When we were camping in May with Andy’s sister Katie and her husband Rick, each couple took turn cooking dinner. One night it would be Mr. C. and me slaving away in our trailer preparing dinner for four, and the next evening it would be Rick and Katie’s turn to do the honor. This is what is called, in the vernacular, a win/win situation. Each couple got a night off from cooking (and doing dishes) with the sure knowledge that dinner would be delicious. And in Katie’s case particularly – healthy and inventive. She even went so far as to bring her spiralizer along for the ride. How cool is that! And of course, after seeing how much fun it was to operate the gizmo and how nice the veggies were cut, I made myself a mental note to purchase one when I returned home.
Well, apparently my mental notes aren’t as reliable as they used to be. So, when the mental note finally found its way out of the abyss formerly known as my memory 6 weeks later, I got right on it. I ordered a Brieftons 5-blade spiralizer from Amazon. And frankly, I was amazed at how inexpensive it was. $24 (well really only $23.99) but we all know that’s $24 to anyone with half a brain! But I digress……. And the other evening, for the first time, I took the plastic wonder out of its box, gave it a quick wash, and set it up on my counter. Then with the help of the directions (and yes, I read directions because I’m not mechanically inclined enough to intuit how something works), I spiralized the zucchini, cabbage, carrot, and orange bell pepper for this salad. It was so much fun! And the machine was so easy to clean after I was all done playing with the veggies.
And the salad was delicious. I especially loved the “zoodles”. (That’s zucchini noodles to the unenlightened.) And now I can hardly wait to serve zoodles instead of spaghetti next time I get a hankering for Old Fashioned Meatballs and Spaghetti. Of course, I’ll have to rename the dish. Meatballs and Zoodles. Or Oodles of Zoodles and Meatballs, or a name equally as catchy.
So, in the final analysis, I think I made a wise choice purchasing this new kitchen tool. The price was right, and now the only problem is where to store the darn thing. My pantry is already filled to the brim. But I will make it work. Somehow.
As always, have fun making delicious and healthy food for your family. And thanks again Katie for turning me on to this new way to get more veggies into our diet. Yet again, I am in your debt. Hugs to you and Rick.
And peace and love to all.
Oh, and just so you know, I included 3 salad dressing recipes that can be used with the veggies in this recipe. All 3 are Asian inspired.
Dressing #1 has a bolder flavor than Salad dressings #2 & #3
Dressing #2 would be a better choice if you want the flavor focus to be on the veggies. Dressing #1 takes the focus off the veggies and places it more on the flavor of the dressing.
Dressing #3 is the same dressing you would find on a standard Chinese chicken salad or my version – Asian Slaw.
Salad Dressing #1
2 T. vegetable oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
⅓ c. rice vinegar
3 T. hoisin sauce, or more to taste
5 tsp. soy sauce, or more to taste
1-2 T. peanut butter (creamy or crunchy), or more to taste
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Whisk the veggie oil, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes together. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes before dressing your salad. Store unused dressing in the refrigerator.
Salad Dressing #2
3 T. rice vinegar
1 T. peanut butter
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. granulated sugar
freshly ground black pepper
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Whisk the rice vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, sugar, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes together. Store in refrigerator.
Salad Dressing #3
¼ c. vegetable oil
2 T. sesame oil
4 tsp. white vinegar (the regular old fashioned distilled kind)
1 tsp. lemon juice (the kind that comes from a real lemon)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Whisk all ingredients together. Store in refrigerator.
Put it all together:
2 zucchini (about ¾ lb.) spiralized (zoodles)
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 c. spiralized green or red cabbage
1 lg. carrot, spiralized
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, spiralized
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
salted peanuts, for garnish, opt. (or slivered almonds would be perfect if you chose to use dressing #3)
Place the spiralized zucchini in a colander either in a bowl or in the sink. Toss with the salt. Let the zoodles drain a bit of their excess moisture while you prep the other vegetables. Before building the salad, cut the spiralized zucchini with a pair of scissors to make them easier to toss (and eat). (You might want to do the same with the other veggies too.)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the zucchini noodles (unwashed) with the cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, and green onions.
Pour enough dressing (your choice) over the vegetables to coat them, but not drown them. Toss, taste, and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate the salad if made ahead.
Just before serving, toss in the toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with salted peanuts (or almonds). Serve immediately.
And in case you were wondering, of course you can use any old veggie you want in this salad. Actually, the more and different the veggies, the better!