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Spiralizers put you ahead of the curve

The Blade/Lori King

Spiralizers put you ahead of the curve

Gadget inspires a new healthy food trend

Spiralizers have become a singular sensation.

A simple gadget, a spiralizer lets you play with your food by making shreds, spirals, and swirls out of vegetables and fruits. It’s more than just a glorified grater.

It can make oodles of zoodles (otherwise known as zucchini noodles), allowing cooks to replace spaghetti with a similarly shaped ingredient containing more nutrition, vitamins, fiber, and color but fewer calories and carbohydrates than the original.

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These vegetable ribbons and strings are ideal for those on specialized diets such as low-carb, Paleo, and gluten-free. And they encourage all of us to eat more fresh produce because, frankly, it’s more fun to eat a whirly, twirly cucumber strip than it is to eat a plain old slice.

With Passover beginning on Monday night, spiralized strips of vegetables could even be used in place of pasta, one of the foods forbidden during the eight-day holiday that prohibits Jews from eating leavened items and many other flour-based products.

Many people received spiralizers as gifts at the holidays, but they’re readily accessible if Santa didn’t bring you one. Options on amazon.com include a $10 handheld model with one blade, a $30 hand-cranked tabletop model with five blades, and a $40 electric model with three blades. If you already have a KitchenAid mixer, the spiralizer attachment for it costs about $70.

Have no fear; those who don’t have a spiralizer can still join in this food fad. Many grocery stores now offer pre-packaged julienned vegetables: yellow squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli slaw among them.

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Mandolines, with their razor-sharp and varied blades, can also produce paper-thin slices of fruits and vegetables. And for some recipes, such as carrot or cucumber salads, all you need is an old-fashioned hand-held vegetable peeler to make pretty ribbons.

Today, we’re offering four inspired spiralizer treats to try: Herby Cucumber Salad dressed in a garlicky dill-and-parsley yogurt sauce; Cashew Cream Pad Thai, a variation on the classic dish that’s overflowing with colorful, crunchy vegetables and requires no cooking; Shrimp Squash Alfredo, luscious with all the creamy goodness of the butter-and-cream sauce but with none of the pasta; and an Apple Puff Pastry Tart that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.

So spiralize your way to better health. And have some fun with your food at the same time.

 

Herby Cucumber Salad

“Creamy and tangy, this simple side comes together in a flash,” say the editors of Cooking Light. “Don’t make the salad ahead — the cucumbers will release too much water.”

1 5.3-ounce container plain low-fat yogurt

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/​2 teaspoon sugar

1/​2 teaspoon salt

1/​2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large English cucumbers, halved crosswise then sliced lengthwise into ribbons

1 large red onion, quartered, thinly sliced

Stir together the first 10 ingredients until well blended.

Combine the cucumber ribbons and onion slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with yogurt mixture and toss to coat.

Note: Cucumbers can be sliced into ribbons with a spiralizer or with a vegetable peeler.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

 

Cashew Cream Pad Thai

“Packed with [vegetables], nuts, and herbs, this version of Pad Thai is satisfying,” says registered dietician Sidney Fry about this recipe that features an abundance of fresh, flavorful ingredients.

3/​4 cup raw cashews

3 ounces thin rice noodles (vermicelli-style noodles)

4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 1/​2 teaspoons Sriracha chili sauce

1 medium yellow squash

2 large broccoli stalks

2 large carrots

1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise

1/​2 cup torn fresh basil

Soak cashews in a bowl, covered with water, for 1 hour. Drain.

Soak noodles in a bowl of very warm water for at least 1 hour. Drain.

Combine cashews, soy sauce, oil, fish sauce, honey, lime juice, and Sriracha in a blender or food processor, and process until very smooth.

Run yellow squash, broccoli, and carrots through a spiralizer to create noodles, or cut long noodles with a julienne peeler or ribbons with a vegetable peeler.

Combine rice noodles, yellow squash, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and sugar snap peas; toss well to combine. Spoon cashew mixture over the noodle-vegetable mixture; toss to combine. Sprinkle with basil.

Note: Pre-packaged, julienned strips of vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, and carrots among them) and broccoli slaw can be found in the produce section of larger grocery stores. They make great substitutes in this recipe, if you don’t have a spiralizer.

Yield: 4 servings

Source: Adapted from Sidney Fry, myrecipes.com

 

Shrimp Squash Alfredo

“Creamy, cheesy, and hearty, Shrimp Squash Alfredo is surprisingly easy to make, ” say Vicky Ushakova and Rami Abramov. “It can be ready in less than 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for any busy weekday when you still want to dine like a king or queen.”

Alfredo Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup fat-free half-and-half

1/​4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Salt and pepper

Shrimp and noodles:

1 tablespoon olive oil

12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 large yellow squash

Salt and pepper

Chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat, add the garlic, and cook until it is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the butter and cook for about 2 minutes, until melted, then add the half-and-half. Stir well to combine.

Add 1 tablespoon of the grated Parmesan at a time, stirring until each is melted before adding the next. Season the sauce with the dried parsley and salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and set the sauce aside to thicken a bit while you prepare the shrimp and noodles.

Make the shrimp and noodles: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the shrimp, and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until pink throughout.

Trim the ends off the yellow squash and spiralize them into noodles. Add them to the pan with the shrimp and toss very well. Season it all with more salt and pepper.

Add the Alfredo sauce, stir to combine, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the noodles have softened up a bit, then place onto a plate. Garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh basil and serve.

Note: If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can buy julienned summer squash in the produce section of larger grocery stores.

Yield: 2 servings

Source: Adapted from Vicky Ushakova and Rami Abramov, Spiralizer Skinny

 

Apple Puff Pastry Tart

“This tart is so easy to make and looks really impressive,” says Denise Smart.

1 sheet puff pastry (1/​2 of a 17.3-ounce package)

2 small red or green apples, ends trimmed

Juice of 1/​2 lemon

1 recipe frangipane (see recipe below)

3 tablespoons butter, diced

3 tablespoons sugar

1/​4 cup apple jelly

Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Defrost puff pastry according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll the pastry, place it on the prepared cookie sheet, and roll it out to 1 more inch in each direction. Using a sharp knife, lightly score a rectangle around the perimeter of the pastry, 1 inch from the edges, being careful not to cut all the way through.

Using a spiralizer fitted with a ribbon blade, spiralize the apples and place them in a large bowl bowl. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss gently to coat.

Spread the frangipane over the crust, within the scored border. Arrange the apples over the filling, then dot them with the butter. Sprinkle evenly with the sugar.

Bake the tart for 20 minutes until the pastry is risen, golden, and crisp.

Warm the apple jelly in a small saucepan until it liquifies, then brush it evenly over the apples. Serve immediately with scoops of ice cream, if desired.

Note: If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use a mandoline or slice the apples paper thin with a knife.

Yield: 9 servings

Source: Adapted from Denise Smart, Spiralize Every Day

 

Frangipane

1 tablespoon butter

1/​2 cup ground almonds or almond flour

1/​3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/​4 teaspoon almond extract

1/​2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon almond milk

Pinch of salt

Melt the butter in a medium-sized microwavable bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

Yield: About 1 cup

Source: Adapted from williams-sonoma.com

Contact Mary Bilyeu at mbilyeu@theblade.com or 419-724-6155 or on Twitter @BladeFoodPage.

First Published April 4, 2017, 4:00 a.m.

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