Let me tell you how my mind went from a  snail in France to zucchini bolognese.

Most mornings before I go for my walk I read something from Elephant Journal, an online journal which explores subjects such as Yoga, Politics, Sustainability and Spirituality. It features articles ranging from “7 Things to Bear in Mind When Communicating with your Woman” to “4 Tricks to Get Our Bowels Moving” I love EJ, it always gets my mind moving, if not my bowels.

This morning I read an article that discussed our wandering mind and its inability to focus,  so I decided that while I walked  I would try to focus on my feet on the footpath. I would listen to the rythmn of my footsteps, to the crunch of my feet as I walked over leaves, examine the pattern on my sneakers;  my mind would not wander one inch from it’s focus. Well, I can tell you that as you are focussing  on the footpath a lot goes on in your mind that can take your thoughts  not only an inch from your feet, but across the world and back.

” Hmmm…….lots of snails….I should try putting coffee grounds around my kale, that might kill the snails……that snail at that farm house in France was so cute, trying to camouflage itself on the footpath so the rooster wouldn’t get it (read my post “Cocorico” from Baguettes & Vegemite in France)…don’t think it worked, never saw it again….that huge snail on the Camino trek, my feet and legs were so sore, I should have written that post about being passed by a snail…..never really liked the taste of snails….might be ok cooked by a Michelin star chef….wonder if Michelen star chefs have things like spaghetti bolognese for tea….that zucchini bolognese I made the other night was yum, very healthy…”

It was about this stage that I gave up on focussing and just let my mind wander free and unfettered for the rest of the walk.

But back to the zucchini bolognese. I have a new toy, my spiralizer.

 

Actually it’s not new, I used it once a couple of months ago and then lost one of the parts, I found it recently under a sofa cushion when I was looking for the Apple TV remote. I’m not sure how it got there….didn’t find the remote though…..why do they make them so small, then I wouldn’t keep losing it, the remote I mean….Hmmm. I think that’s what the guy from Elephant Journal means by the wandering mind….

Having indulged in too many carbs lately I decided to have zucchini bolognese instead of the traditional spaghetti bolognese. I’m sure everyone has their own pasta sauce, so I’ll keep this simple

ZUCCHINI BOLOGNESE

INGREDIENTS

• pasta sauce
• zucchini
• freshly grated cheese such as parmesan (I used some manchego cheese that had been pushed to the back of the fridge and gone a bit hard…well it’s already hard, harder than it usually is…it was a choice between the hard parmesan and the hard manchego)
• chopped parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

METHOD

• Make your pasta sauce.
• Make zucchini noodles. If you don’t have a spiralizer (buy one!) you can make strips using a mandolin slicer lengthwise and/or cut noodles by hand
• Add pasta sauce, cheese, parsley and pepper
• Devour smugly, knowing you are being extra healthy.

I am happy with this spiralizer but I know there are lots of different types out there, has anyone  got a different type? And of course  I would love to get fresh ideas on how to use it.