Summer is over and mango season is long gone. But the sugar-saturated king of fruits has left its mark: the shirt that fit loosely before is suddenly a snug fit and that favourite pair of pants is just not as flattering as it used to be. Those rolls around the waist have become more visible and no amount of holding in your breath will give the illusion of a flat stomach.

What’s the solution? Hit the gym? Getting regular exercise is an obvious and much needed first step. However, it must go hand-in-hand with a committed change in eating habits. Common wisdom recommends that “cheeni, chawal, and chapatti” (sugar, rice and bread) be cut out to allow for serious weight loss, and in this case at least common wisdom is right — unfortunately. Sugar is just empty calories, rice is an empty mound of starch and most bread and pasta that we consume is made with refined wheat flour, which is basically white flour with zero nutrients.

Now you’re probably thinking of raw vegetables and endless salad, accompanied by broiled chicken and thin, bhagaar-less boiled daal — but those are not the only available choices. Many flavourful, filling and guilt-free dishes can be prepared with the tasty, healthy alternative to starch and carbohydrates: spiralised vegetables or voodles as they are more lovingly known.

Spiralising your veggies is the perfect way to get your pasta or noodle fix without boosting your calorie count

The spiraliser is fast becoming a must-have gadget in many kitchens. What it does is transform vegetables into thin, spirals or rings that closely resemble noodles or spaghetti. Think of the spiraliser as a pasta maker, only it is for vegetables and much easier to use because there is no dough to prepare in advance. Just wash the vegetable, slice off the ends, and place in the assigned slot of the gadget. Then push it towards the blade while rotating the crank, and out comes tempting vegetable spirals that can be turned into an endless array of main courses. Everything from stir-fry, pad Thai and lasagne, to Chinese noodles, spaghetti, Fettucine Alfredo, stews, soups, and so many kinds of salads. Just replace the wheat or flour part of the meal with a vegetable.

Carrots, cucumbers, radish (mooli), sweet potato, beets, zucchini (turrai technically, though lauki works even better), even pumpkin (kaddu) — spiralised after being cut into manageable pieces — makes a delicious, low-carb, high-nutrition alternative. Remember to remove as many seeds as possible to avoid jamming up the spiraliser.

Why spiralise? Because it yields far more from a vegetable then conventional chopping, dicing, or slicing. Slice one medium-sized potato and it will adequately feed one person, but spiralise that same potato and you will have enough ‘noodles’ for two. That means more filling and less carbs, which is the ideal outcome. Even without a machine you can get started by using a sharp knife to cut vegetables in thin, long straws i.e. julienned. Or else use a vegetable peeler to create thin ribbons of vegetables which may be used in the same way as flat noodles.

Another benefit of cooking with vegetable pasta is the incredible cutback in cooking time. Zoodles (zuccini noodles) take one to two minutes to cook, while spiralised sweet potatoes are done in four to five minutes. Never cook ‘voodles’ all the way though, otherwise you will be left with a watery lump. Embrace the crunch, enjoy the delicious, natural flavours, and reap the health benefits of increased dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals in your everyday meals.

Sweet Potato Noodles with Chicken

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and spiralised
1 boneless chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to drizzle
1 clove large garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the chicken on a baking tray. Drizzle well with olive oil and massage into chicken skin. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. When the chicken is done, cut into strips and set aside.

Place a large pan on medium heat. Add in one tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil heats up, add in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds and then add in the red onion. Cook the onion for two minutes, add tomatoes, oregano and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and add in the sweet potato noodles. Toss everything to combine and place a lid on the skillet. Cook for three minutes, uncover and toss the noodles and then cook for an additional five minutes or until the sweet potato noodles have reached your desired doneness.

When the noodles are done, uncover and add the chicken. Toss to combine and pour in two bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!

Chicken Zoodle Soup

Ingredients

1 pound cooked chicken, cut into pieces
3 cups spiralised zucchini
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced green pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, green pepper and garlic in hot oil for about five minutes, or until just tender. Pour chicken broth into the pot; add carrots, chicken, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer the mixture until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Soup is ready to serve.

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 24th, 2017