Author Topic: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...  (Read 1810 times)

K Frame

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Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« on: April 14, 2021, 12:12:02 PM »
to make "zoodles" and the like.

Ought to be interesting.

A few months ago I had a lasagna that was based on spiralized zucchini, and it was quite good. I tend to eat a fair amount of whole grain pasta during the week (quick and easy dinners) so I'm figuring that this will be another way to remove calories and increase veggies in my diet.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2021, 12:37:43 PM »
Good luck with that; keep us posted on how it works.  I like spaghetti squash as a vegetable but think it sucks as a pasta substitute; maybe I'm just doing it wrong.

My brother, who's lost close to 100 pounds the last 2 years, uses a lot of legume-based pastas.  Some of it's pretty good.  I bought a big bag of chickpea flour to try making my own to see if I can do it (also the ready-made stuff is expensive) but I've been too busy.
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K Frame

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2021, 12:41:46 PM »
I really like chickpea pasta. Has a nutty flavor that really works well. It helps that I absolutely love chickpeas in any form.
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Larry Ashcraft

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2021, 09:05:26 PM »
Wife and DIL have been making zoodles for a couple years, and last week they got a new spiralizer (I don't know how they did them before).  I like them, and I'm not on a diet.

RocketMan

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2021, 08:57:57 AM »
My wife has one of those things and she makes some good stuff with zucchini noodles.  Often it's spaghetti with zucchini noodles instead of pasta noodles, and it's very good.
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K Frame

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2021, 10:12:45 AM »
As I said, I eat a lot of pasta during the week because it's quick and easy to make, so substituting zoodles for the actual pasta will be a good move, I think.

As for spaghetti squash as a pasta substitute, I love it like that, especially with an olive oil lemon dressing instead of red sauce.

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K Frame

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2021, 09:11:08 AM »
Spiraled zucchini last night as the test run.

Browned some ground turkey in a pan, then threw in the zucchini and sauteed it until it was almost done, then added some marinara sauce and some extra spices. By the time the marinara was heated through the zucchinu was perfectly done.

Plate up, add a mozzarella parm cheese blend, and eat. Damned good dinner.
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Kingcreek

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2021, 12:36:23 PM »
My wife does spiral cut sweet potato oven fries. Quite good with burgers.
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K Frame

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2021, 09:38:15 AM »
I have REALLY taken to spiralized zucchini. As in REALLY taken to it to the point were I'm in the process of largely eliminating pasta from my weeknight dinner routine.
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RocketMan

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2021, 04:51:10 PM »
I have REALLY taken to spiralized zucchini. As in REALLY taken to it to the point were I'm in the process of largely eliminating pasta from my weeknight dinner routine.
 

SWMBO and I pretty much did the same thing.  That zucchini is good stuff when it's shredded that way.  Makes a fine pasta substitute.
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K Frame

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2021, 08:27:02 AM »
The one thing about spiralized zucchini that's a bit of a pain is that, when boiling it, you can go from underdone to overdone and mushy in about 15 seconds.
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RocketMan

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2021, 04:52:26 PM »
The one thing about spiralized zucchini that's a bit of a pain is that, when boiling it, you can go from underdone to overdone and mushy in about 15 seconds.

This is true, you do have to watch what you're doing with it.   But cooked properly it is good stuff.
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

Ron

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2021, 07:34:14 PM »
What about lightly sautéing in butter or olive oil?
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K Frame

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2021, 08:39:31 AM »
Yes, I've done that as well. It's a bit more forgiving, but takes longer and tends not to give quite as even cooking results because of the shape of the spirals.

I'm going to try baking, as well.
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K Frame

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Re: Just ordered a vegetable spiralizer...
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2021, 07:54:57 AM »
Circling back to this...

I've been eating a TON of spiralized zucchini and yellow summer squash, and I have been loving it.

I've given up on boiling it. Way too easy to overcook it and it's just too watery, so I've been sauteing it.

I've hit on a couple of tricks to make it easier to saute.

First is, after I trim the squash, I cut it just shy of half way through lengthwise. Why, you might ask?

Because you end up with not one long spiral that's a pain to cook, but individual spiral "coins" that don't tend to stick together in the pan like mandolin-cut coins do, plus they cook a lot more evenly.

Yellow and green summer squash is now giving broccoli a run for its money on how much of it I eat...
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