Spiralized veggie noodles are colorful, quick cooking
If you have taken even the most leisurely stroll through the produce department of the supermarket, you’ve noticed containers of spiralized vegetables. It has been a bit of a craze for quite some time and offers a unique spin on traditional pasta.
While those clam-shell containers can be a little pricey, they give you the opportunity to try these vegetable noodles without the expense of purchasing the tool to make it happen. Since I have loved spaghetti squash for decades, it seemed logical I would enjoy these as well. I do! My husband, not so much, but that hasn’t stopped me.
There are all kinds of gadgets to make the process easy and those range from things you already have in the kitchen to expensive items that can take up considerable and valuable counter space. I have seen handheld versions as well. Since I tend to shy away from one-purpose tools, I use a vegetable peeler and a knife, or occasionally the large holes of a traditional grater, and have had great results.
There are a few common-sense rules to think about if you want to make your own vegetable noodles. First of all, the vegetable needs to be firm and free of any large pits or seeds. Secondly, it needs to be long and wide enough to maneuver. Tiny radishes can be a challenge, and trust me when I tell you that eggplant just doesn’t work.
The easiest vegetable noodles to make are from zucchini and common
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Donna, after peeling and slicing, immediately place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water and refrigerate. You can do this up to 24 hours ahead of time. Then simply drain well before using. yellow squash.
What I particularly like is the quick cooking. These noodles only take around five minutes in a hot skillet to be ready to enjoy. I have been sneaking these into soups as well. They only need to be added during the last five minutes of cooking. Shhh! Don’t tell my husband!
Tammy Algood is the author of five cookbooks and can be seen on “Volunteer Gardener” on PBS stations in Tennessee. Follow her at hauteflavor.com
Donna Gibson of Nashville loves to make scalloped potatoes, but would like some tricks for keeping them from discoloring. “I want to prep it ahead of time, but don’t like the flavor sprinkling it with citrus juice adds,” she writes.