Spiralized Cucumber Arugula Sweet and Spicy Salad

Sugar, spiced, and everything… spiralized.

Okay, I think it’s about time introduce to you my favorite kitchen tool: the spiralizer. Specifically, the Inspiralizer by Ali Maffucci.

I was introduced to the world of Ali Maffucci by one of my childhood best friends, Kathryn Sabanos (hi Kathryn!). I was already into spiralizing using Padernos spiralizer, which I also give a high rating. At the time, Kathryn was very into spiraling her vegetables as she was going through a Paleo challenge at her then CrossFit gym. She introduced me to the world of Inspiralized and I’ve been hooked ever since. I even asked for the Inspirlizer to replace my Paderno because I loved the blog so much.

Not having much of a choice in the gluten free lifestyle, it’s been a 4.5 year run of exploring alternatives. As amazing as it is that we have gluten free packaged alternatives (re: pasta, cookies, brownies, pizza, burritos) at our disposal, I don’t recommend using these as a replacement all the time. Reading the labels, they are usually laden with fillers, gums, and sugars which can be worse for our health than the gluten itself. Going gluten-free is a great time of exploration in the kitchen for alternatives such as quinoa, gluten free grains, or veggies. Spiralizing veggies into noodles is a really fun way to get more veggies in your diet.

I came across this recipe on SheKnows a few years ago when I first got my Inspiralizer and have since tailored it to my liking. I use less cucumber and more arugula to make sure I’m adding enough leafy greens into my diet. I swap out the Champagne or Red Wine Vinegar for Apple Cider Vinegar because of its amazing benefits for your skin, gut, and overall health. I usually either leave out the honey or at least half the amount because the orange is generally sweet enough, but if you’re okay with a little bit of sugar than it is pretty tasty to leave it in. After all, spicy mixed with sweet is a great combo.

This is a great salad to bring to a BBQ to impress your friends and family. The spiralized cucumber itself is a great talking point, and then the fact that you made your own delicious dressing to match it… you’re the real MVP.

SPIRALIZED CUCUMBER ARUGULA SWEET AND SPICY SALAD Cook time: 10 mins | Serves: 2

Salad Base:

• 1 large Cucumber, Spiralized

• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 large handfuls Arugula

Dressing:

• 4 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 Tbls Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 Tbls Honey (optional, leave out if sugar-free)

• 1 Orange, juiced

• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions:

1. Cut cucumber in half. Spiralize both halves.

2. Cut cherry tomatoes in half.

3. Combine EVOO, apple cider vinegar, honey, orange juice, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder in a mason jar. Shake to combine.

4. Divide two handfuls of arugula into two bowls. Divide cucumber into two and place on top of arugula. Toss in cherry tomatoes and salad dressing.

5. Enjoy!

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