Today’s recipe is provided by Brittany Mullins from the inspirationally healthy site, Eating Bird Food.

I love salads like these – just spiralize and chop a bunch of veggies, toss them together with an easy vinaigrette, and eat!

While I’ve never met Brittany in person (yet! I hope to some day!), I love keeping in touch with her online. She’s so kind, friendly, and always encouraging me and Inspiralized.

Brittany is a health coach and founder of the site eatingbirdfood.com where she shares recipes, workouts, wellness articles, travel adventures and more. She focuses on living a balanced life through healthy habits over dieting and rather than promoting a specific diet, she strives to share real-food, plant-focused meals that are not only nutritious, but also delicious and satisfying.

From Brittany:

Salads are one of my all-time favorite foods and the easiest way to pack a ton of fresh veggies, lean protein, smart carbs and healthy fats into a bowl and make a meal out of it.

I have at least one salad a day and it’s a habit I strongly recommend to anyone looking to eat healthier. Team #saladeveryday.

We have a local Vietnamese restaurant that makes a crunchy, fresh salad topped with grilled shrimp that I just love. This particular salad inspired me to get creative in the kitchen and come up with a recipe that’s similar, but with shredded chicken.

Although there’s no actual lettuce involved, this salad is loaded with crunchy veggies, a good source of lean protein and tons of flavor.

The best part? All the vegetables you need for this salad can be spiralized, even the cabbage! I hadn’t spiralized cabbage before making this recipe and was shocked by the perfect cabbage shreds that it creates. No food processor necessary!

Connect with Brittany:

• Her blog, Eating Bird Food
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Note: Hi, it’s Ali! I’m currently taking time off the blog for a maternity leave. During this time, I will be featuring some of the bloggers who have inspired me – they’ve provided spiralized recipes for all of you to enjoy during my absence. I’m honored to introduce them to you if you don’t know them already – and I hope you enjoy this new series!

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or anything Inspiralized related, you can feel free to leave a comment and Meaghan, our Director of Community & Brand will get back to you! You can also reach her via e-mail – she will escalate anything urgent to me, but as I said, I will be preparing for my little one’s arrival and then, of course, enjoying time with him and my husband. You can follow me on Instagram for personal updates – on @inspiralizedali and @inspiralized. Thank you for your understanding and patience as I begin this exciting new chapter of my life!

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Spiralized Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 medium cabbage Blade C
• 1 medium daikon radish peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 1 medium cucumber Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 2 carrots peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped basil
• 1 small jalapeño finely chopped
• 2 green onions chopped
• sesame seeds or crushed peanuts for topping
• Vietnamese Dressing
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 ½ Tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 clove garlic minced

Instructions

• Combine cabbage, daikon, cucumber and carrot noodles, shredded chicken, cilantro, basil, jalapeno and green onions in a large bowl.
• Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl until coconut sugar has dissolved.
• Pour dressing over salad, toss to combine and let stand for 5 minutes before portioning onto plates for serving. Sprinkle each serving with sesame seeds and/or crushed peanuts. Garnish with additional cilantro, basil and green onions.

The post Spiralized Vietnamese Chicken Salad appeared first on Inspiralized.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

It’s been so great being home, after traveling for the past two weekends. Whenever I have a busy travel schedule and I’m not home on the weekends, I always feel disorganized and disheveled, even.

There’s just something nice about having your weekends to regroup, relax, and get ready for the next week.

On Friday, I went to bed at 9:15pm, I was so tired. I think the adrenaline 100% wore off from my HSN debut (did you see it? if not, you can rewatch here) and the exhaustion finally hit me.

Saturday I fit a workout in, went to brunch, did some more relaxing and napping, and then headed to my sister’s apartment building, where her and her fiance hosted an engagement party! My little sister got engaged over the holidays and they both were traveling so much, so this was the first weekend they had that they could do it.

Now, I’m here, listening to Lu sing as he cleans out the coffee maker. I’m having brunch with my friends and then I’m going to spend the day grocery shopping and getting ready for the week!

However you spend your Sunday, you MUST make these vegetarian meatballs. Whether you make them for these banh mi bowls or not, make the meatballs!

I’ve always loved banh mis (a Vietnamese sandwich), but my only gripe with them is that I’ve had too many banh mis that use such a big baguette, but not enough filling. Fillings are usually a protein (like pork belly or grilled meat), cilantro, pickled veggies, chili slices, and mayonnaise.

This deconstructed banh mi has all the great fillings of a banh mi, without the bread overload. The vegetarian meatballs aren’t traditional to a banh mi, but they go well with the pickled spiralized veggies.

If you don’t have time to make the vegetarian meatballs (although I recommend making them and saving the leftovers for other spiralized meals like spaghetti and meatballs), use whatever protein you’d like – grilled chicken, pork, etc.

The meatballs are egg-free and use rolled oats as the binding instead. I always use Bob’s Red Mill’s Organic Rolled Oats, they’re a great source of whole grain fiber and are proven to lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure.

Who knew you’d get all that, just from eating some veggie meatballs!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Note: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. However, all opinions are my own, always.

Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a carrot using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a daikon using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 8 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

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Spiralized Banh Mi Salad with Vegetarian Meatballs

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• For the pickled vegetables:
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 large English seedless cucumber
• 1 medium daikon peeled, Blade D, noodles trimmed
• 1 large carrot peeled, Blade D, noodles trimmed
• For the meatballs:
• ½ cup dried brown lentils rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 ounces white mushrooms trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ cup rolled oats I use Bob’s Red Mill
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• salt and pepper
• For the salad:
• 8 cups chopped bibb lettuce
• For the dressing:
• ½ cup coconut cream or Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce or sriracha
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt. Set aside. Spiralize the cucumber on Blade A, using light pressure to make a thinner ribbon noodle. Place the daikon, carrot, and cucumber in the large bowl and toss well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator, tossing every 20 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine the lentils, bay leaf, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, slightly overcooking the lentils. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Transfer the lentils to a food processor, add the mushrooms, and pulse until roughly chopped.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the lentil-mushroom mixture and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, oats, basil, oregano, dried parsley, and rosemary. Cook until the liquid has been completely absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Using your hands, form the mixture into about twelve 1.5 inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart. Bake for 40 minutes or until browned and are firm.
• While meatballs cook, prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, chipotle sauce, and lime juice. Set aside.
• When meatballs are ready, remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the salads. Per salad, place down two cups of Bibb lettuce as a base. Top with pickled vegetables (make sure to drain the vegetables first) and cilantro. Add the vegetarian meatballs and drizzle with the prepared sauce.

Notes

Per serving (1 out of 4) - Calories: 265, Fat: 9g, Saturday Fat: 1g, Carbs: 37g, Fiber: 13g, Sugars: 9g, Protein: 13g, Sodium: 345mg

The post Spiralized Banh Mi Salad with Vegetarian Meatballs appeared first on Inspiralized.

I used to loooooove Cup Noodles. Just this image brings me back to my childhood, when my mother used to stock the pantry with some, almost like a treat.

Cup Noodles were so salty and filling, but pretty much has the same nutritional value as its styrofoam container.

