Tuesday, July 15, 2014

CLCA Day 14: Pregnant Co-Worker ATTACKS for Roomie's Zoodles

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 14 (Whoo-hoo! Two weeks!)

Breakfast: Mango-Berry Smoothie with Almond Milk and Chia Seeds
Lunch: Slow Cooker Bolognese (leftovers) with Raw Zucchini Noodles
Dinner: Teriyaki Pork Steak (leftovers) and Green Salad
Dessert: Fresh Strawberries with Whipped Cream ('tis the season!)

Carb count: 87 grams

It seems as though I'm now everyone's low-carb/Paleo/Primal chef! I tried my hand at making zucchini noodles with a julienne peeler and topped them with some leftover slow cooker Bolognese and sent it off with Cyd for her lunch today. Apparently, a lady at work caught sight (or a whiff) of it, and wanted to try some. Seeing as the woman is pregnant, Cyd couldn't deny her, and she ended up eating HALF of Cyd's lunch! LOL! I don't know my own culinary power--to lure hapless and unsuspecting pregnant co-workers into Cyd's luscious low-carb web. Who knew zucchini noodles would weave such a mysterious and powerful spell? I'M A WITCH!

A brief discussion of "zoodling:"
Zoodles are a mainstay of low-carb/Paleo/Primal cooking, and there are several different ways that you can make them. If you are super-talented with with a super-sharp knife, you can cut them manually. Or you could make thin slices on a mandolin, and then cut the slices into strips (or some mandolins come with this kind of blade). The least expensive option (as low as five bucks) is to get a julienne peeler--which is what I used, because I had one already--but of course, it will make julienned pieces rather than noodle width/thick pieces, and you end up wasting some of the vegetable. The next option ($10-20) is the pencil sharpener-type of spiralizer, which seems to work fairly well, except that many people report that it's a pain to clean, and there is also some waste of the veggie. The final option (and most expensive, but still only about $25-35) is the Paderno-type spiralizer. The main down side is the gadget's size and bulkiness, but it reportedly makes perfectly uniform veggie noodles with the least amount of effort, the least amount of waste, and clean up is easier. (It should be noted that Cooks' Illustrated rated the Paderno the highest and did not recommend the pencil sharpener type.) So I suppose it comes down to your budget, how much room you have on your counters and in your cupboards, and how often you will be making zoodles.

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