Zoodles-N-Noodles with Slivered Garlic, Roasted Red Peppers and Ricotta

While this Zoodles-N-Noodles with Slivered Garlic, Roasted Red Peppers and Ricotta won't win any awards for fancy food styling, it did make a very good lunch. And if you want to make it a heartier meal, I could see adding chicken, sausage or cannellini beans. And maybe even bacon, yep, bacon would be very good:@) My inspiration was seeing a leftover jar of peppers in the fridge, this was a very tasty and colorful meal folks.

Keep zoodles in mind as zucchini plants everywhere are beginning to over produce, it's a fun way to use up extras. You don't need a big expensive spiralizer, mine was $2.88 at Walmart and I've been having fun with it. Tip: If hand washing, an old toothbrush works like a charm.

Zoodles-N-Nooles with Slivered Garlic, Roasted Red Peppers and Ricotta
For each person/serving:
Spaghetti for one (about a quarter sized handful of dry), cooked and drained
Olive oil, a couple tsp
One clove garlic, sliced thin
Small zucchini or half of a medium sized one, spiralized
About a half of a roasted red pepper (or more if desired), drained and sliced into strips
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 C Ricotta
S&P to taste

1. Cook spaghetti per package directions, drain but reserve some of the cooking water.
2. Over medium heat add olive oil and garlic to skillet, cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly.
3. Add zoodles, peppers, Italian Seasoning, pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook for a couple minutes or until zucchini is heated through. 
4. Add Ricotta and stir until it melts. Add a little of the pasta cooking water if needed to loosen the cheese (I did not need it).
5. Add spaghetti to pan, heat through and serve immediately.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Full Plate Thursday

Aglio e Olio Zoodles -N- Noodles (Garlic and Olive Oil Zucchini Noodles with Pasta)

Walmart had hand held spiral slicers for $2.88 so I finally decided to give one a try. While zucchini noodles are a great way to cut back on carbs and a fun way to add veggies to a meal I knew that I'd have to mix them with some spaghetti to be happy-and I'm glad I did:@) I chose a basic Aglio e Olio but wanted to mention that zoodles can be treated like any pasta and would be good with spaghetti sauce too.

I added the garlic to a cold pan with some olive oil and crushed red pepper, then cooked it as low and slow as I could. Some times I cook the garlic to a deep golden color, I kept this batch kinda light. My zoodles were added to the pan and simply warmed through, I wanted them to still have some bite. If you want them softer you can add them to the pasta pot when it only has about a minute left to cook.

 This inexpensive spiralizer worked fine for a nice soft veggie like zucchini.

Aglio e Olio Zoodles -N- Noodles for One
2 tsp olive oil
shake of crushed red pepper flakes
3 small/medium cloves garlic, sliced-I had a cold and went heavy on the garlic:@)
handful of zucchini noodles
S&P to taste
handful of spaghetti, cooked and drained
~Gently cook the garlic and crushed pepper in olive oil until it gets translucent and very fragrant.
~Add zucchini noodles and a hearty pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until zoodles are heated through.
~Add spaghetti and heat through.

Possible Additions:
parsley
lemon zest
Parmesan cheese
pickled peppers
fresh spinach

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Pepperoni Pizza Zoodles

Wow, I enjoyed this one folks! I'm pleased to report that my planter has been producing zucchini:@) Pepperoni Pizza Zoodles is a great summer meal that comes together in no time. Zoodles love soaking up the flavor of onion and garlic, really do have a nice al dente bite and are fun to eat. Add in anything you like on pizza, I kept mine pretty simple, just pepperoni and cheese.

And if you have room in your diet for some carbs, go ahead and make this a Zoodles-N-Noodles dish. 

I just didn't want to heat up the kitchen with boiling water this time.

The sauce I used, no sugar, 40 calories per 1/4 C and very tasty! 

Pepperoni Pizza Zoodles

No real recipe, for each serving:

drizzle of olive oil

a little onion, sliced

a clove of garlic, minced

a big hearty handful of spiralized or Julianned zucchini

pinch of S&P

slices of pepperoni, as much as you'd like:@)

a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese

a couple spoonfuls of your favorite pizza sauce

a sprinkle of Parmesean cheese

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add zucchini and salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes to heat through but don't let it get mushy. Toss the pepperoni into the pan during the last minute or so.
2. Pour into pasta bowl, sprinkle on mozz, top with sauce and sprinkle on parm.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Foodie Friday

Quick Pickled Zoodles or Zucchini Ribbons (Pickled Summer Squash Salad)

The operative word here is ~quick~ and this is about as basic as a pickle can get folks... I had one lonely yellow squash in the fridge and decided to try these Quick Pickled Zoodles or Zucchini Ribbons. I opted for the thick spiral blade to try to hurry things along even more, and yes, they were ready in 15 minutes! You can let them go a bit longer but aim for up to 30-45 minutes maximum to maintain crunchiness. These pickles are white vinegar puckery, cool and refreshing, and make a very nice summer side dish. Especially if we have extra squash to use up:@) Tuck this idea away if you're a pickle lover, I think you'll enjoy it. I surprised myself and kept going back to the bowl for another bite... Low carb lifestyle? Simply use a sugar substitute.