Today, we’re making a much, much healthier version using spiralized veggies!

I’ve created two different versions – one vegan and one vegetarian (with a hard boiled egg!) Both are jam-packed with veggies and are meant to be made the day or night before and enjoyed the next day – the perfect work lunch.

The key is this: spread out the base (the paste – here, I used curry paste and miso paste) on the bottom of the mason jar and then top with veggies.

When you go to eat, just pour boiling water on top, stir up the paste well, let steep for a couple of minutes and enjoy! If you have one of those mini soy sauce packets that come from Asian takeout, squeeze half of one in as well for an extra shot of umami flavor.

The contents of these can be whatever you’d like, but I’m giving you two ideas:

Spiralized Daikon Miso Noodles with Tofu

Spiralized Carrot and Zucchini Curry Noodles

However you enjoy yours, you’ll be amazed at how easy these are to put together and how fun they are to have as lunches (or dinners!)

Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a carrot and zucchini using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

PLEASE NOTE: Currently, I am celebrating my one year wedding anniversary with my husband, in Southeast Asia. Thus, I am not checking blog comments and messages. If you do leave a comment, Meaghan, our Brand & Community Manager is here to respond and help with any questions. You can always e-mail her if you need anything while I’m gone. I return July 4th weekend, and will respond to everything that week when I’m back in the office. Thank you for your patience and understanding as I enjoy this time with my husband! 

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Spiralized Carrot and Zucchini Curry Noodles

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 4 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

Ingredients

1 large carrot, peeled
1 medium zucchini
4 teaspoons red curry paste
¼ cup sliced scallions
2 large pinches cilantro (about 2 packed tablespoons)
2 hard boiled eggs, halved
2 lime wedges

Directions

Spiralize the zucchini and carrot with Blade D. While spiralizing, apply light pressure to yield thinner noodles, something between a spaghetti and an angelhair pasta. When finished, trim the noodles with kitchen shears.

Build your cup: spread the curry paste out on the bottom of the mason jar. Top with scallions and cilantro. Top with spiralized veggies. Top with 1 egg per jar and then add a lime wedge on top and seal.

Refrigerate for up to 2 days for optimal freshness. When ready to serve, remove the lime wedge and egg and then fill with boiling water. Using a large spoon, mix the paste on the bottom so it combines well. Seal and let steep for 2-3 minutes and then uncover, squeeze over with lime wedge, top with eggs, and enjoy.

Spiralized Daikon Miso Noodles with Tofu

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 4 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

Ingredients

1 daikon radish, peeled
4 teaspoons miso paste
2 teaspoons chili paste (like Sriracha)
½ cup cubed tofu (drained and patted dry)
¼ cup sliced scallions
½ cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 bunch baby bok choy chopped with ends trimmed

Directions

Spiralize the daikon with Blade D. While spiralizing, apply light pressure to yield thinner noodles, something between a spaghetti and an angel hair pasta. When finished, trim the noodles with kitchen shears.

Build your cup: spread the miso and chili paste out on the bottom of the mason jar. Top with tofu, scallions, mushrooms, and bok choy. Top with spiralized veggies.

Refrigerate for up to 2 days for optimal freshness. When ready to serve, remove the top and then fill with boiling water. Using a large spoon, mix the paste on the bottom so it combines well. Seal and let steep for 2-3 minutes before enjoying.

The post Instant Cup of Noodles with Spiralized Vegetables appeared first on Inspiralized.

Happy blogiversary to Inspiralized!!

Three years ago today, I started the Inspiralized blog!

Well, technically, three years + one day ago I started Inspiralized, because the night before was the day I registered the domain (I was too excited!). So if we’re being technical….

Can you believe it? For those of you who have been following me since the beginning, I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey as much as I have! There have definitely been ups and downs, but the ups have certainly outweighed the downs – and for that, I’m grateful!

This little blog has grown into a full blown business, but it’s even more than that – it’s helped me find my healthiest self and embrace body positivity. It’s helped me find out who I truly am, the kind of woman I want to be, and how I want to impact the world. Everyday I feel blessed to be able to bring my healthy recipes to all of you, and I’ll never take that for granted.

Always on my blogiversary, I think about those two days (June 25, 2013 – I quit my job and June 26, 2013 – I started my blog.) I feel like it was just yesterday, truly! If you don’t know my story, you can read it here, but I figured I’d touch upon it briefly.

On June 25, 2013, I wasn’t expecting to quit my job. I had been trying to build up the guts to do it for weeks, but I just couldn’t. It was a comfortable job with a good salary and a five minute commute from my apartment. How can you beat that?!

Basically, that day, I went into my boss’s office and told him that I wanted to pursue this Inspiralized dream. Originally, I suggested I work part-time for his company and part-time on Inspiralized. He basically laughed in my face, told me that “you can’t make money on cookbooks” and tried to convince me that I’d be making a foolish, life-ruining mistake. He was a real jerk and I left his office, blood pumping, heart pounding. I was on the brink of tears.

I called Lu and I exclaimed, “I just want to quit! I think today is the day.” Lu’s a pretty practical guy, so he told me something along the lines of, “If you think it’s time, baby, then I’ll support you – go do it. Just make sure you’re ready.”

I was ready.

I walked into the CFO’s office (my boss had already left for the day), burst into tears, and quit. I wasn’t a cute crying (I’ve seen girls do that on TV, I don’t know how they do it), I was sobbing, practically dry heaving. The CFO was kind and told me to pursue it – and that he could tell I was really passionate about this idea. That calmed my nerves, and I walked to my desk, cleaned up, and walked out of corporate America that day (June 25, 2013.)

I called my mom, immediately, to let her know. Then that night, I waited patiently for Lu to come home, hugged the heck out of him, and was so excited to start building Inspiralized, that I went ahead and purchased Inspiralized.com (I had the name in my mind for a while after I word vomited it one night during a spiralized dinner.)

Honestly, there was no better feeling that night. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was reborn or something. It was so empowering, exciting, scary, and uplifting. I felt like I could burst!

That next morning, I walked with Lu to the PATH (he takes the PATH everyday into Manhattan where his office is) and on the way, there’s a Starbucks and I stopped in there, with my laptop and…. a dream.

I opened my laptop and I can’t even put those feelings into words. I bought a coffee, logged into their WiFi, and literally made a bullet list of what I needed to do that day. I started my building my social media channels and of course, my first blog post.

THE REST IS HISTORY!

And as for today’s recipe, I think it speaks for itself. It was inspired by a Rachael Ray and Skinnytaste recipe, but modified to suit my cooking and ingredient preferences, as well as #inspiralized! The meat is all kinds of savory and salty, and the cucumbers compliment the spiciness of the gochujang paste, a trending Korean condiment. Speaking of gochujang, this is the paste I used.

Overall, a slam dunk meal for Korean food lovers and meat lovers. If you’re vegetarian, you can use crumbled tofu or seitan!

That’s it – and as you know, I’m currently celebrating my blogiversary in Thailand – right now, we’re in southern Thailand! Make sure to follow along on Instagram.

Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a cucumber using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

PLEASE NOTE: Currently, I am celebrating my one year wedding anniversary with my husband, in Southeast Asia. Thus, I am not checking blog comments and messages. If you do leave a comment, Meaghan, our Brand & Community Manager is here to respond and help with any questions. You can always e-mail her if you need anything while I’m gone. I return July 4th weekend, and will respond to everything that week when I’m back in the office. Thank you for your patience and understanding as I enjoy this time with my husband! 

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 7 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

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Korean Beef Rice Bowls with Spiralized Cucumbers and Daikon Rice

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• For the beef:
• 1 pound ground beef lean
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 3-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• For the bowls:
• 2 daikon radishes peeled, Blade D, noodles trimmed
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil room temperature
• 4 scallions diced, white and green parts divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons gochujang sauce or more if desired
• sesame seeds to garnish (about 1/2 tablespoon)
• 1 English seedless cucumber Blade D, noodles trimmed

Instructions

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Once skillet is hot, spray with cooking spray and add the ground meat. Breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, cook the meat until cooked through and browned, 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic, onion, and ginger and season with salt and pepper, cooking for 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes to the skillet and stir well to combine. Cover the skillet and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes to let the flavors develop.
• Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Place the daikon noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like. Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add in the coconut oil. Once oil melts, add in the white parts of the scallions. Cook for 5 minutes or until scallions soften. Add in the daikon rice and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 minutes or so just to heat the rice through and soften to your preference.
• Divide the rice into bowls. Top with the beef and place a dollop of the gochujang sauce (about 1/2 tablespoon/bowl). Garnish the beef with sesame seeds. Top with cucumber noodles and serve.

The post Korean Beef Rice Bowls with Spiralized Cucumbers and Daikon Rice appeared first on Inspiralized.

It’s my first non-vegan recipe in 31 days! Alas, our vegan month of March is over, and it’s back to an omnivorous Inspiralized blog.

Don’t fret, if you’re vegan, as you know, I often post vegan recipes. I’ll always lean more towards the veggie side than the meat side, so many of my recipes are vegan or easily modified to be vegan.

But for those of you who love meats and cheeses…. we’re back!

Real quick about this recipe: if you’ve never thick-sliced portobello mushroom caps and simmered them in a soup like this one, you haven’t lived. Okay, well maybe not that dramatic, but seriously – especially for my vegetarian friends, these mushroom slices are steak-like and so satisfying!

This ramen is made with daikon noodles which absorb every single flavor in the soup, so they’re the perfect noodle. They have a slight crunch, but you can cook them even longer to soften them up even more.

As for the broth, it’s simple – it’s flavored with garlic, ginger, and onions and then topped off with soy sauce for that salty, umami flavor. You don’t need much more than that – it’s kind of like my theory on olive oil, salt and pepper – it’s ALL you need. Seriously, so much flavor comes from allowing the ingredients (ie veggies) to speak for themselves, rather than smothering them in a sauce or thick condiments.

If you can’t find daikon, zucchini will work really well here. And if you’d like to thicken it up a bit more, add an extra egg and use potato noodles. You can also fully boil your egg, if you don’t like soft boiled.

Remember, it’s your food – make it like you like it!

Now, I wanted to talk briefly about my vegan month. Yes, this blog was vegan for the entire month of March. I was so excited to go vegan, because I had been toying around with the idea of going back to veganism (I was vegan for 2 years starting in 2008.) I was thinking about this, because I missed the guidelines. I missed being able to resists certain foods that wouldn’t make me feel good because I was “vegan.”

However, what I’ve realized is that now, later in my life, veganism just isn’t right for me. Now, before you vegans say, “Veganism is for everyone!” let me tell you that I’m living proof that veganism isn’t for everyone.

Why isn’t it for me anymore? Well, the issue for me with veganism, is that it forces me to restrict myself meaning, there are certain foods I “can’t” have. This isn’t a good mentality for me – it causes too much anxiety. It causes me to think way too much about what I’m going to eat and then, ultimately, I lose sight of what makes me happiest: food and cooking! I have to carefully plan out what I’m going to eat.

Along the same lines, it encourages that concept of “restriction” which to me, can lead to unhealthy eating habits and behaviors. For example, one night, I felt like I hadn’t had enough to eat that day (even though I probably ate near 1,800 calories that day that consisted of fruits and veggies, sweet potatoes, lentils, nuts, avocado, quinoa, cruciferous veggies, and whole grains) so I had to skip the gym – I just didn’t have enough energy and I felt consumed by my hunger. I ended up over-eating that night: almost a full tub of almond butter!

And yes, I know that, as time goes on, veganism becomes second nature (after all, I was once a vegan and I get it!).

Also, I’m constantly out for food events or occasions in New York City. I’m going to some of the most amazing restaurants in the world and I want to immerse myself in the experience. If I want to have wine with some dover sole, I shouldn’t have to overthink it. I love to taste the food of other chefs, it inspires me – and it’s something I enjoy and brings my happiness.

To be totally honest, I didn’t really feel much of a difference in my body on this vegan month. What I realized is that I eat vegan most of the time! There’s no need to get 100%, full-throttle vegan, when I can incorporate the principles of veganism into my balanced, omnivorous diet. Besides, everything that is NOT vegan isn’t “bad” for you, just like everything that IS vegan isn’t good for you. I mean, fried hush puppies are vegan but that doesn’t mean I’m going to eat them – I don’t like fried food and I don’t eat it.

I just hate having to refer to “bad” and “good” when I eat. I just want to eat mainly whole grains and veggies, lean proteins, and have birthday cake with my friends, and if I’m at an amazing Italian restaurant, order the sausage rigatoni. Ya know? I want to live, but feel my best – and I’m happy to have found that place of balance and moderation.

I will tell you this: after going vegan again, I’m going to solely purchase organic, farm-raised, antibiotic and hormone free meats. And I am going to be much more conscious of my dairy intake. It’s always been pretty low, but the sweets are what get me – and make me feel lethargic and bloated afterwards.

At this point in my life, veganism isn’t for me. HOWEVER, that’s not to say that later in my life, when I’m not running . Actually, the other day, Lu asked me, “When you’re pregnant, are you going to be vegan?” Ha… getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?

Who knows, but for now, I’m happy with my approach to healthy eating that works for me and nourishes my body.

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 7 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

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Spiralized Daikon Ramen with Portobello Mushrooms and Soft Boiled Egg

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 scallions diced, white and green parts separated
• 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
• 1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 large portobello mushroom caps ribs scooped out, sliced into 1/2” thick strips
• 1 medium daikon radish Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 3 cups chopped curly kale
• sesame seeds to garnish
• hot sauce to garnish

Instructions

• Place the egg in a small saucepot and cover with water. Cover the pot, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit (still covered) for 7 minutes. Then, rinse with cold water until able to be handled and peel. Slice in half.
• Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the oil. Once oil is shimmering, add the white scallions, ginger, onion and garlic to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until onions soften. Then, pour in the stock and soy sauce, cover and bring to the boil. Add the mushrooms, lower to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are softened. Then, add the daikon noodles and kale and let cook for 5-7 more minutes or until noodles are softened and kale wilts.
• Divide the soup into two bowls. Garnish with green scallions, sesame seeds and hot sauce. Top with half of the egg per bowl.

