Don’t let veggie prep get you down!
You’re trying to eat healthier, you’re trying to prep fresh yummy food, but veggie prep can be seriously annoying. We all know that….you’re chopping, and chopping and chopping, and chopping. But I’ve been trying out some tools to try and break this veggie prep monotony and show you how you can quickly and easily blitz salad prep!
Joseph Joseph Spiraliser 3-in-1
If chopping salads isn’t fun anymore, then you need to try out a spiraliser. The great thing about this one from Joseph Joseph, is you can even get the kids to do it! Turn any vegetable into curls of yumminess. You don’t even have to restrict yourself to using this for salads, you can make zucchini noodles, carrot noodles, all sorts of yummy stuff. This brand new spiraliser has just been released and is set to take the kitchenware world by storm with it’s compact design and easy operation.
With two different sprialising blades, you can vary the width of the noodles. I used it to turn broccoli stems into broccoslaw! Kids love watching the noodles appearing out the bottom, it makes for a lot of fun! There is also a grater blade and, again the kids can use it because it means there is no way their fingers can rub against the grater.
Borner V-slicer
If you’re after some seriously fast veggie prep, then a V-slicer if the way to go, you can power through slicing veggies in NO time and get things done super quick. The extra sharp blades might seem scary at first, but with the safety attachment and a good read of the instructions, you’ll be prepping like a pro in no time.
It’s not limited to salads either, this prep tool has you covered for anything that needs slices or even batons. I’ve used it for potato bake, zucchini bake and even for potato chips. Make sure you keep a firm grip on it when slicing and you’ll quickly wonder why you didn’t have one of these sooner! It has turned potato bake into a midweek side dish for us.
Onion cutter
There’s a lot to be said for a tool that takes the sting out of chopping onions. Whether you are prepping for soups, salads or just for something that needs diced onions, this is going to become your best friend. I can honestly say, this has made my evening making pasta sauce so much easier. No more tears whilst chopping and no nasty onion smell on my finger tips! The Progressive Deluxe Onion Chopper is the perfect choice for prepping onions, with its solid and sturdy build, sharp stainless steel blades and see through acrylic catch so see the amount of diced onion with each press. What best is that you can easily dismantle and place it in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.
Now, this isn’t really for use by kids, but it is a fun one for them to do under supervision. My daughter loves to push down on it as it makes a very satisfying click when the onion falls through the grate to the container at the bottom. Using it for garlic or eschallots is fantastic too, no more fiddling with a difficult to clean garlic crusher! Just halve your peeled onions and pop on the smaller grate and close the top…and you’re done!
Rainbow Salad
Here’s my easy rainbow mason jar salad that I’ve made using all of these tools, I love the layers. I guarantee if salad prep is made easier for you, you’ll find yourself eating heaps more healthier foods.
Ingredients: salad stuff of your choice (I’ve used red cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, dferosted peas, cooked quinoa and cold chicken)
Method: spiralise the veggies or slice and add to the jar in layers. Add your dressing through the top….and munch! I’ve done enough salad for two in this jar and we were going to head out for a picnic, but the rain has changed our plans. Mason jar salads are perfect for picnics as you can keep them fresh and yummy in the jar and either decant (or not) at your destination.
If you’re looking for a super yummy dressing, then try this: ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp seeded mustard, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp honey. It’s got the right amount of sweetness and the right amount of tartness to go with virtually any salad you can throw at it!
About the author:
Kylie blogs about kids and family foods at Kidgredients, she loves cooking family-friendly meals that everyone will enjoy and has a passion for making family favourites that are healthy, fun and delicious.
