noodles for later) and shaved Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 15 minutes or until the florets and sprouts begin to get some color to them. Allow them to cool completely.

3.
   
While the sprouts are roasting, blend the anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, parsley, and lemon juice in either a high-speed blender or food processor to make your dressing. Once you have reached a paste-like consistency, slowly add the remaining olive oil from the salad ingredients until it is emulsified.

4.
   
To make the salad, toss the raw broccoli noodles, roasted broccoli florets and Brussels sprouts, dressing, escarole pieces, and cheese together until everything is coated in the dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Shuba

Shuba means “fur coat” in Russian, and this salad is referred to as “herring in a fur coat” because of the way it’s traditionally presented and layered. My taste buds prefer smoked salmon, but you can substitute the original herring fillets in its place and the dish will still come out great. The vegetables are usually boiled and grated, but I prefer to roast them just until softened and toss the whole batch together.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

      
4 tablespoons olive oil

      
6 small red new potatoes, spiralized on blade 3

      
3 medium red beets, spiralized on blade 2

      
4 medium carrots, spiralized on blade 3

      
4 eggs

      
1 pound smoked salmon, chopped

      
1 small red onion, diced

      
2 cups mayonnaise

      
2 cups chopped fresh spinach

      
4 sprigs dill, chopped

1.
   
Preheat the oven to 450°F and line 3 baking trays with parchment paper.

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