How Zoodles And Spirals Will Change The Way You Eat Veggies

Meet your new favorite kitchen tool.

Meet your new favorite kitchen tool. Some call it the spiralizer, the zoodler (an affectionate term for a zucchini-based noodle) or the spiral vegetable slicer. However you choose to identify to this nifty apparatus, know one thing: Your vegetable lifestyle is about to transform.

This revolutionary contraption will slice your standard vegetable into noodle-like spaghetti shapes. Instead of juvenile carrot sticks, banal zucchini slices or cucumber half-circles that top the saddest iceberg lettuce salads, you'll be dining on voluminous ribbons of vegetable delight. Take a moment.

The elaborate meal potential is endless. Spicy shoe string jicama fries? All you. Zucchini noodle carbonara? Done. Whether you're a vegetable fanatic, attempting to clean up your diet (great options for paleo and gluten-free dishes) or just want to eat something that needn't be followed by a nap, the opportunity to convert a carb-heavy meal into lighter, delectable fare is here for the taking.

The process is pretty simple: either peel or wash the raw piece of produce (you can cook it once it's processed) and use the tool to spiral it down into a noodle shape. There are two basic varieties of vegetable spiralizers on the market to consider.
zoodle
Photo: Amazon
This hourglass-shaped tool above is the choice for smaller kitchens and counter spaces (allow yourself to be enticed by this wonderfully cheesy informercial for the "Vegetti"). It's two-sided for the option of thin or thicker noodles, and calls for an easy manual twisting of the vegetable to get the noodle shape of your dreams. And the pasta maker has only one attachment -- a small metal prong for when you've whittled the veggie down to the nub and need to hold it in place with something other than your hands. It's dishwasher safe, and its simplicity is not to be taken for granted.

zoodle2
Photo: Amazon
For those with more room in their kitchens and space in their hearts for a variety of attachments and experimenting, consider the tri-blade plastic vegetable slicer (some brands to choose from, here). This somewhat cumbersome noodler is sold with purposeful blades (you might venture into the world of vegetable-turned-rice) with a bit more clean-up required than its competitor. But the process is nearly as simple: Secure the vegetable onto the blade (once the machine is assembled) and crank out some noodles.

Both tools above can transform virtually any hearty vegetable into spectacular spaghetti form (see beets, cabbage, jicama). But novices might feel most comfortable starting with a, well, more phallic shaped piece of produce. This will cut down the prep time and be easier to handle. Think zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and cucumbers for the first couple of spiral go-rounds.

Secure, twist and experience noodle magic.


(See the whole tutorial here.)

As for what to make? Head to the produce aisle, use your noodle (heh) and get concocting. But of course, a few ideas below:

Zucchini Shrimp Scampi
Damn Delicious

Get the Zucchini Shrimp Scampi recipe from Damn Delicious

Garlic Soba And Zucchini Noodles
Naturally Ella

Get the Garlic Soba and Zucchini Noodles recipe from Naturally Ella

Zucchini Noodles With Turkey Marinara Sauce
White On Rice Couple

Get the Zucchini Noodles with Turkey Marinara Sauce recipe from White On Rice Couple

Firey Szechuan Peanut And Chili Zucchini Noodles
Half Baked Harvest
Healthy Chicken Pho With Zucchini Noodles
The Healthy Maven
Zucchini Spaghetti With Easy Lentil Marinara
In Sonnets Kitchen

Get the Zucchini Spaghetti With Easy Lentil Marinara recipe from In Sonnets Kitchen

Zucchini Alfredo
Damn Delicious
Zucchini Pad Thai Noodles
White On Rice Couple

Get the Zucchini Pad Thai Noodles recipe from White On Rice Couple

Cheesy Baked Zucchini Noodle Casserole
Simply Recipes
Harissa Zucchini Spaghetti Skillet With Kale, Chickpeas And Poached Eggs
Inspiralized
Rad Rainbow Raw Pad Thai
Oh She Glows
Get the Raw Rainbow Pad Thai recipe from Oh She Glows
Carrot Pasta With Creamy Zesty Garlic Sauce
Tales Of A Kitchen

Get the Carrot Pasta With Creamy Zesty Garlic Sauce from Tales Of A Kitchen

Peanut Chicken Zucchini Noodles
Sally's Baking Addiction
Get the Peanut Chicken Zucchini Noodles recipe from Sally's Baking Addiciton
Chicken Zoodle Soup
Damn Delicious
Get the Chicken Zoodle Soup recipe from Damn Delicious
Chicken Zucchini Noodle Caprese
Skinny Taste
Get the Chicken Zucchini Noodle Caprese recipe from Skinny Taste
5-Ingredient Spinach Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
Two Peas and their Pod
Get the 5-Ingredient Spinach Parmesan Zucchini Noodles recipe from Two Peas and their Pod
Zoodle Marinara
Gimme Some Oven
Get the Zoodle Marinara recipe from Gimme Some Oven
Korean Japchae Zoodles
Steamy Kitchen
Get the Korean Japchae Zoodles recipe from Steamy Kitchen
Zucchini Noodles With Pesto
Two Peas and their Pod

Get the Zucchini Noodles with Pesto recipe from Two Peas and their Pod

Zucchini Pasta With Creamy Avocado Sauce And Shrimps
Not Enough Cinnamon

Get the Zucchini Pasta With Creamy Avocado Sauce And Shrimps recipe from Not Enough Cinnamon

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