  And you don't need to spiralize them, cutting thin coins would work too. 

But spiralizing is fun and all the cool kids are doing it:@)

One note: Zoodles can be very long...

You might want to give the pile a quick cut in half or quarters.

Depending on your crew, this could be a pickle condiment or a pickled salad side dish...

I have one son that would pile this onto his plate like mashed potatoes:@)

*I had a 7" squash, I made 1/4 recipe of brine, which would have easily been enough for 2 squash.

Quick Pickled Zoodles or Zucchini Ribbons-from Food Pleasure and Health
4-6 small zucchini or yellow summer squash spiralized or cut into very thin coins
2 C white vinegar
2 C water
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp salt

1. Dissolve sugar and salt in vinegar and water.
2. Add squash, cover and marinate 15-45 minutes, stirring or shaking often. 
3. Truthfully, I used Lock-N-Lock, tossed everything into it, closed the lid and just kept shaking and flipping the bowl upside down.

Let's enjoy those summer veggies and have a happy day:@)

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Hot Seared, Dry Non-Stick Skillet Summer Squash Zoodles & New Garden Bed

It seems to me that the zoodle craze has died down a bit, but they can still be fun... I had one little yellow squash from my mystery plant, used a mini hand-held zoodler and made these Hot Seared, Dry Non-Stick Skillet Summer Squash Zoodles. You can use zucchini or a couple different types of summer squash. The idea here is to be patient and let the ~hot~ skillet sear the zoodles a bit before you turn or stir them, and yes, it might even smell a little like burning pumpkin! Let your non-stick, and the non-stick is key or they'll just super glue themselves to the pan, get as hot as it can without harming it.  These only took about 5 minutes to cook. Then I simply added a little butter and S&P before dinner. Gotta love summer veggies folks:@)

After much thought about the back beds, I did decide I wanted everything to be compact and have access to the raised beds from the patio. I lucked into one last set for more than 50% off and got it in place last weekend. (Planters a little jumbled as I worked...)

This bed will get sun from 11AM/noon until it goes down at night. We will find out how well it does next spring:@) As soon as the plants fade in the back beds I'll move the dirt, and this little project will be complete. I'm happy with the way things look, and think this set-up will work well for me.

Seared Skillet Summer Squash Zoodles

1. Zoodle your squash and/or zukes.
2. Drop into very hot non-stick pan. Spread out to make as thin a layer as possible. Let sit, once it begins to brown on the bottom, flip or stir to cook the other side.
3. Serve with butter, S&P.

Enjoy the last garden goodies

 of the season and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Creamy Zoodles-N-Noodles with 'Shrooms (Zucchini Noodles, Pasta and Mushrooms)

These Creamy Zoodles-N-Noodles with 'Shrooms can be as fancy or as simple as you'd like. If you're a mushroom connoisseur, then by all means saute fresh mushrooms and make a white sauce. If you're... like me, you'll open a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup:@) Either way you'll have a tasty side dish that's perked up with garlic and thyme. Oh, and some bacon fat, did I mention bacon fat?

Comfort food-so easy and good folks!

The little $2.88 spiralizer from Walmart I've been using...

Zoodles-N-Noodles and 'Shrooms
Spaghetti for four people, cooked, reserve 1/2 C pasta water
8"-ish zucchini, spiralized
1 Tblsp bacon fat-olive oil would be fine
heaping 1/4 C small diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
hearty pinch of dry thyme
10 oz can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
S&P to taste

1. While spaghetti cooks, saute onion in bacon fat for about five minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for one minute more.
2. Add zucchini to skillet and saute for a couple minutes. 
3. Stir in soup, adding pasta water as needed to help thin out.
4. Add drained pasta and toss to coat. 
5. Add S&P to taste.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Foodie Friday

Lemon Parmesan Zoodles-N-Noodles (Zucchini Noodles and Pasta)

While it's true I get more emails from Williams-Sonoma than anywhere else in cyberspace, I do still look forward to flipping through their catalog when it comes in the mail:@) My favorite things to look for are the recipes and this Lemon Parmesan Zoodles-N-Noodles is a variation of one I found recently. We seem to be on a serious lemon kick here at Pig In Mud... I say grill up some easy Lemony Italian Chicken soon and call this dinner!

