So I admit maybe it was a little selfish when I suggested to my sister that a cool gift she could get my husband for Christmas was a vegetable spiralizer. Just a little.  But, it wasn’t a terribly expensive investment, and I knew it would be good for the whole family!

And I’ll also admit 4 weeks later, I was still looking at this contraption wondering how in the world was I going to create those beautiful vegetable noodles like I’ve been seeing all over the cooking blogs and magazines?  I was very consumed with this thought that I would need a lot of time for this project, so I kept it on the back burner.
Much to my surprise, we created this in less than 30 minutes!

Now my mind is racing with ideas.  I’ll be able to make zucchini noodles with tomato sauce and get the kids to eat more vegetables. And I’ll make spiralized apple and carrot rings for beautiful salads. And I’ll make spiralized sweet potato French fries. The possibilities are endless!  Now I know how simple it is, and I can’t wait to share this with you.

Honestly, for $30, this is a fun addition to any kitchen.

I cut the thick skin off of a butternut squash, leaving the bright orange flesh showing. I set the bulb of the squash aside, and put the rest of the squash into “the machine.” A few cranks of the handle and 5 minutes later, these beautiful, squash “noodles” appeared.

I layered the noodles on a cooking sheet and baked them. (Full recipe below)

Baby scallops sautéed with olive oil, a little cherry tomatoes, onion, and cilantro were delicious served on top. Toppings are endless for these hearty, scrumptious vegetable noodles. For anyone looking for ways to cut down your pasta intake, or for all those people suffering with gluten intolerances, this is a game changer.

I can’t wait to try more fruits and vegetables with “our” new tool. See it wasn’t so selfish after all! Have you tried a veggie spiralizer yet? I would love to hear what you have made with it.

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Spiralized Butternut Squash Noodles with Baby Scallops served on top

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
1 package of frozen and defrosted baby scallops
Handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced

To make the noodles:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the bulb off of the squash. Cut the flesh off of the remaining stem of squash, revealing the bright orange flesh. Place the squash into the spiralizer and turn the handle. Cut the noodles about every 12 inches. Place noodles onto a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Increase the oven to broil and cook for another 4-5 minutes, watching closely so as not to burn the noodles.

Sauté the onion, olive oil, and cherry tomatoes in a large pan for 5-10 minutes. Add the scallops, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and pepper to your taste, and let simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve the scallops on top of the noodles. Enjoy!