This month’s Recipe Redux theme is “Get your fruits and veggies in shape… Show us how you’re serving the bounty of gardens and orchards in shapes like ribbons, noodles, cut-outs, or other creative cuts.” When I read this, my first thought was- perfect! Finally, I had an excuse to pull my spiralizer out of the closet! My husband Pete actually got it for me as a gift about a year ago and I think he’s (not so) secretly been a little disappointed that I haven’t been cranking out spiralized dishes every night for dinner. It’s not that I don’t love my spiralizer- on the contrary, the first time I used it to make zucchini noodles (aka zoodles), they came out great! The sad truth is that as a food blogger, I tend to get so bogged down with my blog schedule, that it’s hard to find time to just play around in the kitchen and experiment with new tools and recipes. I know my fellow food bloggers can relate!
So, needless to say, I was happy to have an excuse to dust the spiralizer off and put it to good use.The next question was, what dish was I going to make? Not having made a ton of spiraled dishes before, I decided to turn to a fellow Reduxer for inspiration.
Clovis, California. I’m always impressed by the recipes she posts on her site. Her photos are gorgeous and her dishes are vibrant, mouthwatering, healthy and of course, delicious!
Rather, a healthy lifestyle is about providing your body with nutritious food choices daily to keep your body functioning optimally.
look at with their lovely orange hue, they were also packed with flavor. Plus they’re loaded with plenty of nutrients including carotenoids, bioflavonoids and Vitamin C. I wouldn’t normally think to pair sweet potatoes with a caprese salad but I found that the sweetness of the potatoes balanced out the bright, acidic tomatoes and rich, creamy mozzarella perfectly. And the balsamic reduction drizzle was the perfect finishing touch.
Nutritious sweet potatoes and a classic summer salad come together in this elegant appetizer.
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 20 ounces total), washed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
- 12 slices fresh mozzarella (about 6 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic reduction*
- Fresh basil for garnish
- Olive oil spray
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Spiralize your sweet potatoes using a spiralizer. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the sweet potato noodles. Season them with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook 8-9 minutes until they start to soften. Transfer the noodles to a bowl and let them cool for a few minutes. Beat the egg and mix it into the noodles.
- Place the sweet potato noodles into the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan, forming nests. Press them in firmly, compacting them well. Place the muffin pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to allow the nests to firm up.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and spray the tops with olive oil. Bake in the oven until sweet potatoes are cooked through and tops start to brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Transfer the sweet potatoes onto a serving platter. Top each one with a slice of mozzarella and some tomatoes. Drizzle each with about ½ teaspoon of balsamic reduction and garnish with fresh basil.
Check out the links below to see all the great dishes from my fellow Recipe Reduxers!
Corina says
July 22, 2016 at 12:28 pmThese look gorgeous! I also dug my spiralizer out this month and am now full of ideas to use it again – if I have time!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:24 amThanks! I can totally see myself getting addicted to using it (time permitting of course)!
Kalee Lundmark says
July 22, 2016 at 1:11 pmYes, I totally relate to not getting to make fun things that aren't going on the blog! 🙂 These look great, they seem fancy, but sound pretty easy to make, which make them a winner in my book!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:27 amThanks Kalee! Obviously I love what I do, but it would be nice to have more time to just make "fun things" 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen says
July 22, 2016 at 1:41 pmWhat a creative idea! They are so cute and so sound fresh and healthy! Love it!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:27 amThanks so much Jenn!
Jessica Levinson says
July 22, 2016 at 2:30 pmI remember when Tawnie posted these and I loved them. Yours look amazing! I need to get a spiralizer!!!! Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous too!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:29 amTawnie's post was definitely memorable! Have fun if you get a spiralizer, but watch out, I can totally see myself going "spiralizing" crazy 🙂
Elizabeth Shaw says
July 22, 2016 at 3:04 pmThey look amazing! I love her philosophy too, and can't wait to meet her this September at Blog Brulee!! I think the zucchini sound nice as well! I have those on hand right now, adding to my pin board now!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:31 amThe zucchini was good but the sweeties were definitely the way to go! Blog Brûlée is going to be so much fun, I really wish I could be there with you and all the crew 🙂
Alisa says
July 22, 2016 at 3:47 pmThis has almost put me over the edge for getting a spiralizer. These are such a fun idea Sonali!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:32 amHave fun if you take the plunge! Thanks Alisa 🙂
Tara Rochford says
July 22, 2016 at 5:22 pmAll I can and want to say is BRILLIANT!! Cannot wait to try 🙂
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:32 amTHANKS Tara!
Lauren Grant says
July 22, 2016 at 6:28 pmLove this idea! What a great way to use spiralized veggies, keeps things interesting in addition to using them as noodles.
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:33 amYay! Thanks so much Lauren!
Sara @ sarahaasrdn.com says
July 22, 2016 at 7:09 pmI am just in love with these Sonali! So cute and so beautiful! I can't wait to try this one!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:33 amThanks Sara, I hope you love them as much as we did!
Marissa says
July 22, 2016 at 10:04 pmWhat a fun idea and how adorable are these!? Such fun party fare too…
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:34 amThanks Marissa, I'll definitely be making these again at a future gathering 🙂
Farrah says
July 23, 2016 at 1:26 amYou know I'm all about caprese salad…and I just so happen to have a bunch of sweet potatoes! This is gonna have to happen veryvery soon! <3 It looks amazing!
sonaliruder says
July 23, 2016 at 1:38 amHaha, I thought you might like these! Thanks Farrah, have a wonderful weekend <3
Lindsay Cotter says
July 23, 2016 at 2:09 amLove these appetizers! I could eat a whole tray of them! lol
Taylor Kiser says
July 23, 2016 at 4:55 amThese look so delicious! Can't wait to make them!
Victoria says
July 23, 2016 at 10:41 amThis is so creative! I have actually never been to Tawnie's blog before, thanks for helping me discover a new blog to follow!
Kristy Sayer @ Southern In Law says
July 23, 2016 at 10:32 pmThese look increeeedible! What a unique appetiser!
Emily Kyle says
July 24, 2016 at 12:15 pmThis is such a fun recipe and a great twist on the classic caprese!! Love the idea of spiralize Sweet potatoes!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
July 25, 2016 at 6:51 pmOMG – I love this idea! I have a few GF friends that I entertain often. This is perfect! Plus, who doesn't want another excuse to eat sweet potatoes?! I bet this would rock with some prosciutto on top too.
Tawnie Kroll says
July 25, 2016 at 7:29 pmYou did an amazing job! Thank you for trying it out! 🙂
Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies says
July 26, 2016 at 2:51 amLove the flavors and the presentation!
I made zoodles for the first time last week, so I am just entering the world of spiralizing, and looking forward to all the different veggies I can have fun with!
Courtney says
July 28, 2016 at 9:30 amThese sound delicious– and they look absolutely gorgeous!
athletic avocado says
July 28, 2016 at 11:21 amThese sliders are such a great idea! Love me some sweet potato noodles!