Hubby and I were out and about this morning, we stopped at Sam's for a rotisserie chicken and then went to Bed Bath & Beyond because I've been wanting an Oxo Julienne Peeler.
I'm doing low-carb this summer. Yes, again, and I've read in lots of forums about making faux pasta with zucchini, and I tried doing it by hand, and let me tell you, it was a royal pain in the patootie, it just didn't work for me. I'm all bells and whistles, the gadget queen here, and this morning I was on a mission, I wanted that peeler. If you want it, too, here's the link.
So, $8.50 later, (I had a coupon) I walked out of the store with the niftiest little gadget I've had in a long time. I came home, laid my zucchini on the cutting board, peeled a slice, and it didn't work. Huh, I tried it again, nope, it just kind of mangled the zucchini. So I'm fast getting frazzled, because I was so excited about this thing and it's a total bust, but thank goodness for hubby. I hadn't peeled off the blue coated covering of the blade. Sheesh!
So then I started pulling it across the zucchini, and it made the most wonderful shreds. I was practically jumping up and down. Okay, so that's a stretch, but I was very impressed. I quit when I got to the seeds, you don't want to use the seeded part, just the meaty part. Some people peel zucchini, I didn't, I happen to like the peeling. I've read reviews that if you julienne carrots it can dull and bend the blades, but I'm just using mine for zucchini and squash, so no worries.
Into the skillet it went with a little extra virgin olive oil that John and Deanna brought me from Italy, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a clove of smashed garlic, and I just tossed the zucchini until it was warm, I wanted it "al dente" not mushy.
And this picture is my result. I'm so impressed, the flavor of the zucchini isn't strong or overpowering in the little strips, the texture is right, the look is right. And the taste? Well, of course it isn't pasta, but it's a close second. Next I'm making meatballs, and marinara sauce, and pesto sauce, and alfredo sauce, and, and, and...
Oh, ladies, this is a good thing. This is a really good thing!
~ Jan, doing the happy dance here...