Being in Thailand for the last week has opened my eyes even further to a new world of flavour combinations and I am so excited to get home and in to my little kitchen to start creating some new dishes. I particularly love the way they combine savoury and sweet, as it’s something I have loved doing in cooking for years and believe works really well. Before we headed off to Thailand the weather in London was beautiful, the evenings were long, warm and bright. Getting home from work in the heat and traffic however was exhausting and the last thing I really wanted to do was cook.
The year before last I purchased a spiralizer and I can honestly say that out of all of my kitchen utensils, this is probably not only one of the cheapest but also the most used and loved! I am constantly buying them as gifts for friends and family as I think they are truly brilliant. You can literally create noodles (also known as – zoodles / zero-noodles / courgetti /vegetable spaghetti ) Â out of pretty much any fruit or veg.
My top tips for the courgette zoodles are:
- Keep your courgettes in the fridge so that when you come to spiralize them they remain firm. The worst thing to try to spiralize is a limp/soft courgette as you just end up with a mushy mess
- Do not immediately salt the courgette or add lemon / lime or vinegar directly to it as it will literally cook the courgette and it will wilt before your eyes
- I suggest not frying / cooking the courgetti as again it will wilt quickly. If you want it to be hot then add it to a wok with a little coconut oil and toss for about 1-2 minutes and serve immediately
- Courgettes will keep in the fridge for weeks but taste best immediately after picking or buying
There are lots of different kinds of spiralizers now on the market but my personal favourite is the free-standing one (here) as you get 3 different interchangeable blades; you can use one blade for thin spaghetti, one for ribbons like pappardelle and the other for thicker noodle strands or curly fries. It’s amazing for making kids excited about vegetables and you will be surprised at how filling and delicious just one bowl full can be (please take my word on this one!).
The dish I am sharing with you today is perfect for veggies or vegans too. It’s a creamy tahini courgetti with a chilli mango dressing. For meat eaters I would suggest adding some paprika wok’d chicken or prawns for a protein packed hit. There is no cooking required, you just need a big ol’ bowl and clean hands (I recommend taking rings off first!). The combination of the courgette, tahini, mango, chilli and cranberries creates the most delicious dish that is creamy, filling and packed with nutritional goodness, a guaranteed winner in any household.
- Courgetti:
- 500g Courgette (zoodles / noodles)
- 1tbsp Olive oil
- ½ Lime
- 2 tbsps Organic dried cranberries
- 2 tbsps Organic tahini
- ½ tsp Rock salt / Sea salt
- Mango dressing:
- 1 cup mango, chopped
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2-3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- Using a spiralizer (or vegetable peeler) create ribbons / noodles out of your courgette
- Place in to a big mixing bowl
- Add in 1tbsp olive oil and coat the courgetti
- Now add in your protein (if you want to add any) followed by 2 tbsps organic tahini, sea salt and cranberries
- Using clean hands combine together and coat all the courgetti with the tahini dressing
- For the mango dressing:
- In to a blender, place the mango, lime and water and blitz until smooth and runny (add a little more water if too thick)
- Now add in the dried chilli and mix through
- Serve your creamy courgetti straight away and drizzle a generous amount of mango dressing on top
I was not endorsed for any products mentioned in this post, I just genuinely LOVE them!Â
Hello Emi, love this particular recipe. We use spiralizers frequently and do love them here in the USA. Cheryl
Thank you so much 🙂 They are such an amazing invention, aren’t they! Do you have a preferred vegetable to spiralize? Emi x
Wow! I was not prepared for how good that would taste, even though I’m a longtime fan of yours. I was a bit sceptical of the tahini flavour but something magical happened and it came out absolutely delicious, creamy and quite comforting too. Not having cooked with mango before, I was also unaware of its goodness, particularly paired with lime juice. I used zucchini noodles and paprika chicken for protein. Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
Wow, what a wonderful comment to read. Thank you SO much for making my evening! 🙂 It makes me so happy to hear that people enjoy my recipes and your kind words certainly spur me on to keep creating! The tahini is gives such a delicious creaminess to the dish doesn’t it and you are right about the marriage of lime with mango, match made in heaven! Do keep me updated with any other recipes you try and enjoy. 🙂