The post Spiralized Daikon Ramen with Portobello Mushrooms and Soft Boiled Egg appeared first on Inspiralized.

I’m excited to start your day off with some takeout fakeout.

That’s actually a pretty great name for a cookbook: take-out fake-out. There are just so many GREAT order-in dinners that aren’t very GREAT for your body.

Luckily, we’ve beat the system and know we can sub in spiralized alternatives. Right?

I posted up my first fried rice recipe, using sweet potato and every winter, I can’t get enough of it. It’s a total “takeout fakeout.” Fried rice is one of the most delicious indulgent foods out there, and I’m proud to admit that spiralized rice gets the job done and kills the craving.

This fried rice recipe is done using daikon, which is a mild Asian radish that’s easy to spiralize and absorbs flavors well, so it’s perfect for this purpose. However, if you can’t find daikon, I’d suggest turnip or kohlrabi.

I made this recipe with shredded chicken, because I had so much leftover from Sunday night’s dinner, that I needed to use it up. If you’re not a fan of shredded chicken, try cubed chicken, tofu, or even steak.

This recipe saves well in the refrigerator, so double it up and bring it to lunch and make your coworkers jealous.

And I’m starting a fun Instagram campaign and want you all to Inspiralize your selfies! Each week for the rest of November, I’ll be giving away a signed copy of the Inspiralized cookbook!

A photo posted by Kelsey Jacoby (@kelseyjacoby) on Oct 13, 2015 at 5:42pm PDT

How do you enter? Just post a picture like above and hashtag #inspiralizedselfie and tag @inspiralized! We can’t wait to see your pictures – get creative!

Now go make spiralized fried rice!

Mark Your Calendars – 15% off Inspiralizer sale, tomorrow!

In honor of our veterans, Inspiralized will be having a 15% off sale of the Inspiralizer for one-day only, tomorrow, Wednesday November 11th. To take advantage of this offer, enter code “VETERANS15” on checkout. Please note that this offer is not valid on the cookbook or the package deal (the cookbook + Inspiralizer.)

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Weight Watchers PointsPlus*:  8 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers PointsPlus® calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

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Shredded Chicken and Broccoli with Daikon Fried Rice

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• For the sauce:
• 2 scallions diced, white and green parts divided
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce Frank’s and Tessemae’s are great options
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• For the chicken and broccoli:
• 1.5 cups broccoli florets
• 3/4 cup shredded chicken breast*
• For the rice:
• 1 large daikon radish peeled, Blade C
• 2 teaspoons virgin coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon peeled and minced ginger
• 1 small garlic clove minced
• 1 large whole egg
• 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
• pepper to taste
• *To shred chicken: place 1/2 pound boneless chicken breast into a small saucepan and pour in enough water to cover. Place over medium heat bring to a boil, and simmer until the thickest part of the breast meat is no longer pink, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and then shred the chicken, using two forks.

Instructions

• Bring a medium pot filled halfway with water to a boil. Once boiling, add in the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes and then drain into a colander. Set aside and wipe down pot and reserve aside for use later in the recipe.
• Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small mixing bowl (using green parts of scallions only) and set aside.
• Place your daikon radish noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like bits. Place in a bowl near a sink. Place another bowl next to the bowl of rice. Take large handfuls of the rice and squeeze out the excess water into the sink and then place in the empty bowl. Repeat this until you've squeezed out the excess moisture in all of the rice. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, place in the coconut oil. Then, place in the garlic, ginger and white parts of the scallions. Let cook for 30 seconds and then add in the daikon rice. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently and then make a cavity in the center of the rice and crack in the egg. Scramble the egg and then once mostly scrambled, mix into the rice, soy sauce and season with pepper.
• While daikon rice is cooking, place the pot used to boil the broccoli over medium-high heat and add in the chicken, broccoli and sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and keep warm as daikon rice finishes cooking.
• Divide the daikon rice into bowls and top with chicken and broccoli. Serve immediately.

The post Shredded Chicken and Broccoli with Daikon Fried Rice appeared first on Inspiralized.

The Inspiralizer is on sale, today only – 10% off in celebration of Mother’s Day.

This past weekend, if you didn’t know from Instagram, I was in Miami with my bridesmaids at my bachelorette party!

Best part about the weekend? My mother came on the trip!

It was an absolute blast – we laid by the pool sipping cocktails, went out to fancy dinners and then out dancing. What’s better than that?

My mother was adorable – she was definitely the cherry on top of the trip! And she was out with us until the wee hours of the night, dancing!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip:

Speaking of Mother’s, today is a one-day flash sale for the Inspiralizer – it’s now $44.95, 10% off to celebrate all those amazing mothers out there.

Unfortunately, the Inspiralizer will not ship out in time to make it for Mother’s Day, but what I love to do is write a sentimental card, print out a picture of the Inspiralizer and stick it in the card and say, “It’s on its way!”

I always do that. I’m a last-minute gift buyer and I always order things online and they don’t come in time. But the gift receiver is always happy – it’s the thought that counts, and then when the gift comes – it’s a great surprise!

Click here to buy your mother an Inspiralizer for Mother’s Day!

Over the weekend, I also took over Williams Sonoma’s Instagram and shared some sneak peeks from the Inspiralized cookbook, which is carried at select stores and online on their website.

Alongside that, they also posted a few recipes from the book on their blog, Taste. One of them was the Chicken Banh Mi (with spiralized pickled vegetables.) I love this recipe because it’s fun to eat and creative – instead of a bun for the sandwich, I used a red bell pepper which is crunchy and refreshing!

Grab the recipe here on the Williams Sonoma blog. Picture courtesy of Evan Sung.

Have you ever had a bell pepper sandwich?

The post Mother’s Day Inspiralizer Sale + Chicken Banh Mi appeared first on Inspiralized.

This was the first recipe I cooked since the Inspiralized cookbook published! I mean, I haven’t cooked since Tuesday, February 24th.

Unless I’ve been on vacation, I’ve never gone a whole week without cooking.

I couldn’t have asked for a better “pub week,” I still feel like my adrenaline is rushing. I feel like I’ve just begun!

Actually, I have another exciting announcement to make. The cookbook, the Inspiralizer, now what?!

The blog will be shutting down at midnight today (EST) and “re-launching” around noon tomorrow (EST, again.)

I feel badly having to close down the website, especially at such an exciting time for Inspiralized, but it’s necessary.

Why?

WE’RE LAUNCHING A NEW WEBSITE!

Yes, on top of releasing a cookbook, launching my own spiralizer and planning my wedding, I’ve also been coordinating the launch of a new look for Inspiralized – a newly designed, better website.

Most importantly, along with this revamped website, we’re officially launching pre-orders for The Inspiralizer. If you haven’t joined the pre-order list, click here to do so and you’ll be emailed with limited-time promotional offers, just for being the first to sign up.

Again, just like last week, I feel like it’s Christmas Eve. I know you’re going to love the new look and I can’t wait to show it to you.

