Using a Fruit or Vegetable Spiralizer
Salad, Stir Fries, Vegetable Noodles and Spaghetti with One Machine
Oct 5, 2009
Buying a good spiralizer is a must in order to get the best from this kind of machine. Badly fitting components, blunt blades and awkward handles mean that a spiral cutter could be a mistake buy that just gathers dust in the kitchen.
A well designed tool, however, such as a Lurch Spiralizer has every feature made for ease. This includes suction feet for stability, sharp interchangeable blades with a handy storage system and a well positioned handle. It is also very easy to wash up if only using fruit and vegetables.
Spiralizers chop food items quickly into "spaghetti" strips, spirals, curls and fine curly slices. Often the type of vegetable will alter the result. For example, firm yet easily sliced vegetables seem to make the easiest spaghetti.
Vegans and Raw Foodists might get particular benefits from this type of kitchen gadget as it provides an interesting way to prepare food. The visual impact of a bowl of vegetable spaghetti is stunning and this compared to some roughly cut raw vegetables is a pleasure to eat. Many vegetables such as squashes which can be eaten raw are less than enjoyable unless sliced finely and prepared with care. Using a spiral cutter provides an easy way to do this.
However anyone searching for more variety to their diet and a better way to prepare vegetables would benefit from buying a spiralizer. Enjoying using one would certainly encourage anyone to eat more vegetables.
Healthy Light Dishes:
- Those wishing to cut down on wheat or starch can make classic spaghetti shaped strips from a range of vegetables. These can be cooked by blanching, boiling or steaming lightly as well as lightly stir frying; choose vegetables which stand up to light cooking. They are then perfect to serve with a range of classic pasta sauces. Vegetables ideal for this sort of cooking include pumpkin, butternut squash, courgettes, carrots, aubergines, plantain and celeriac.
- Oriental cold noodle dishes are easy to emulate with different kinds of produce. Cucumber, carrots, butternut squash, beetroot, celeriac and apples all make good spaghetti and taste fantastic in a simple dressing made from seasonings such as lime juice, sesame oil, chili oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and add some chopped chili, spring onions and cooked egg or peanuts.
- Similarly, noodle stir fries or noodle soups with meat, tofu or other vegetables can be made with these wheat and egg free 'noodles'. Simply use in place of the usual variety.
Raw Food:
- Raw salads gain much from being cut with a spiralizer. Choose from noodle strips to fine curls and slices to give crunch and texture but to also make tougher vegetables easy to eat. These transform from being unusual raw vegetables to full of flavor, easily soaking up any dressing they are in. For a raw meal dress these in simple cold pressed oils or raw dressings and enjoy. Try a whole range of vegetables for maximum variety and nutrition: White cabbage, butternut squash, beetroot,leeks, fennel, cucumber, celeriac, capsicums, courgettes, mushrooms, carrots and horseradish all process well in a spiralizer. Mix with chopped herbs, sea vegetables or leafy salads for a delicious meal.
- Certain fruits also spiral well and make a refreshingly sweet yet non-intrusive additions to salad. These include apples and melon.
- Marinated vegetables are delicious and these are suitable for a raw food diet; despite the fact that the marinade practically cooks the food, it does not get heated. Try the above vegetables with cold pressed oils, a pinch of sea salt, chili, chopped seasonal herbs, garlic and plenty of lemon juice. Marinate for as long as possible, preferably several hours and then enjoy. These vegetables are really healthy and for anyone who balances the raw with the cooked this also goes well with grilled meats or fish.
Other Culinary Uses:
- Slicing watery vegetables finely is brilliant for pizza. This banishes soggy toppings and is ideal for courgettes, peppers, mushrooms and onions.
- Finely sliced potatoes can be blanched and then will cook quickly being excellent for a classic Ricotta and potato pizza topping.
- Fruits such as apples are easy to slice finely to put in cakes.
- Vegetable crisps are easy to make in the oven with very finely sliced or curled root vegetables like parsnip, swede, sweet potatoes, potatoes, beetroots, carrots, celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes. Simply coat these with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt, then roast in a medium oven until they are crisp and dry.
- Radishes, cucumber, carrots, fennel, onions, courgettes and capsicums are easy to place in sandwiches having been finely sliced with a cutter.
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