I bought a spiralizer a while back, and didn’t quite get the point of it. Using zucchini for noodles didn’t quite turn out the way everyone else’s does. I thought they were a little on the watery side, and if you happened to pick a bitter one, it really ruins the dish. Eggplant didn’t quite spiralize like I thought either. And let’s face it, nothing is going to fool you into thinking you are eating pasta. Why not just cut the carbs out completely and make a make an interesting veggie side dish?
But I decided to give it another go, and tonight we had Mexican “rice” with chicken. This wasn’t bad! First, you spiralize two sweet potatoes:
Chop through the spirals until you have something resembling rice. In a saute pan, heat up a little olive oil over medium high heat, add some garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and lime juice and saute for about a minute to bring out the flavors of the spices. Add the “rice” and about half a cup of chicken broth. Stir occasionally, cooking for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft. Add a drained can of corn and a drained can of pinto beans, heat through and serve.
This really went well with Mexican chicken tenderloins. In a frying pan, heat about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of chili sauce. Add the same spices above (garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and lime juice) and stir to combine. Add the tenderloins, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn them over, and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove the tenderloins to a plate, and let the sauce simmer uncovered until thickened, then pour over the chicken.
Next up, I think I’ll use the same technique for an Italian “rice” dinner with perhaps some artichoke hearts, olives, sun dried tomatoes and a sprinkling of feta. The chicken might be done with a balsamic reduction. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
candysplanet 