Last month I went to a local arts and crafts fair and a woman had a cool homemade spiralizer that she made spiralized potatoes with and then put them in a huge cast iron pot of peanut oil.  It was pretty much the best fries ever.

I wanted to recreate them using the Inspiralizer and my Air Fryer, and I was so pleased with the results!

Ingredients
1 or more yukon gold (or whatever kind you like) potatoes
truffle salt (or regular salt or seasoning you like)
Spray olive oil

First, you spiralize your potato.  I used a yukon gold and was very happy with the results, but I'd say use the kind of potato you like (use a purple one!).  On the Inspiralizer, I used the setting so it has no teeth pointing out, and slices chip-like spirals.

Yummy.  As I've said before, what I love about the Inspiralizer in comparison to other spiralizers is that the center piece is so tiny that there is almost no waste (and there's no reason not to toss it in with everything else).

Spread out the spirals in the Air Fryer and spritz with oil (I used olive oil) and sprinkle with salt (I used truffle salt, because I'm fancy).  Set it to 400 for 20 minutes.

I shook and tossed the chips every 5 minutes or so, and the above picture is after 10 minutes.  I ended up cooking one batch for 20 and they got really nice and dark, and the batch pictured at the top of this post I cooked for 15.  Sample, check on it, and make a judgement based on your preference.  I also re-spritzed at 10 minutes... because it's just a spray of oil and it's still way less than fried chips so I'm not too worried about it.

I have been following Inspiralized on Instagram for a couple years after a friend suggested it to me.  Even before I had the Kitchen Gadget Vegan blog, she knew I loved my gadgets and was so right because I love it.  There are a lot of recipes are not vegan, but I love Ali's videos and demos showing how to use the spiralizer and getting other ideas of what to spiralize.  Still, I have had a spiralizer for a long time that I was happy with, and didn't feel the need to replace it.  

Stuff I've been spiralizing with my new Inspiralizer: beets, chayote (highly recommend), bell pepper, onions, butternut squash, cucumbers and carrots...

Then, during my mom's last visit we were talking about spiralizers and I was telling her about theInspiralizer and how I'd really like to get one, but I already have one. She said, "Well I've been wanting one, you could give me your old one and then you'd have an excuse to get the new one!"  You don't have to twist my arm, mom!

My comparison is based on this basic 3 blade spiralizer I've had and used for at least 5 years (And I really like this one, I'm not trying to put it down.  I'm happy to pass it on to my mom!).  

• The first feature I was looking forward to in the Inspiralizer is the way it clamps down to the surface to hold still.  My old spiralizer had little suction cups on the posts, but wasn't very effective unless I got them wet first, and even then it felt hit and miss.   So far, I'm having trouble getting good suction with the Inspiralizer until today I got the bottom just slightly wet and it clamped really well, even while spiralizing butternut squash, which is a firm veg to work with.
  
• The feature I'm happiest with in the Inspiralizer is the tiny center stabilizing hole that guides the veg (or fruit) through.  It's less than a quarter the size of my old one.  With my old spiralizer, I couldn't do carrots noodles because they were too small.  With the Inspiralizer I even made noodles with a really thin carrot!  It made great salad!
  
• The Inspiralizer has a rotating blade (with 4 options) instead of replaceable blades.  This makes it a lot easier to clean, and I love the settings.  The fettuccini-type setting is great. I made delicious butternut squash fettuccini that I never had the option for with my old spiralizer. 

Overall, I definitely see the Inspiralizer as an improvement on the older styles.  I know Ali was making spiralized veggies for a long time before developing the Inspiralizer with that knowledge.  As someone who has used various styles and been spiralizing for years too, I see the practical improvements that I look for as well.  I recommend either of these products, with my personal preference for the Inspiralizer.  I hope you try at least one of these and enjoy making veggie noodles!

There's something about classic flavors and textures to take you back to another time.  When people transition to veganism or just try to eat more plant-based meals, they often feel they have to give up a lot of flavor memories.  For a lot of people, this is what leads to giving up and returning to animal products- they want those familiar flavors.

This is a short list, of course, but here are some vegan versions of creamy cheese to top your pasta with for decadence without the animals.  If you try them, let me know how it goes in the comments!  If you want advice trying to find vegan versions of something you love, come join the conversation in the Facebook group How Can I Make This Vegan?

A lot of people say that giving up meat is okay, but what about cheese?  How does one live without cheese?  Well, it's a habit like anything else.  My personal advice it to ditch cheese first, before cutting out other animal products, because once you are over cheese the rest is gravy (I love vegan gravy).  Honestly, though, it's hard to give up animal milk cheese, and the science to prove it is now coming out that cheese has actually addictive components.  So it's not your imagination if you feel like you really are addicted to cheese!

Try these vegan recipes for a new way to find that same comfort!

Tapioca based cheese (the popular vegan cheese, Daiya, is tapioca based as well) Mozzarella Aquafaba Cheese by Avocado and Ales
​I was inspired by this recipe for the cheese in the video above.  I've been playing around with varying amounts of cashews, tapioca, water, and coconut oil with different seasonings for my perfect melty cheese, but this recipe is a great one if you don't want to experiment too much.  Great with pasta or on pizza.

Carrot and Potato Cheese like this recipe from Simple Vegan 
For a while, all the vegan world was abuzz about the magic goodness that happens when you combine cooked carrots and potatoes.  The potato starch gives this lovely gooey and creamy texture.  Try playing around with the spices to your liking, or just search Carrot Potato Cheese for other recipes.  I haven't hit a dud trying out these recipes yet!  The bonus is that they are very food allergy friendly because it's nut free (although some do call for cashews, so if you aren't nut free that's a fun addition).  But, it's nice because it's gluten-free, soy-free, and I've read in many forums that making it oil free still turns out pretty great too.  

Tofu-Based Sauce like this one from Veg Web called The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese in the Entire World.  
Honestly, this one is really good and probably my favorite.  I first had it at a vegan potluck when I first started finding my vegan community and I was blown away.  It's kind of salty and not the healthiest, but it's mac and cheese, so come on... 

The Pasta
With a little label reading, it's not hard to find vegan pasta.  Most really good pasta is just semolina flour and water.  If you are looking for healthier options, try spiralized veggies like zucchini and summer squash or roasted cauliflower cut in small florets and roasted.  These sauces are also great with broccoli on a baked potato.  Now I'm getting hungry.

If these weren't enough to get you started, here's another list of vegan mac and cheese recipes to try out!

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