In the meantime, you’re going to love today’s recipe – it’s easy and quick, but jam-packed with healthy flavor. If you can’t find daikon noodles, you can substitute in zucchini noodles. However, be careful when serving the noodles – make sure to use pasta tongs to let the excess moisture drip out into the wok.

This dish is exponentially easier to make with a wok. I recommend this wok, because it’s affordable and effective!

I was looking through some old recipes from when I first started blogging, and I was inspired to recreate them, using the spiralizin’ skills I’ve learned over the past two years. For example, today’s lo-mein recipe was inspired by this lo-mein, a mere three weeks into starting Inspiralized.

This lo-mein is an easy dinner idea especially if you’re participating in the #30daysinspiralized challenge (I hope you are!) Also, these noodles store well – the daikon doesn’t release much excess moisture and holds the flavors well.

What do you think of revamping older Inspiralized recipes? Should I do this more often?

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Daikon Noodle Vegetable Lo-Mein

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -3

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha or similar Asian hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 4 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 3 scallions diced
• 1 red bell pepper sliced thinly (any color will do)
• 6 baby corns
• 1 small carrot julienned
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 large daikon radish peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 1 cup chopped baby bok choy
• 1/2 teaspoon white sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, hot sauce, sesame oil and honey. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat and add the garlic, mushrooms, and the white parts of the scallions. Cook for 30 seconds and then add in the peppers, baby corn and carrots. Cook for about a minute and then add in the dry sherry and cook for another minute.
• Add the sauce mixture, daikon noodles, remaining scallions and bok choy to the wok and cook for about 5 minutes or until daikon noodles are to your preference.
• Portion into bowls and garnish with sesame seeds.

The post Daikon Noodle Vegetable Lo-Mein appeared first on Inspiralized.

Apparently, the recipe for Chicken Pho that I posted back in December 2013 is missing. It appears that there was a technical error that deleted the recipe.

It’s a shame (and very alarming) that the recipe isn’t up anymore, because it was one of those “quick and easy” recipes that is spot-on with flavor.

Oh well. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, because now, I’m sharing a brand new and improved recipe for one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes: pho.

Actually, I have a killer recipe for a Shrimp Pho in my cookbook. Speaking of cookbook, have you preordered your copy yet?! Make sure if you do, you enter your purcahse information into this form – you’ll receive a bonus pack with 8 new recipes (4 from the book, 4 brand new not on the blog or the book) along with a month of weekly meal plans and shopping lists. Learn more here.

In that recipe headnote, I also make some corny jokes about the pronunciation of pho. Pho’s pronounced “fuh.” You know, like, “pho-gettaboutit.” Okay, I’ll stop. You’ll have to get the book and read the headnote!

What I love about these kinds of recipes (mainly Asian noodle bowls) is that they’re so easily personalized to meet your expectations and preferences.

For example, this insanely delicious bowl of chicken pho: you can really top it with whatever suits you. Don’t like mung bean sprouts? Take them out! Like a little spice? Add some sriracha or chili garlic sauce! Want more crunch? Add some julienned (or spiralized!) carrots.

And let’s talk about the drumsticks for a second. What is more fun than eating a bowl of healthy, delicious noodles while using your hands to eat a drumstick? How pho-n!

Many pho recipes involve toasting coriander seeds, using star anise and roasting the ginger and onions. This recipe, however, takes a shortcut on preparation but maximizes flavor!

Why daikon noodles? Daikon is easy to spiralize and is light in flavor, so when you cook it in the pho broth, it absorbs all the flavors and the daikon infuses with the umami flavors of this pho!

Have you tried making pho? What’s your favorite type?

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Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1 ” piece of peeled ginger minced
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 pound chicken breasts or thighs bone-in
• 2 chicken drumsticks
• 1 large daikon radish
• 1 bunch scallions about 6 stalks
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts

Instructions

• Place a large pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the onions and ginger. Let cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add in the water, broth and chicken and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• While chicken cooks, peel and spiralize the daikon radish. Also, dice the scallions. Also, thinly slice the jalapeno. Also, quarter the lime.
• Remove the chicken and drumsticks and discard the skin from the chicken breasts and drumsticks and shred the chicken from the breast. Leave the drumstick intact. Return the bones from the chicken breast back into the pot and cook another 10-15 minutes, along with the fish sauce.
• Add the shredded chicken and drumsticks back to the pot along with the daikon noodles and let noodles cook for 2-3 minutes or until cooked to your preference.
• Stir in the scallions and ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with jalapeno, cilantro, mung bean sprouts and serve with lime wedges.

The post Chicken Pho with Daikon Noodles appeared first on Inspiralized.

MY FIRST RECIPE POST OF 2015!!!!

I knew it had to be epic, because that’s what 2015’s going to be for me: epic.

I mean, I’ve got a cookbook coming out, I’m getting married to the love of my life, and I have a few other tricks up my sleeves.

So, yea, epic: like this sushi bowl.

I’m writing this post on December 22, 2014, so I can’t tell you how my New Year’s was. I can tell you, however, that it was in the Dominican Republic, spent with Lu’s family (his father was from the Dominican.)

I’ve been meaning to make a spiralized sushi bowl for a while, because a) everybody loves sushi and b) sushi has so many spiralizable elements.

What better occasion to finally make this than for 2015’s first recipe?

Originally, I had wanted to use kani as the main protein and have this titled as a “spiralized california sushi bowl.” Unfortunately, I was scrambling to stock up all of my posts before I left for Christmas/New Year’s and the grocery store I was at didn’t have kani and I didn’t have the time to drive somewhere else, so: salmon sashimi.

Salmon sashimi works perfectly here and the ginger-miso dressing brings out the freshness in the salmon. However, if you don’t like salmon or don’t have access to the freshest, substitute in anything: kani (ha!), shrimp, tofu, edamame beans, or just leave it out and make it 100% vegetarian and simple.

Once you add the ginger-miso dressing and toss together as you eat, the dish transforms – so many flavors, textures and colors. The avocado is velvety, the carrots and crunchy and sweet and the daikon rice provides the extra oomph this dish needs to be considered a true “sushi bowl.”

The seaweed is nice and salty. I actually really love adding seaweed to soups and other dishes for extra umami. You know, that “pleasant savory taste” that’s indescribable.

Anyway, this recipe, overall, is the quintessential segue into an unbelievable year for Inspiralized. It shows the creativity and versatility of the spiralizer and it demonstrates perfectly how spiralizing can transform your favorite traditionally unhealthy dishes into healthy versions – sometimes with even more flavor!

Okay, I’m done. I’m probably en route home from the Dominican Republic right now, sad to be leaving the warmth, but excited to start this New Year!

What are your favorite ways to be creative with the spiralizer?

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Spiralized Sushi Bowl with Salmon Sashimi and Ginger Miso Dressing

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 large daikon radish peeled, Blade C
• 1 large cucumber Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 1 large carrot Blade C, noodles trimmed
• 1 sheet nori dried seaweed, thinly sliced
• 12 oz salmon sashimi or kani, or tofu, or anything you’d like!
• 1 avocado insides sliced
• 4 scallion stalks chopped
• 4 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
• For the dressing:
• 2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon miso paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoon tahini

Instructions

• Place the daikon noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like. If needed, squeeze the excess moisture out of the daikon “rice.” Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing until creamy. If needed, use a food processor.
• To assemble, place even amounts of the daikon rice into bowls and top with even amounts of cucumber, carrot, salmon sashimi, avocado, scallions and sesame seeds. Top each with dressing and serve.

