New Food Toy

[becca]

Finally got one fo these after looking for a long time. 

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400350162&sr=8-1&keywords=spiral+slicer

Off to buy some veggies later!  Maybe pesto-zucchini-shrimp for dinner? 

[Scout]

that looks fun 

[momma2boys]

Make curly fries! I love food toys.

[becca]

Dd asked for fries.  This makes a small spiral, but I did find a couple of blogs recipes for doing potatoes in the oven this way.  Going to try it tonight. 

I mainly got it to do veggies, like zucchini, carrots, cucumbers, beets, for an alternative to noodles and in salads.  Trying to make the healthy eating a bit more fun. 

[SilverLining]

Becca, I LOVE Paderno.  My dad had some of their pots, back when nobody else had ever heard of them.  We got a set of their knives for Christmas.  They are the best knives I've ever used.

[becca]

The shoestring oven fries are a big hit!  Dh and I are having zucchini spaghetti with chicken sausage, pesto, onions. 

[nameless]

Oh --- I could imagine a cucumber apple salad all done in thin spirally crunchy noodles from that --- like a slaw

[Janelle205]

This looks like fun!  Added it to my Amazon wishlist.  I will have one.

[becca]

Oh --- I could imagine a cucumber apple salad all done in thin spirally crunchy noodles from that --- like a slaw

Thinking beet/apple slaw as well.  Though twirling that may make for splatters of red on one's clothing, lol.  You can basically do any vegetable that fits on the machine.  Skinny carrots may not work, and you are left with a 1/2 "core" but you can still eat that or chop it for something else.

anything you do with this could really be done as shreds from a food processor, but the "noodles" are fun, and zucchini is simple enough a flavor profile to sub well for spaghetti noodles.  It would be good with pasta sauces, red, creamy, pesto, etc...

[becca]

Janelle, I had looked at these a lot.  I used to see one with the single blade for around $25, so the price $35.96 with 2 extra baldes seemed a good value to me. 

I first read about using zucchini for noodles from my low carb group on a diabetic forum, but Paleo eaters do it too.  Finding recipes and ideas on Paleo and low carb blogs.

[Macabre]

Becca orange beets would work well.

I had a thing called La Presse that I never used. Bought it watching TV while sick. DH never understood why he does NOT like kitchen gadgets, but we did use it a couple of times before donating it to good will before moving here. It took up SO much room. It julienned beautifully.

I would love something that does a few interesting things but doesn't take up much room. Our kitchen is so small here.

Becca is it all dishwasher safe?

I had sen a recipe for zucchini pasta last week and thought of you, but the recipe had you making it by cutting the zukes manually, and I thought "no way."

I'm glad you found a magical machine to donut for you!

[becca]

McC, I think it did say dishwasher safe, but it is actually easy to handwash.  would take up so much space in the DW.  I quickly scrubbed on the blades with a potato brush, as some shreds are stuck in there and it is sharp.  Then sponged the rest with a soapy water wash and rinse.  took a minute.  It is not all that big.  Here I took a picture of it with my coffee mug and laptop, lol.  You can guage its size that way.  A little more square than a shoebox, but about that size. 

[Macabre]

That is a great size. I may look into one.

I like to make interesting interesting and new dishes DH cooks more but often just gets it on the table (and can do so with magnificent speed when it would easily take me twice as long). Although I will say, last night's soup was the exception--wowza.

So if I buy this, I will be the one using it. But you know--I bet I can still justify it. It looks so darn fun.

[twinturbo]

I wish I could graft becca's dietary approach to my family members with diabetes. The flat out innovation to healthy habits is something I can't get into them. My grandmother is good about reducing her wheat carbs but REFUSES to cut down on white rice. For my dad he won't give up potatoes he'll pop one of his pills to eat an entire raw potato. And with this post I confirm about a bazillion Asian and Irish stereotypes, lol. Funny the line in the sand foods are for them.

[becca]

Oh, TT, I love food, the good, the bad and the ugly.  I love the healthy stuff and do well to integrate it into my life now, but I fall back into digging the spoon into the Ben and Jerry's and chips I buy "for the kids." But, I did lose 60 pounds and have kept 50 off(well 45 after this winter).  I do not like the gradual trend of a few pounds a year coming back on.  Aging has to do with it too.  So, if I can find fun tricks that help satisfy me, it helps.  Loading some meatballs and sauce and grated romano onto a pile of zucchini noodles has to be healthier than on top of spaghetti.