This recipe is easily scaled down if you're cooking for one or two people and that's what I've written below, you can click the link for the W-S full version and their directions. I found an interesting idea for measuring spaghetti by servings HERE. Basically for every adult you want a quarter size amount of dry spaghetti, two times that for a very hearty eater. ~100 years ago~ I bought a packaged deal at the supermarket, two boxes of spaghetti came with a free Tupperware Spaghetti Dispenser, so that's how I measure my portions.

This is the spiralizer I've been using, it was $2.88 at Walmart.

Lemon Parmesan Zoodles-N-Noodles-adapted from Williams-Sonoma
For each serving:
spaghetti, approx quarter sized amount of dry
2 Tblsp olive oil-I cut back on this
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small (5-6") zucchini, spiralized or sliced into match sticks
1 Tblsp parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tblsp dry breadcrumbs
1/8 large lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tblsp fresh parsley, minced
S&P to taste
crushed red pepper to taste

1. While cooking spaghetti to your desired doneness:
2. Saute garlic in olive oil for a minute or two. Add zucchini and saute for another minute or two. (I like my zucchini to still have some bite. If you want it softer add it to the boiling pasta the last minute or two it cooks.)
3. Add drained spaghetti, parm, breadcrumbs, lemon and parsley, toss well to coat everything. 
4. Add salt and pepper and crushed red pepper to taste. (I did add a couple shakes of crushed pepper to the olive oil while cooking the garlic instead of at the end.)

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Full Plate Thursday
Foodie Friday

Zoodle Scampi (Summer Squash, Garlic, Olive Oil and Butter)

I really don't eat much seafood folks, but I ~do love~ olive oil, butter and garlic:@) So when my son brought me some beautiful yellow squash from his garden I thought I'd try a simple Zoodle Scampi. Oh boy, that was a good idea! Is there someone in your life that says he doesn't care for zucchini? This scampi might just change his mind, it has a ton of flavor and cooks up in no time. This would be perfect with grilled or rotisserie chicken, but I grabbed a fork and called it a light vegetarian lunch. Tip: When I want garlic to be a primary flavor I like to use my garlic press.

Zoodles are great for low carb, but if there's room in your diet for some pasta too, 

go ahead and make this a Zoodle-N-Noodle side dish:@)

Zoodle Scampi
For each 6-7"-ish crook neck squash or zucchini, zoodled:
onion, a few very thin slices
drizzle of olive oil-maybe 2 tsp
pat of butter-maybe 2 tsp
garlic, a large clove-either minced or pressed-I used my garlic press
a couple shakes of crushed red pepper
S&P to taste
fresh parsley for garnish

1. Heat olive oil and butter in skillet, add onion and cook slowly until translucent.
2. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, cook for a minute.
3. Add zoodles and a hearty pinch of S&P.
4. Cook until desired level of doneness. I like my squash to still have some bite so I only cook it for a couple minutes. 
5. If you feel it needs a little more butter when done... um, add it:@)
6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Spicy Tomato Sauce with Pancetta!

Hey everyone! Today I'm participating in Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet's Great Cooking Magazine Challenge with a recipe from the Martha Stewart Living April 2010 issue. I'm also joining Masterpiece Monday, Bacon Monday and Foodie Friday.

Spicy Tomato Sauce with Pancetta

This is a simple six ingredient recipe with the only non-pantry item being the pancetta. 

Apparently, we're a bunch of bumpkins here North of Philly and our tastes are not sophisticated enough for local supermarkets to carry pancetta... so I had to sub bacon, see notes below.

This is very good, and I highly recommend it.

Hope you love it if you try it!

Spicy Tomato Sauce with Pancetta
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta or guanciale, sliced 1/8" thick and cut into 1/4" wide strips
1 small red onion (I used yellow)
1/2 tsp crushed red-pepper flakes
1 can (28 ounces) peeled plum tomatoes with juice, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1. Heat oil in heavy medium pan over medium heat. Cook pancetta, stirring often, until golden and fat has rendered, about 8 minutes.
2. Add onion and red pepper flakes, and cook stirring occasionally until tender, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Stir in the chopped tomatoes with juice and add salt. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally until sauce is thick, about 25 minutes. 
4. Serve with pasta and garnish with Pecorino Romano cheese. Your Momma would be happy if you served a salad too:@)
5. Can be frozen for 1 month.

Notes:

• They say you can sub bacon if you boil it for 2 minutes to remove some of the smoky flavor, that 's what I did.
• I did drain all but about a tsp or two of the fat once the bacon had cooked down.
• I cut the tomatoes in half then took a hand held potato masher to them.
• Acknowledging that everyone's tolerance for heat is different, would I personally call this "spicy" as in hot, no. It does leave a warmth after you eat it though. 
• I had to simmer it quite a bit longer than 25 minutes for it to reduce enough.
• This would be great as a Zoodles-N-Noodles dish.

The hardest part of this recipe was not being able to eat it until I took the pics... 

Oh the things I do for you guys-enjoy:@)