The post Spiralized Sushi Bowl with Salmon Sashimi and Ginger Miso Dressing appeared first on Inspiralized.

I know that it’s two to three days before Christmas and everyone’s searching Pinterest for gingerbread men and “the perfect Christmas roast,” so the chances that you want to make an Asian noodle soup are slim.

However, I think a bit differently – healthy eating never goes out of season. So, if you’re looking to Pin something for after the holidays or you’re trying to watch your waistline to fit into that New Year’s Eve dress, I’ve got a flavorful, easy recipe for you today!

You may be hesitant to cook much with coconut milk, because of its high fat and calorie content, but the health benefits of coconut far outweigh its caloric value. Coconut milk contains antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties that help ward off sickness.

Furthermore, the high fatty acid content in coconut milk serves as a natural moisturizer for healthy skin and may help repair wrinkles and sagging in aging skin. 

I know I’m getting caught up on the health benefits of coconut milk, but that’s because I’m in the middle of fighting off a cold as I write this. I blame it on the less than 24 hours I spent in San Francisco and the 12 hours I spent on a plane the other week.

I actually never get sick (which is hard to believe, since, I’m sick now.) Whenever I do get sick, it’s that kind of sickness where you can’t do anything else but, well, be sick. When I was younger (like in middle and high school), I, without fail, used to get sick around this time.

I blame the excitement of 2015, I have so many projects I”m working on that I can’t wait to share with you – of course, one of them I’ve already shared: my cookbook! Nevertheless, send your happy, healthy vibes my way.

This noodle dish has spicy undertones from the red curry, a crunchy al dente texture from the spiralized daikon, and a beautiful crispy tenderness from the vegetables. The preparation is easy and its a one-pot kind of meal (which, as we all know, is ideal.)

If you don’t eat soy beans or don’t like tofu, swap out the tofu for your favorite protein – this recipe pairs well with shrimp, skirt steak and even ground meat. It’s very versatile, because the flavors are simple and the vegetables are universal.

What are you planning for your New Year’s celebrations?

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Vegetable and Tofu Coconut Red Curry Daikon Noodles

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger
• 5 scallions whites and greens separated and then sliced on an angle
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• ½ tablespoon curry powder
• 1 15 oz can coconut milk shaken
• 1 red bell pepper sliced into ¼” strips
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper sliced into ¼” strips
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 12 oz extra firm tofu
• 1 large daikon peeled, Blade B (about 1 lb)
• sriracha to taste (1 tablespoon or more)
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Pour the contents of the coconut milk into a medium mixing bowl and whisk together with a fork until the oil and thick parts combine. Set aside.
• Remove the tofu from its package. Place on top of two layers of paper towels. Place two more layers of paper towels on top and press firmly down to release extra moisture. Repeat until all excess moisture is released and then cut into ½” cubes. Pat dry and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, curry paste and curry powder. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the peppers and broccoli and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add in the coconut milk and then raise heat to bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and add in the tofu.
• Cook at a simmer until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes and then add in the daikon noodles and cook for another 5 minutes or until al dente.
• When ready, if desired, add in sriracha, stir in cilantro and serve, garnished with green scallions.

The post Vegetable and Tofu Coconut Red Curry Daikon Noodles appeared first on Inspiralized.

One of the best parts about spiralizing is that just by simply changing up the noodle type in a recipe, you can completely change the taste and texture of the dish.

I feel like I start many blog posts with “one of the best parts about spiralizing is…” but, that’s because there are a lot of best parts!

While I’ve made a pad thai on this blog before, it is a) vegetarian and b) made with zucchini noodles. Today’s recipe has a few different steps and ingredients and of course, it’s made with a) chicken and b) daikon noodles.

Not that I need to preface my recipes, but I didn’t want you to think “oh, she’s losing her edge!” or “oh, she’s running out of recipe ideas!” Au contraire, my friends.

Daikon noodles are tricky, because they have a sometimes soapy flavor on account of their bitter, radish-like notes. In this recipe, I cook the daikon noodles right after the chicken so that the juices in the chicken cooks into the daikon noodles. Then, when the noodles are added back in with the sauce, they soak up even more flavor. Voila – no soapy daikon.

More flavor emerges from cooking the garlic and scallions together, which marries well with the robust flavors of the pad thai sauce (which is, perfectly spicy – with a hint of rich coconut and refreshing lime.)

If you want, it’s easy to substitute zucchini noodles here- just amp the coconut flour up by 1 teaspoon and use two medium zucchinis. Depending on if you want a softer noodle or something more al dente, cook the noodles with the sauce anywhere from 2-5 minutes.

My main beef with asian noodle dishes is that they tend to be high in sodium. I counteract the high sodium levels by drinking a large glass of water during and after this meal. This always does the trick – plus, it helps with digestion and avoids any feeling of bloat.

On a completely separate note, I never shared with you my Halloween costume from the weekend. I was supposed to be a fitness instructor but someone called me “gym girl,” so I guess I didn’t exactly nail the costume. Oh well, I was SO comfortable.

A photo posted by Ali(ssandra) Maffucci (@inspiralized) on Oct 10, 2014 at 6:01pm PDT

Also, sadly, I didn’t eat any Halloween candy this year. Normally I indulge in some candy corn or 3 Musketeers (I know, so random!), but I didn’t. I did manage to see the NYC Halloween Parade, which I’ve never done before – for some reason, I always miss it.

Lu was a zebra. Well, he bought a zebra onesie at Target which was hilarious.

So yea, that’s my life update and my recipe for the day. See you tomorrow – can’t wait to share a new video with you on my YouTube channel. If you’re not following already, make sure to subscribe by clicking the image below – and check out my new trailer!:

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Chicken Pad Thai with Daikon Noodles

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or oil of choice
• ½ pound thin chicken breast sliced into strips
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ½ cup diced scallions
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro + whole cilantro leaves to garnish
• 1 medium daikon radish Blade C, noodles trimmed
• For the sauce:
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1.5 tablespoon chili sauce I used Thai chili garlic sauce
• 1.5 tablespoon honey

Instructions

• Scramble the eggs and set aside.
• Place all of the ingredients for the sauce into a bowl, whisk together and set aside.
• Place the peanuts into a food processor and pulse until lightly ground (no big peanuts should remain, but it shouldn't be powdery). Set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add in half of the oil and let heat. Once heated, add in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Turn the heat down to low and set the chicken aside on a plate, using tongs or a slotted spoon. Immediately add in the daikon noodles, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat the noodles in the juices. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until daikon has softened.
• Transfer the cooked daikon to a large bowl and add in the other ½ tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and scallions into the pan, stirring constantly to avoid burning and cook for about 1 minute, until the scallions begin to soften. Add in the sauce and then the flour, turn the heat back up to medium and whisk quickly so that the flour dissolves and the sauce thickens.
• Once the sauce is thick, add back in the daikon noodles and toss to combine thoroughly, tossing until noodles are completely coated in the sauce.
• Add in the cooked chicken (with any juices), scrambled eggs and half the ground peanuts. Cook for about 30 seconds, tossing to fully combine.
• Plate onto dishes and garnish with cilantro leaves, the rest of the scallions and the rest of the ground peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.

