Yoga_Journal_-_June_2016_

I

GADGET

GUIDE

$ OXO Good Grips

Hand-Held Spiralizer

This one requires a little

muscle power, but it’s an

inexpensive way to try the trend

($15, williams-sonoma.com).

$$$ The Inspiralizer

Created by our recipe developer,

Ali Maffucci, this option has four blade

settings and comes with countertop clamps

(versus suction cups), which help it stay

firmly in place ($50, inspiralized.com).

$$ Paderno Tri-Blade Plastic

Spiral Vegetable Slicer

Suction cups at the bottom of this coun-

tertop model make it easy to spiralize

even the firmest veggies, such as turnips

and celery root ($30, amazon.com).

Not sure which spiralizer to buy?

Here are three options for every budget.

I’M A SUCKER FOR KITCHEN GADGETS. Years ago, I was

all about the bread-maker (remember those mon-

strosities?). I’ve also been the proud, albeit brief,

owner of a sandwich press, waffl e-maker, fondue

pot, and dehydrator—and don’t get me started on

the small gizmos, such as the potato ricer and on-

ion chopper that never made it into my regular

food-prep rotation.

So not surprisingly, when the spiralizer was

the hot, new kitchen must-have, I was quick to buy

one. After all, the promise was huge: With a sim-

ple handheld or countertop tool, I’d be able to

boost my fresh-fruit and -vegetable intake by turn-

ing them into long, curly strips to seamlessly swap

in for carby favorites like pasta or rice, or to sauté,

roast, fry, bake, or eat raw. Just insert the desired

fruit or vegetable into the device, turn a handle,

and out pop spirals of zucchini “noodles” and

sweet-potato curly “fries.”

As a gluten-sensitive pasta lover, I was sold.

Sure, I secretly believed my spiralizer would end up

at a yard sale, like the other kitchen gadgets of my

past. Yet one year later, it’s still on my kitchen coun-

ter and getting just as much play as my coffeemaker.

Sara Haas, RDN, a national media spokesperson

for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, can re-

late: Her spiralizer has earned a well-deserved per-

manent place on her countertop, too. “Everyone is

getting the message that the more veggies you can

incorporate into your diet, the better,” says Haas.

“I think spiralizing is one of the best and easiest

ways to prepare a larger variety of plant-based

foods and actually enjoy them.”

When Haas says “easy,” she means it—even when

you’re talking rock-hard veggies like raw beets, pota-

to es, and butternut squash. “A lot of home cooks

don’t often buy hard-to-cut vegetables because their

knife skills aren’t great,” she says. “Spiralizing makes

prepping veggies like turnips and celery root so sim-

ple, you’ll be more likely to use them in recipes.”

Thanks to this perk, Haas says spiralizing has helped

many of her clients break out of their culinary ruts,

boosting their veggie intake as they spiralize an ever-

widening array of fruits and vegetables.

And let’s face it: It’s also a heck of a lot easier to

plow through a plateful of vegetables when they look

like pasta, the ultimate comfort food. Haas agrees,

adding that the noodle form tends to inspire people

to add a lot more fl avor to their veggies via sauces

and spices, which ultimately helps us feel more satis-

fi ed than if we were eating the same vegetables plain.

So whether you’re already hooked on your own

spiralizer and want tasty recipes that span beyond

the ubiquitous zucchini noodles, or you’re intrigued

enough to try this trend, read on for recipes and tips

to get inspired.

58

june

2016

yogajournal.com

eat well

NOURISH