Jeffs - Spiralize: 40 nutritious recipes to transform the way you eat

We should all try to include more vegetables in our diet, but with so many delicious alternatives on offer its too easy to give in to the food that we crave rather than whats best for our bodies and, in particular, our waistlines. Having a healthy relationship with food should never mean denying ourselves enjoyment from the meals that we eat. But making small changes to our diet and incorporating more of the food that truly nourishes our bodies is something that can be easily achieved with the help of one simple tool: a spiralizer. Spiralizing is a delicious alternative to making traditional noodles, pasta and rice; all of which are laden with refined carbohydrates. Swapping your carbs for veg with simply a few cranks of the spiralizers handle is a quick and easy way to transform your meals into fibre-packed, low-calorie feasts without sacrificing flavour. Spiralized vegetables have a similar texture and consistency to pasta and noodles, so you can still enjoy your favourite plate of spaghetti but with only a fraction of the calories and with the added benefits of them being completely raw, vegan and gluten-free. To make delicious noodles and spiral pastas, you will need a spiralizer. To make delicious noodles and spiral pastas, you will need a spiralizer.

There are several options currently on the market including handheld, upright and horizontal machines that are all relatively inexpensive. You can also get attachments for some food processors that have a spiralizing tool. For the recipes in this book, I have used a horizontal spiralizer with three blades. Different brands will have slightly differing noodle sizes but most spiralizers will come with the three blades illustrated below: Blade 1: fine noodles (or vermicelli style) Blade 2: medium noodles (or spaghetti/udon style) Blade 3: ribbon noodles (or tagliatelle style) The upright spiralizer: the main benefit of an upright spiralizer is that there is no waste (except for the trimmed ends of your fruit/veggies) although it can be tricky to spiralize longer thinner fruit/veggies. The spiralizing motion is downwards. The horizontal spiralizer: the main benefit of a horizontal spiralizer is that it is easier to store and therefore more practical for most kitchens. The horizontal spiralizer: the main benefit of a horizontal spiralizer is that it is easier to store and therefore more practical for most kitchens.

The one downside is that there is more potential waste: the inner tube of the fruit/ vegetable does not get spiralized and a small sausage-shaped stick is left. Even so, these are great chopped into salads, so they neednt be wasted. The handheld spiralizer: these look like large pencil sharpeners and are perfect for those who have very little storage space. They are very cheap and can be a great way to take your first step into spiralizing. However, they can rely on a lot of hand strength and you will quickly tire, so are best for occasional use. Food processor attachments: some food processors have a spiralizer attachment.

These are great if you have already invested in an expensive processor and want to extend its functionality. Look for attachments that give you the three blade options described here if you can. A vegetable peeler: though not specifically a sprializer, you can make gorgeous ribbon pasta noodles with most household vegetable peelers. This method takes a little more time and you wont be able to control the length or thickness of the noodles, but it is a great way of getting started. Blade 1 Blade 2 Blade 3

Not everything can be spiralized although it can be fun trying! You are looking for fruits and vegetables that meet the following criteria: No wider than 10cm/4in as this will make it hard to turn the handle. No thinner than 4cm/1in as the spiralizer will not be able to make long noodles.

Solid and without seeds. For example, you can spiralize the top half of a butternut squash but not the bottom half that contains the seeds. Fruit and vegetables should be firm. Overripe fruit and vegetables will turn to mush in your spiralizer. Not too long. If your veggies are too long they can slip out of the machine or become unmanageable.

Cut down long vegetables into shorter lengths before attempting to spiralize. Straight. It is very difficult to successfully spiralize a curved vegetable. Use the straightest examples that you can find.

Follow the manufacturers instructions for your spiralizer, but here are a few tips to help you get started: Choose what you are going to spiralize and trim if necessary. You get the best results when you trim the ends of the fruit/veg to get balance (but not always aka apples).

You may need to trim your item to shorten it or reduce its width (e.g. celeriac [celery root] and turnips that are very round may need reducing slightly). When trimming the ends, ensure they are parallel. Choose the right blade for the noodle you are looking for. Secure the blade carefully and please be cautious when fitting, removing and cleaning blades as they are very sharp! Fit the veg onto the round holder (usually a metal ring) in the very centre or as you turn the handle the vegetable could fall out; plus your noodles will be very short. Secure the veg with the other end that has spokes (fitted to the handle).

Choose firm, straight vegetables. To spiralize, push the veg into the blade and turn the handle as per your spiralizer instructions. As you turn the handle, look to see if you are getting the results you had planned: if done well you should be able to spiralize most things into one very long noodle. If your noodles are coming out too short (rings or slices), remove the veg and try cleaning the blade. Trim the end to create a flat end again, return the veg to the central ring and start again.

This book is the ultimate beginners guide to spiralizing, featuring over 40 stylish, creative and exciting recipes for super-healthy, flavour-packed spiralized meals. This book is the ultimate beginners guide to spiralizing, featuring over 40 stylish, creative and exciting recipes for super-healthy, flavour-packed spiralized meals.Next page