The Gefu Spirelli won the Kitchen Innovation of the Year award in 2014, and I can see why. The handheld gadget makes it easy to create attractive julienne slices of vegetables for stir-fries, pasta dishes or beautiful garnishes. Carrot, sweet potato, zucchini, cucumber and more can be made into thin ribbons just by turning through the utensil.

The Spirelli features two sides for different thickness of cut: 2 x 3 mm or 3.5 x 5mm. Sturdy Japanese stainless steel blades slice through vegetables with ease and the handle allows for a firm grip. The vegetable is turned with your hand, and at the end a cap can be used to press the very last bits into the Spirelli. This product is light and hardly takes up any room in your kitchen. The combination of durable plastic and stainless steel mean that it can easily be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Using spiralised veggies in place of pasta has become trendy in the past couple of years amongst those people trying to be a little healthier and reduce their carbohydrate intake. This also makes the meal lighter and fresher. I especially like using the Spirelli to make a beautiful garnish on the side of a tray of canapes, or on individual starter plates. This can take your food presentation to the next level!

Sweet Potato Noodle Salad with Spicy Chickpeas, Feta and Herbs

An easy alternative to the ever so popular zoodles (zucchini noodles)

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbsp of your favourite spice mix (I used Ras El Hanout)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 100g of your choice of feta cheese
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Handful Coriander, parsley and mint
• Salt and Pepper

Method:

• Peel the potatoes and use a Spirelli (or vegetable spiraliser) to slice them into julienne ribbons.

• Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the sweet potato noodles and some salt and pepper. Turn the noodles every few minutes until soft, around 6-10 minutes total. Set aside.

• In the same pan, add the chickpeas and sprinkle with the spices. Drizzle over the honey and stir well to coat. Let the chickpeas darken and crisp up, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and watch they don’t burn. Add to the sweet potatoes and allow to cool.
• Chop the herbs and crumble the feta into the salad. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.