Go ahead, dive into the veggie noodle world with ‘zoodles’
Super trendy, easy, inexpensive and healthy
Vegetable “noodles” are super trendy, and summer is the best time to make them since the king of veggie noodle — zucchini — is ubiquitous, and inexpensive.
Go ahead and load up, because zucchini is a true powerhouse of vitamins. One cup provides more than a third of your daily vitamin C, and about 10 per cent of five additional vitamins and minerals, and clocks in at under 20 calories.
While “zoodles” are easily the most popular veggie noodle, they can be made from a variety other vegetables. Try other summer squashes, winter squash such as butternut, beet, carrot, sweet potato, and parsnips. They are easy to make, too. You can buy an inexpensive spiralizer to make quick work of cutting perfectly-shaped noodles.
Or, you can even use your vegetable peeler to shave long, thin ribbons from your vegetables; no special equipment needed. Cooking the noodles is quick: usually by steaming or sautéeing. Some veggies, like summer squash, can be left completely raw if you want, and made into a cold, summer salad.
Sunshine Vegetable Ribbons can be made in mere minutes using only a vegetable peeler and a pan as equipment. The flavours are bright and familiar: a little garlic, lemon, toasted pine nuts and nutty Parmesan cheese.
Serve this as a pretty first course, as a side dish or even as a vegetarian main course with a thick slice of crusty Italian bread on the side. Once you’ve mastered the vegetable peeler noodle, get creative and explore the endless options for this new technique, swapping in vegetables for pasta in your favourite recipes.
Sunshine Vegetable Ribbons MAKES 4 SERVINGS
2 large carrots, peeled 2 crookneck squashes (yellow summer squash) 2 zucchini 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved into shards with a vegetable peeler Lemon zest or fresh herbs for garnish, optional Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Start to finish: 15 minutes Use a vegetable peeler to shave long, thin ribbons (like flat noodles) of the vegetables. (You will likely have a thin core remaining of each vegetable that you’ll have to use for another purpose.)
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute, until fragrant. Add the vegetable ribbons, a pinch of salt, and stir. Add the lemon juice and cover with a lid for just one minute (or longer if you want very soft ribbons). Remove the lid, and remove from heat.
Serve on four plates, topped with pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, black pepper and lemon zest or fresh herbs, if desired.
Per serving: 128 calories (66 from fat); 7 grams fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 6 milligrams cholesterol; 408 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrate; 3 g fibre; 7 g sugar; 6 g protein.