Weight Watchers Quick Side: Zucchini & Carrot Ribbons ♥

At Christmas, one of the family 'Santas', probably my sister, tucked what I'll call a 'hand mandoline' into my stocking. Since such devices, even relatively expensive ($30, say) ones, have until now produced only frustration and disappointment, I wasn't expecting much. But this little guy worked like a charm on both the soft zucchini and the firm carrot, not perfectly, as the ends tended to get stuck, but well enough to pull out often -- especially since I love the looks and the taste of the white, green and orange 'ribbons'.

It's easy to imagine substituting the ribbons for pasta, or for dropping into a big pot of soup just for the looks. If you can't find one of these devices, just use the large holes of a grater.

NEXT TIME Since carrots take a little longer to cook, next time I'll grate the carrots first and start them to cook while cutting the zucchini.

TIPS To use the ribbon cutter, keep the zucchini and carrots whole and place flat on a cutting board. Draw the cutter along the whole length of the vegetables. You'll end up with some leftover ends -- they were a good 'cook's snack' while supper cooked! And see that little plastic piece at the bottom? That's a blade guard that's removed during use but since the serrated blade is quite sharp, should be returned for storage.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

TWO YEARS AGO Lemon Spinach -- "THIS is my idea of a vegetable heaven! Fresh and fast and flavorful!"

GREAT FOOD BLOGS with ZUCCHINI RECIPES

Eating Well on Dialysis ... Mexican Zucchini Oven Fries
Spicyana ... Simple Zucchini Curry
Kalyn's Kitchen ... Zucchini with a Very Surprise Ingredient

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ZUCCHINI & CARROT RIBBONS

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

2 carrots, washed but peels on (or off if you prefer)
1 tablespoon olive oil (next time I'll use butter)
1 tablespoon garlic (from a jar, it's a weeknight!)
2 medium-size zucchini, blossom and stem ends removed
Salt & pepper

Cut the carrots into ribbons, then in half. Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet til shimmery. Add the garlic and the carrots, stirring to coat with fat. Let cook, stirring often, while cutting the zucchini. Add the zucchini to the skillet, stirring to coat and to distribute the heat. Cook til soft (or al dente if you prefer). Season with salt and pepper.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 65 Cal (46% from Fat, 8% from Protein, 46% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 8 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb6; 31 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 45 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point