The post Chicken Pad Thai with Daikon Noodles appeared first on Inspiralized.

Before you get to this recipe, let me preface – I was never trained in the art of Indian cooking. However, Indian cooking is so full of spices, that as long as you understand how the spices mix together and complement each other, you can squeeze by.

I’ve always loved Indian food – I also like very spicy food, so I’ve always found that there’s something I can order at an Indian restaurant to satisfy my “spicy” tooth.

My love and appreciation for this type of cuisine started when I studied abroad in London.

Before living in London, I had never tasted Indian food. Coming from an Italian American background, most meals were, well, Italian or at least Italian “themed.”

Immediately when I tried my first dish (tandoori chicken), I was hooked. There’s this little Indian spot in Hoboken, NJ where I first lived when I graduated college called “Karma Kafe,” which I’d order takeout from one too many times. Chickpeas in chana masala were my jam back then!

Then, I moved to Jersey City, which usually is noted for having the top largest Indian populations in the country! Lucky me, because there’s no shortage of incredible, authentic Indian cuisine.

Having said that, since Lu and I moved into this apartment, we’ve never had Indian together. The other night, we tried it out at a local Chinese/Indian fusion restaurant and we were totally disappointed – it was way too spicy and over seasoned. I will admit, the garlic naan was incredible.

However, like whenever you eat a plate of rice, you feel immediately bloated and uncomfortable afterwards. We honestly had a hard time going to bed, our tummies were so full – we’re used to eating light spiralized meals, so I think we may have shocked our bodies.

This was on Sunday, so I was determined to make something Indian-inspired for the blog this week, hence, this chicken biryani made using daikon rice instead of basmati rice. I read a bit about Indian food beforehand through some BBC websites and used my own taste buds to come up with a recipe as close to the real deal as possible.

The daikon rice is light and fluffy, like a thin basmati would be, which is ideal for this flavorful biryani. The colors even look the same! The golden raisins are the kicker – some biryanis I’ve had with them, some without, but for me, they were crucial – they add a little bit of sweetness and a chewy texture that’s divine and a nice break from the spice overload.

This dish reheats very well, so if you’re a fan of biryani like me, double this recipe and save leftovers for the work week – your coworkers will be amazed when you don’t need a nap afterwards!

What are your favorite Indian dishes?

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Daikon Chicken “Biryani”

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

• 2 daikon radishes peeled, Blade C
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 shallots chopped
• 1 small red onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 jalapeno seeded and minced (use the full jalapeno if you like spicy)
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 2 chicken breasts thinly sliced into strips
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves

Instructions

• Place your daikon radish noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like bits. Place in a bowl near a sink. Place another bowl next to the bowl of rice. Take large handfuls of the rice and squeeze out the excess water into the sink and then place in the empty bowl. Repeat this until you've squeezed out the excess moisture in all of the rice. Set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the shallots, onions, garlic, chili, ginger and cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
• Add in the chicken, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add in the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and nutmeg, stir to combine and then add in the yogurt and raisins. Cover the pan, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to let the flavors develop. Then, add in the daikon rice, cilantro and mint and stir and cook another 1-2 minutes or until rice heats through.
• Serve immediately.

The post Daikon Chicken “Biryani” appeared first on Inspiralized.

I’m reeeeeally into daikon noodles right now. They’re so versatile – they absorb flavors easily and thus, are ideal for noodle soups.

I’m also really into meatballs. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve made turkey, quinoa, lentil, chicken and now pork meatballs.

Call it wedding brain, but I’m into my proteins in a golf ball-like formation.

I’ve been meaning to make a spaghetti and meatball soup, but honestly, spaghetti and meatballs are best left as a pasta dish. I feel like these traditional flavors get lost as a soup – it’s better to have a creamy, smooth tomato sauce than something, well, soupy.

However, switch over to another type of cuisine and set of flavors and we can tackle the “spaghetti and meatball” soup dilemma: as “daikon noodles and pork meatballs.”

Side bar: this is a great trick to add quick flavor to predictable foods. For instance, if you’re making tomato sauce and zucchini noodles with parmesan almost every night, try giving the dish a Mexican flair by using jalapenos in the tomato sauce and cotija cheese instead of parmesan. It’s an easy way to get out of a rut, but still make something familiar.

Guys. Girls. Ladies. Gentlemen. Not only is this one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever created, it’s almost unbelievably low in calories and carbs. A lot of you have been asking me about my daily diet and well, I eat things like this – pork and noodles – and I lose weight!

You can kiss portion control goodbye with this dish (there’s no need!) The broth is savory, salty, and rich with flavors like sesame, soy and ginger. The scallions, soy sauce and ginger in the meatballs are brought out as they submerge in the soup.

The broccolini is a fun addition to this noodle dish, bringing in color and health benefits such as Vitamin C, potassium (loads of it!) and immune-boosters such as beta-carotene!

Lastly, what’s great about this dish is that you can make the meatballs, pop them in the oven and then start on the soup – once the soup is done, the meatballs are too! The timing on this recipe is built perfectly, so no need to drive yourself crazy, running around the kitchen trying to get everything done before the oven beeps.

These leftovers are sitting in the fridge, and I can’t wait for Lu to come home and test them out!

What do you think of spaghetti and meatball soups?

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Daikon Noodles and Broccolini with Asian Pork Meatballs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• For the meatballs:
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1 teaspoon peeled and minced ginger
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, if you’re gluten free
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 3 teaspoons chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• For the soup:
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
• 2 bunches broccolini halved (make sure to cut off any rough ends on the stems)
• pepper to taste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, if you’re gluten free
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili sauce or sriracha
• 3 medium daikon radishes peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
• ½ cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl and mix together. Form 10-12 golf ball sized meatballs with hands and place on the parchment paper. Bake until cooked through, about 18 minutes.
• Once you place the meatballs in the oven to bake, place a large saucepan over medium heat and add in the sesame oil. Once oil heats, add in the ginger, cooking for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in the broccolini, season with pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it turns bright green. Add in the chicken broth, water, soy sauce, fish sauce and chili sauce. Cover and bring to a boil and then uncover, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes until broccolini is crisp-tender. Then, add in the daikon noodles and cook for 3-5 minutes or until noodles are to your preference (if you like al dente, no more than 3 minutes, if you like softer, go up to 5 minutes.)
• Portion the soup into bowls, top with 3 golf ball sized meatballs. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

The post Daikon Noodles and Broccolini with Asian Pork Meatballs appeared first on Inspiralized.

This weekend, I was in Sarasota, Florida visiting my 93 year old grandmother. All of my life, she lived next door to me, but about 3 years ago, she moved to Florida.

My grandmother played a big part in my childhood – she actually helped me learn how to read and write (I struggled at first, although now I couldn’t imagine a life without writing every day.)

