What We're Reading + Cooking: Inspiralized

It's no secret that I am obsessed with zoodles and my spiralizer.  So when I came across the Inspiralized blog and found out that she also has a cookbook, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  So many options, so many possibilities.

The first thing that I noticed about this cookbook was the sheer amount of variety of spiralized fruits and veggies.  I had been sticking in my comfort zone of zucchini and thus completely missing out on tons of different recipes and ideas.  I am kind of a cookbook fanatic so beautiful food pictures make me so happy.  This cookbook did not disappoint in that category.  Everything from salads to bagels to desserts; all made out of spiralized fruits and vegetables!

I picked a couple of recipes to incorporate into my weekly meal plan and try out.  Since we live in small town Mississippi, I wasn't too confident in our Winn Dixie's produce section.  While we were in Pensacola, we headed to The Fresh Market to try to pick up some of the more unique ingredients in the recipes I choose.  The ingredients weren't anything too crazy -- daikon radish and jicama -- but even in The Fresh Market, they were no where to be found!  I decided to just make due with cucumbers, carrots, and zucchini but I am on the hunt now for those two in particular.  (I'd love suggestions if you've found them anywhere!)

The first recipe I tried was the Jicama Kiwi Corn Salad with Honey Lime Dressing.  I had to swap out  zucchini for the jicama but it was still delicious and completely embodied summer flavors.  I topped it with some honey lime salmon for protein and it made for a perfect lunch.

But the real star of the show has been the amazing Chicken Bahn Mi with Sriracha Greek Yogurt.  Bahn Mi sandwiches are one of Rob's absolute favorites and usually at a restaurant, we have to split a Bahn Mi and a bowl of Pho because we can't decide which we want more.  But it's no secret that the amount of bread in a traditional bahn mi sandwich can be a little tough on the waistline.  I loved that this recipe kept all the original, amazing flavors without the extra carbs.  I'm sharing the recipe from her cookbook with y'all below!



Chicken Banh Mi with Sriracha Greek Yogurt
From Inspiralized 

One of my simplest tricks is to eat sandwiches open-faced—not only for health reasons but also for greater flavor! If you’ve ever had a banh mi sandwich, you know the bun can easily overpower the delicious pickled vegetable filling in this classic Vietnamese street food. Here, I’ve replaced the bun with a bell pepper, which not only offers a refreshing and hydrating crunch but also is a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate vehicle for showcasing what you came for: the pickled (spiralized) vegetables, Asian marinated chicken, and a high-protein Sriracha spread made with nonfat Greek yogurt.

Makes 4 sandwiches

For the pickled vegetables
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon salt
1 small daikon radish, peeled, blade C (<< I omitted this because I couldn't find one)
1 medium carrot, peeled, blade C
1 medium cucumber, blade C

For the chicken
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 to 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into strips

For the Sriracha yogurt
1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot sauce

For the sandwiches
2 large red bell peppers
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Pickle the vegetables. Whisk together the vinegar, honey, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the daikon radish, carrot, and cucumber noodles; toss to coat well, then marinate in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the sandwiches, tossing every 5 minutes.

Prepare the chicken. Whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lime juice, and honey in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Heat a large grill pan over medium heat. When a bit of water flicked onto the pan sizzles, add the chicken and grill for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until no longer pink. Cut into thin slices.

Make the yogurt. In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients.

Assemble the sandwiches. Slice the tops off both peppers, remove and discard the seeds and white flesh, and halve them to yield four sandwich “bottoms.” Lay out the bell pepper pieces with the insides facing up. Spread on the Sriracha mayo, then layer on the chicken and top with the pickled vegetables. Drizzle the tops with extra yogurt, if desired, and garnish with the cilantro.

 I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review but all opinions are my own!


Have you gotten hooked on spiralized veggies yet?  Expect more recipes to come because I am obsessed!