zucchini

Meals Using Spiralized Veggies

Leah Short — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 14:56:57 +0000

Raise your hand if you’ve jumped on the spiralizing veggies trend! I hate to even call it a trend because I think I’m almost the last person to really get on board with it and it looks like it’s here to stay. Fine by me! A few years ago I shared a recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Cream Sauce, but I hadn’t fully embraced it and I made that recipe by basically julienning the zucchini. In this post, I’ll share with you how I spiralize veggies and the meals I make using spiralized veggies.

Rewind to a few months ago when I listened to the Food Blogger Pro Podcast featuring Ali Maffucci. (Sidenote: I highly recommend this podcast. It’s a fantastic resource for any type of blogger, not just food!) Ali designed The Inspiralizer and I was hooked! It’s a little more expensive than some other spiralizers, but it’s much easier to store and clean. There’s also no fuss with switching out sharp blades. The compact design sold me and I got one as a gift in January. I’m happy to report I haven’t stopped using it! I thought I’d share a few meals I’ve made using spiralized veggies. I LOVE incorporating more veggies into my diet. The way I look at it is I can splurge a little more on the sauce since I’m not using pasta. Winner winner!

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Clean Slate: Quinoa Salad with Zucchini, Mint, & Pistachios

Leah Short — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 21:33:15 +0000

In my previous post, I mentioned how I’m cooking from the Clean Slate cookbook and seeing if I actually enjoy clean eating. Before, I assumed clean eating meant bland eating, and I’ve learned that’s absolutely not the case! For breakfast I’ve tried Barley with Pineapple, Coconut, & Flaxseed. It sounds unusual but tasted so good! Next up was trying something for lunch. I picked this Quinoa Salad with Zucchini, Mint, & Pistachios because it’s all of my favorite ingredients and I usually have most of them on hand.

So, how’s it taste?

Another hit! I loved the combination of flavors in this salad, plus it was really easy to put together. Instead of cooking the zucchini in a pan, next time I’ll roast it and increase the amount. I love, love, love roasted vegetables, especially zucchini so the more the merrier! I really like the contrast of textures with the quinoa and crunchy pistachios. The pistachios also gave it some saltiness. The mint and lemon brighten the salad, while the scallions gave it a touch of subtle heat (and more crunch!). I took this salad to work for lunch several days in a row and the leftovers were just as tasty, although I will warn that the quinoa continues to soak up the oil and lemon juice so it can get a bit dry.

Even with such simple ingredients, this was really filling for lunch. I’m finding out clean eating is really tasty eating! The dishes you see in the pictures above are part of the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware available exclusively at Macy’s. Fantastic dishware for everyday use, plus they’re dishwasher and microwave safe!

Yield: 4 servings

Quinoa Salad with Zucchini, Mint, & Pistachios

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed & drained
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted salted pistachios, chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring the water, quinoa, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender but still chewy, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; fluff with fork and let cool.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant (do not let brown), about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper, and add to quinoa.

3. Stir in scallions, pistachios, lemon zest and juice, and mint. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

per serving: 286 calories, 13g fat, 36g carbs, 8g protein, 5g fiber

Source: Clean Slate by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

Disclosure: I received a copy of Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide: Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best and the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware at no cost. All opinions expressed here are solely my own, as always. This post contains affiliate links.

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Roasted Veggie Tacos with Avocado Cream

Leah Short — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 11:30:48 +0000

I love roasting veggies. You can roast pretty much any kind and it enhances the veggie flavor like no other cooking method. I always roast a ton of veggies and eat them as a side or as the meal served on top of something like rice or quinoa. When I came across Roasted Veggie Tacos with Avocado Cream, I knew I had to make them. I welcome any new way of using roasted veggies and was instantly sold on the healthy avocado cream.

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Chickpea & Vegetable Tagine

Leah Short — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 11:22:58 +0000

It should come as no surprise that I’d make this Chickpea & Vegetable Tagine. It’s got a lot of my usual suspects: zucchini, chickpeas, spices, a little weirdness. I refer to the cinnamon as part of the weirdness. I love finding recipes with something you wouldn’t expect. This dish packs a hearty punch and at 278 calories per serving, that is a steal!

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Roasted Zucchini and Ricotta Sandwiches

Leah Short — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:00:00 +0000

I know you’re like me and sometimes you find a recipe in a magazine or on another blog and you can’t get it out of your mind. That’s how I felt with Roasted Zucchini and Ricotta Sandwiches. I could not stop thinking about how awesome this sandwich might taste. You see I’m a roasted veggie junkie, and my veggies of choice most times are zucchini and yellow squash. Roasting veggies brings out their flavor big time and it’s such an easy way to prepare veggies so you don’t have to babysit while they cook.

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Stuffed Shells

Leah Short — Mon, 12 May 2014 13:06:20 +0000

A few weekends ago I was at my mom’s house and I wanted to cook something figure-friendly, but it had to be something we’d both enjoy. Sometimes low calorie versions of your favorite foods don’t quite taste as good as the original. Since my mom isn’t concerned with calories like I am, it had to taste good for her, too. We found this awesome recipe for vegetarian Stuffed Shells that was full of cheese and yummy veggies, and under 400 calories per serving. I’d say we both came out winners with this one!

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Zucchini & Yellow Squash Gratin

Leah Short — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 15:34:29 +0000

This Zucchini & Yellow Squash Gratin is a great way to eat your veggies! Although it may not be the healthiest with all that delicious heavy cream! For a special occasion, it’s perfectly acceptable. This was also part of our Christmas dinner along with the world’s best Roasted Pork Tenderloin. I like zucchini and yellow squash a lot, but usually overlook them as a side for special dinners. This gratin changes everything! I like the color of the two squash, but if you don’t like zucchini you can use all yellow squash and vice versa.

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Red Wine Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Leah Short — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 13:44:25 +0000

Since I made zucchini noodles in a creamy sauce a few posts ago, I am hooked. I couldn’t wait to see how they’d turn out with a meaty, tomato-based spaghetti sauce. This Red Wine Spaghetti Meat Sauce has been with me for years. I adapted it for spaghetti a long time ago from a lasagna recipe. It got lost in my huge stack of loose recipes until I finally organized them in a binder. It was fun to find recipes I’d forgotten about and old favorites like this one, especially when they’re handwritten.

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Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Cream Sauce

Leah Short — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:27:14 +0000

I’m about to blow your mind. Zucchini noodles. Yep, you can make a pasta dish without the pasta. You may be a bit skeptical. I certainly was. I’ve already ranted about my dislike of whole wheat pasta, so I wasn’t sure I should go messing with it again. After Jessica from The Novice Chef blogged about it and then Georgia from The Comfort of Cooking had it on her blog, I knew I had to try it. Zucchini Noodles with Lemon Cream Sauce is amazing. I didn’t miss the regular pasta at all.

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