vegi 'pasta'

We have been trying to eat more vegis lately, so I have been experimenting with different recipes. One I like is for vegi pasta. There is no actual pasta in this recipe, just vegis that are cut to act as pasta. The original recipe was for zucchini, but I tried it with carrots too and found that is also good.

To start, you put a bit of oil in a pan and saute some onion and mushroom. The first time I made this, I also put in garlic, and that was pretty awesome. This time, I added celery, which was good, but not as good. The mushroom is cut up pretty small so it cooks fast and is less recognizable (as not everyone likes mushrooms). I also add salt and black pepper to the saute (since I like to give my spices some time in the oil to release their full flavor).

While the onion et al are sauteing (or even beforehand), you need to cut your vegi noodles with a vegi peeler. Just cut the vegi into long thin strips (like you are peeling, but continue after the peel is gone). For zucchini, use the peel and the main flesh, discarding the seeds. For carrots, keep turning the carrot, getting as many noodles off each carrot as possible. (Zucchini may need to be dabbed dry with a towel, since they let off a lot of moisture.)

Once the sauteing vegis are looking just about ready (for me, this is brown on the edges), add the vegi noodles. Toss the noodles with the bits of sauted vegis and oil. The noodles will cook in just a minute or two, since they are so thin. Keep turning them to keep distributing the oil, onions, and mushrooms. To finish, add a dash or two of lemon juice and cut the heat.

Here are the results from tonight: carrot and zucchini noodles.