I attended the International Food Blogging Conference back in 2014, and it was full of inspiring food bloggers, photographers, and chefs who have turned their passion for food into a rewarding career. There are so many unique paths to success in our social media age, from food-blogger-turned-TV-star Pioneer Woman to chefs like Bill Bronchick who mentor other entrepreneurs in the business side of food. And now that the Internet allows us to get a peek into the kitchens of food writers around the world, it’s opened up the door to a world of new recipes and ideas that would have never occurred to me while thumbing through my old cookbooks…like zoodles!
I became a big fan of low-carb eating last summer while getting ready for my wedding. I did Whole30 in the leadup to wedding gown shopping, and it was really insightful to learn how much bloating processed carbs cause me. I’m a big carb fiend, so it’s been really helpful to find filling alternatives to some of my favorite dishes. I adore pasta, so I’ve become a huge fan of zucchini noodles, AKA “Zoodles” – they’re so tasty, and hit the same satisfying spot for me that a big old bowl of pasta does – but with way less calories and carbs! Here’s my no-fuss method for making a tasty zoodle dinner:
Easy Zoodles Recipe
Making The Zoodles:
I received this great spiralizer as a wedding last year, and I have become hooked on zoodles! It’s so quick and simple to whip up a batch of zoodles – I’m notoriously basic when it comes to weeknight dinners, because I just don’t have the energy to go to much of any effort after a long day. But even I can handle zoodles! Just chop the end off your zucchini, stick it in the spiralizer, and turn. Hey presto! You have zoodles! It’s super fast, and the spiralizer cleans up quickly – two big “Musts” for me. To cook, I spray a frying pan with zero-calorie cooking spray and add the zoodles, and cook until soft.
Making The Sauce:
I’ve been using O Organics Roasted Garlic pasta sauce recently, and it’s really good! You can heat the sauce up on the stove by itself, or throw in some additions: The first time I used this sauce, I added some frozen turkey while heating it up to create a meat sauce. I often prepare ground turkey in my slow cooker and throw some into the freezer for easy meals later. In this particular instance, I had some cooked ground turkey in the freezer that I had cooked with some hot sauce. I tossed the frozen turkey into the pasta sauce and cooked it on the stovetop until everything was heated evenly.
Making The Meatballs:
In a large bowl, add the following ingredients:
- 16oz package Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey
- 1 egg
- Chopped white onion (to taste)
- Minced garlic (to taste)
Wearing disposable gloves, mix the ingredients together thoroughly with your hands, and once completely mixed, roll the mixture into small meatballs – you’ll end up with roughly 8 or 9. Bake at 350 degrees – I used my MEATER digital meat thermometer to judge when they were done, but it was very fast – less than 15 minutes.
Helpful timing hint: If I pop the meatballs in the oven, then turn on the zoodles and sauce, everything is done at the exact same time. Timing is always the hardest part when cooking several items at the same time, so I was very pleased with myself here. 😉
Have you ever tried zoodles?
