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Friday, 21 April 2017 10:08 Written by John Reardon

Hello my Foodie Friends.  Somehow the warmer days and the sunshine make me want to crank up the music, sing and dance. One of mine and Paula’s favorite things to do is to sing in the car. One of the greatest movie scenes of all time occurs in “Wayne’s World” when Wayne, Garth and the crew are driving down the road and offer a stirring rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  Part of what makes this scene so hilarious, is that so many of us have done the exact same thing. Whether alone or with friends, there is great joy to be found in singing your heart out — and perhaps even playing a little air guitar — while inhabiting a motor vehicle. Some of life’s greatest memories involve unashamedly singing your favorite song at the top of your lungs with your best friends while sitting in traffic. Who cares if people can see and hear you? I am not sure if anyone recently saw Paula and I singing and dancing (yes, in the car) to Chubby Checker’s 1960’s “Let’s Do the Twist.” It is amazing to reflect on the impact this song had along with “American Bandstand” with Dick Clark  had on American culture and the influence it had in changing music (and how we dance) forever.

The culinary world has cool tools that “twist” to help you with ease and movement in your day-to-day work. As we go through our kitchens, it is amazing to identify the tools that can “twist” and turn.  One tool that has become a favorite is the Zyliss Spiralizer.  This is a tool that can help to create perfect ribbons and spirals of your favorite veggies. Simply insert the vegetable into the top and twist the handle down while applying pressure from the sides. The process will keep your hands and fingers safe from the blades. Both blades store in the bottom compartment for easy space in the drawer. Product comes with a 5-year guarantee and is dishwasher safe. At Compliments to the Chef, we also have a cool tool called “Easi-twist” jar opener that fits a variety of sizes of jars and makes quick work out of breaking seals. The soft rubber inner lining grips lids securely along with having an ergonomic handle.  

Here is quick and delicious dish to make with a vegetable spiralizer:

Zucchini Noodle and Lemon Ricotta

Serves: serves 2 with extra sauce

Ingredients

- 2-3 large zucchini

- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half

- Olive oil, for drizzling

- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

- Hemp seeds and microgreens, for garnish (optional)

lemon-macadamia ricotta:

- ½ cup raw macadamia nuts, soaked at least 4 hours

- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked at least 4 hours

- ¼ cup hemp seeds

- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + ½ teaspoon zest

- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

- 1 Small garlic clove

- Handful of fresh herbs - basil, mint, oregano or tarragon

- ½ Teaspoon sea salt

- ¾ Cup water, more as needed

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse your macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds that have been soaking. Add them to a high speed blender with hemp seeds, lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine vinegar, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, and water. Add a little olive oil, if necessary, to get your blade moving.

2. Use a spiralizer to cut the zucchini into noodle-sized shapes.

3. Toss zucchini “noodles” with a few spoonfuls of the ricotta, the tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Serve with extra ricotta on the side.

4. Extra ricotta will keep in the fridge for about 1 day. If it gets a little watery on day 2, give it a stir until it’s cohesive again.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, Saratoga’s true Kitchen essentials store for tools that can help you with your culinary creations. Have fun twisting, shouting, and singing in your kitchens as you use cool tools for cooks. Remember, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Take care, John and Paula.

Read 2274 times Last modified on Friday, 21 April 2017 10:10