Despite the treacherous downpours and the stifling humidity, I had a wonderful weekend with her and my mother and sister.

We took her to St. Armand’s Circle to shop one day and the other day, we laid by the pool for a bit, sipping iced tea and catching up. We went out for dinner and had some amazing food – I had some of the best lobster of my life at my hotel’s restaurant (if you’re ever in Sarasota, go to Jack Dusty’s and order the grilled lobster!)

It’s sad to leave her, but I’m excited for my next visit and for her to be in my wedding next year!

Last night, Lu picked me up at the airport and we stopped for dinner at this Italian restaurant called Roman Nose that we’ve been meaning to go for for months and months. I’m sad it took us this long, because dinner was amazing!

If you live in the Jersey City area and you’re looking for some incredible meatballs and pizza, I highly recommend it. Like, if you’re on your cheat day or carbs don’t intimidate you – go there! Funny enough, as we were leaving the restaurant, the owner recognized Lu – they went to high school together! Small world.

So that’s my life recap. If you don’t care, I do apologize – luckily, I have a FANTASTIC recipe for you, which I’ve made a few times and have been meaning to post it up on the blog for a while. It’s easy to make and the flavors are so robust, you’re left with memories of this dish for hours.

The mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, lime juice and chicken broth are the ideal combination for a soup base and the flavors of the vegetables simmer with the broth, infusing it with healthy flavor and nutrients.

The daikon noodles are nice and crunchy, but if you’d prefer that they were softer, just simmer them a bit longer in the broth before serving. Take out a noodle like you would with “regular” pasta and test their consistency.

Daikon radishes are easy to spiralize and transform in flavor when cooked in a broth – they basically absorb everything and their initial slight bitterness or soapiness disappears. You can typically find them at most grocery stores (near the turnips, carrots, etc) but if you can’t, check out an Asian market or specialty store.

Daikons are low in calories and high in fiber, so they fill you up without breaking your diet bank. I don’t use them enough, but they’re fantastic in soups and Asian noodle dishes.

The softness of the shiitake mushrooms and the crunch of the snow peas and bok choy make for a varied consistency and an unforgettable dish. While this noodle dish is perfect as is, I also made it for dinner and added some sauteed shrimp (you could also cook the shrimp directly in the broth, boiling it until cooked).

What are your favorite Asian noodle soups that you’d like to see Inspiralized?

Nutritional Information & Recipe

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Sesame-Ginger Daikon Noodle Soup with Bok Choy, Snow Peas and Shiitake Mushrooms

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 bunches of baby bok choy
• 1 medium daikon radish
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger
• 1/3 cup diced scallions
• 3.5 oz container shiitake mushrooms stems removed and tops sliced into ¼” slivers
• 3.75 oz snow peas
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Place three eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a roaring boil and then turn off the heat and let sit for 12-14 minutes. Rinse the eggs under cold water until they are easily handled. Peel and slice in half. Set aside.
• While the eggs are cooking, peel and spiralize the daikon radish, using Blade C and set aside. Chop the ends off the baby bok choy and cut the remainder into 1” pieces. Set aside.
• After the eggs are cooked, pour the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and let melt. Once melted, add in the ginger, half of the scallions and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add in the bok choy, mushrooms and snow peas, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms sweat. Stir and then add in the chicken broth, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the daikon noodles, soy sauce, mirin, lime juice, lower to medium heat and let cook for 2 minutes or until daikon softens to al dente.
• Stir in the cilantro and portion into soup bowls. Top each bowl with a sliced boiled egg and the rest of the scallions.

The post Sesame-Ginger Daikon Noodle Soup with Bok Choy, Snow Peas and Shiitake Mushrooms appeared first on Inspiralized.

There’s an independent grocery store in my apartment building that I like to go to for last-minute items (it’s a bit pricey). I love having it there when I’m craving a snack (that’s a blessing and a curse) or if I forgot to get something on my big weekend grocery run.

This grocery store has the biggest daikon radishes ever. They’re almost two-feet long, really!

Every once in a while, I’ll pick one up in hopes of using it in a recipe – they spiralize so effortlessly. They’re literally the perfect diameter and texture.

However, after tasting the raw noodles, I’m turned off. The bitterness is overwhelming – they almost taste soapy. I’m actually unsure how people eat daikon radishes raw. Kudos to y’all!

A lightbulb went off and I thought to make rice with them. After ricing them, I realized that that process left for a lot of excess moisture. Rats! Luckily, I squeezed the water out with my hands and the water came right out! Phew, disaster averted.

Still bitter, so I literally opened up my pantry and there it was, staring me in the face: gochugaru. Gochuga-what? Gochugaru is red chili pepper, dried and ground into a coarse powder. It’s a Korean spice that’s used to make kimchee (or, kimchi.) I had recently bought it here on Amazon, after many failed attempts finding it at grocery stores near me.

Thank you, Amazon Prime – thank you!

I’m currently working on a kimchi recipe (with cucumber noodles), but what better way to experiment than use the spice another way? Ever since Molly Yeh introduced me to it, I’ve been dying to use it in a recipe. Side note – if you’ve never checked out her blog, do it – she’s a former Brooklynite percussionist that now lives on a farm. Crazy.

Although the gochugaru would give the daikon radish a spicy kick, it needed actual flavor. I wanted to keep it subtle, so I went with a tiny bit of ginger and some garlic. I threw in chopped scallions and topped it with a fried egg.

It brings me to tears that my camera died and I couldn’t take pictures of me cutting into this egg and the yolkiness that erupts over the fluffy rice. Literally, tears.

There’s not much more I can say but that daikon radish rice might be better than sweet potato rice. Don’t quote me on that, but daikon rice looks more like rice and has a very similar consistency, so you really feel like you’re beating the system.

Might I add that the calorie count on daikon radishes is negligible? The calorie count on a cup of daikon rice is less than 45!

If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is.

Please please please make this – and if you don’t have gochugaru, use regular red pepper flakes. But, if you can wait a couple of days, order it through Amazon. Then, when my kimchi recipes comes out, you’ll be ready to go!

Have you ever cooked with gochugaru before?

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Daikon Radish “Rice” with Gochugaru and Fried Egg

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 large daikon radish peeled, Blade C
• 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil or olive oil
• 1/2 tsp peeled and minced ginger
• 1 small garlic clove minced
• 1/4 cup diced scallions
• 1/4 tsp gochugaru sub in a pinch of regular red pepper flakes here if you don't have gochugaru
• 1 large whole egg
• pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place your diakon radish noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like bits. Place in a bowl near a sink. Place another bowl next to the bowl of rice. Take large handfuls of the rice and squeeze out the excess water into the sink and then place in the empty bowl. Repeat this until you've squeezed out the excess moisture in all of the rice. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, place in the oil. Then, place in the garlic and ginger. Let cook for 30 seconds and then add in the scallions and daikon rice. Cook for 1 minute and then sprinkle over the gochugaru. Stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside when done, in a bowl.
• In the same skillet, crack over the egg and let cook until the whites set. Once done, place on top of the bowl of rice and season with pepper.

The post Ginger Daikon Radish “Rice” with Gochugaru and Fried Egg appeared first on Inspiralized.