Gefu! Do you miss pasta? Paleo kitchen tool everyone should have

Are you a pasta lover like me?  This kitchen gadget has made craving spaghetti a thing of the past!  About a year ago, my friend who is a wonderful mother and AMAZING cook gave me this little gadget as a gift... At first look, I wondered, "What the heck does this thing do?"  Well, since then, I use it so much and it's SO amazing I have to share it with you!!

It's called a Gefu.  Here's what it looks like...

It has two ends  with two different size "teeth".  You put veggies in either end and twist; the teeth slice the veggie into long spirals that look like spaghetti.

You can use any vegetable that will fit…I use zucchini most of the time, but it works great with sweet potatoes, cucumbers, squash and carrots too! Fun and colorful to do a mix!  The removable cap has spikes in it, so when the veggie gets close to the end and it gets harder to twist by hand, you put the cap into the end of the veggie and it gives you great leverage to twist all the way to the bottom for less waste!  This is what you end up with...

So then what do you do with it?  I've found a lot of recipes out there trying to get all the water out of the zucchini.  For me, that did not work.  I ended up with mush.  I like to just get out my wok (a large pan or pot would work too), turn it up to high, and toss the "noodles" around it it quickly until they are just heated through, but still crisp.  Toss with a healthy tomato sauce or pesto….add ground, meatballs, chicken, mushrooms…whatever you like!  I added chicken and bruschetta as a sauce once and my husband was in heaven!

It's amazing how this dish satisfies the pasta craving and is SO HEALTHY!!  One of my absolute favorite tools in my kitchen!  The "Gefu Spirelli" Spiral Slicer is small, so it takes up nearly no space…I hate adding another bulky appliance to my kitchen that I don't have space for!  It's also totally affordable, less than $30!  I'm pretty sure you can find it on Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond.  To check the Gefu out further, click here.  Another way to stay Paleo and stay healthy when that pesky spaghetti and meatballs starts calling your name!  Enjoy!

Healthy Veggie Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

If you are looking for a delicious meal without meat, this is it!  Stuffed portobello mushrooms are a great alternative because they are thick, meaty and very filling.  I've been making these for years and even our kids loved them. Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium Portobello Mushrooms
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 6-8 Kalamata olives, sliced (these are the purple ones)
  • 4 leaves of chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbs ghee (or coconut oil, ghee will give it a nice buttery taste)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Goat cheese crumbles

Melt the ghee and add garlic until tender.  Trim the stems off the mushrooms and wipe off any dirt with a damp towel.  Scrape out the insides with a sharp edged spoon.  It's best not to "wash" the mushrooms under running water, they will stay more intact by wiping them clean instead.  Brush the insides of the mushrooms with half the melted ghee and garlic mixture.  Saute' the peppers, onion, tomatoes, basil, olives, salt and pepper for 3-4 minutes with the rest of the ghee and garlic or until tender but not soggy.  Meanwhile, grill the mushrooms - top up - for approximately 4 minutes.  I use a grill pan for this.  Turn them over and top them with the veggie mixture and goat cheese.  Continue grilling until cheese is soft.  Serve immediately while nice and hot with a knife and fork!  So yummy and SO healthy!