"Noodles"

Hey gang! I'm back after a really wonderful spring break with my hubby!  We had some old friends come visit for a couple days, and a surprise visit from my father-in-law.  We ate lots of great Thai food, and even tried a new Lebanese restaurant.  Although my husband wasn't impressed, I greatly enjoyed their Baba Ganoush (eggplant tahini dip) and the fresh, Mediterranean tastes that remind me of summer.  We had a glorious several days of 75 degree weather here in Portland and on the coast, which we celebrated by going to the beach!  I was so happy with the warm weather and sunshine, and although it has now gone back to cold and rainy, I know it will be warm for good soon.

My desire for summer has brought on the craving for fresh, raw foods, and I found a new spring/summer favorite: Zucchini "noodle" salad!  I'm not sure where I got the idea to make zucchini noodles (probably on the interwebs), but I easily figured out how to do it with my mandolin.  I've been looking for a great noodle substitute for spaghetti, and although there are many good brown rice or even quinoa pastas (my mother-in-law just told me about the quinoa one recently), they are still carbs, and because of that, I am likely to eat way to much of them.  I don't tend to crave sugar, but I crave bread-like products...which is just as bad.  I've been finding more and more research showing how your body turns carbs (bread, pasta, crackers, etc) into glucose (aka sugar), but when your cells saturate with glucose, it is then converted into fat.  Therefore, if you eat lots of carbs, your blood sugar will be high, and you can easily put on the pounds.  Plus, many carb heavy foods are nutrient deficient, so no matter how full you might feel at first, your body is left unsatisfied.

With that in mind, I'm trying to substitute classic carb-y foods with some sort of produce.  This usually takes a bit of creativity or manipulation in the kitchen.  It is hard to recreate the taste and texture of bread or pasta with unusual ingredients, however, I found that zucchini was a really great substitute!  It naturally has a very neutral flavor which goes well with pasta sauce.  The texture of raw zucchini is also great because it has a slight bite, but is tender...much like good al dente pasta.

My first experiment with these noodles was in place of pasta for spaghetti.  I made my favorite rich and salty pasta puttanesca sauce (found here) which paired perfectly with the raw noodles.

My second attempt was even more successful.  I have been loving olives and capers lately, so I paired them with the zucchini noodles, roasted red pepper, and lots of fresh herbs to make a new twist on pasta salad. 

NOTE: I made these "noodles" on my mandolin with a medium julienne blade.  I highly recommend getting a mandolin for your kitchen if you don't already have one because I used mine all the time.  However, you can make these dishes with just a knife!  You could either cut the zucchini into half-moons, or into a small to medium dice.  It all depends on what kind of texture you're looking for.


T.E.A.'s Zucchini "Noodle" Salad
makes about 4 cups

4 medium zucchini, sliced into noodles, or small dice
1 large red bell pepper
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives, chopped  (I used kalamata)
2 TB capers
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (optional...see note)
Extra Virgin olive oil, about 1-2 TB
red wine vinegar, about 1 TB
salt, to taste if needed
non-stick spray
parchment paper

1. Put oven onto broil, or heat to 450F.
2. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with oil.  Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise, and take out the seeds and stem.  Lay on the baking sheet, and broil/roast for about 15 mins or until soft and slightly browned.  Let cool, then slice into long, thin strips.

3. In a large bowl, mix together bell pepper strips, zucchini noodles (or dice), olives, capers, and herbs. Toss to combine.
4.  Drizzle on olive oil and vinegar (it may take more or less than I put in the recipe depending on your taste).  Toss to combine.  Taste and add salt if needed.  Mine did not need any salt at all.  I recommend adding a little more vinegar before adding salt to see if that helps the taste.
5. Serve immediately.

NOTE: if you are not going to serve immediately, you can combine the veggies and herbs, but leave off the olive oil/vinegar dressing until right before you are ready to serve.  That will keep all your ingredients fresh and crunchy.
Actually, this salad will keep ok with the dressing, but the basil will likely brown.  Omit the basil if you need to make the salad ahead of time.

ENJOY!