Butter & Garlic Vegetable Ribbons

When you're trying to go low-carb, you tend to fantasize about nothing but carbs.

For me, it was mostly about sauce.  Not just sauce, because most of those are diet-friendly, but the way I like sauce best when it clings in between the nooks and crannies of a silly-shaped piece of pasta or a dry, chewy, almost-stale-but-not-quite piece of baguette.  One of my absolute favorite things to do in the kitchen is make sauce - any kind, really - and it's actually been kind of hard to get into making sauce for myself and my family because I'm almost sad or depressed that I can't use it on the foods I'm used to. 

That, and honestly, the last couple weeks have absolutely exhausted me.  It's crazy how your body reacts to change.  Some people get huge bursts of energy and some get absolutely depleted.  I was the latter, no doubt.  I've noticed that the feeling of fatigue has started to dissipate in the last few days, though.  My body is learning to adapt and the weight loss and healthy lifestyle have started to affect my energy levels in a positive way, but it was rough waters there for awhile.  I think a big factor for me personally was the fact that I work night shifts.  I constantly change my sleep schedule, making it much harder for me to find a solid routine for my body to understand.

I will say that I'm already fantasizing about new clothes I want to buy. That's what a slimmer frame will do for you! Since it's winter, the most appropriate clothing is layers of thermals and knit sweaters and decorative scarves so that's likely what I'll be stocking up on.  I saw a couple ideas on Pinterest about repurposing Goodwill sweaters into cute winter accessories like leg warmers, scarves and beanies, all of which I'm hugely obsessed with right now, so I might be trying that out soon and will post whether or not that turns into an epic failure. 

I tried knitting a few months ago, based off of some Pinterest tutorials.  I even got some coworkers involved in it, but we've since given up.  It seems like something interesting to pass the time and make cool goodies, but in my neck of the woods, our only craft store is Michael's and I have not been overly impressed with their selection of yarn.  Anyone have any good intel on good supply companies?  Or some easy beginner tutorials you think might work for me?  Keep in mind that I'm rather fickle and can't keep my attention on one thing for an extended period of time...

Getting back to food, I've had these squash (squashes?) and zucchinis sitting around in my house for quite a while.  They're a product of my garden and I have used some here and there for dinner but never as the main course.  I saw this idea for making ribbon pasta and figured that it was as good a time as any to try it out.

I made this with a butter garlic sauce and it's very mild in comparison to other sauces, meaning that you can definitely detect the veggie flavor under the sauce.  I did experiment a little at the end of my dinner by chucking a little dollop of Alfredo sauce on the ribbons and it did a much better job of concealing the fact that you're not actually eating pasta.  However, I really enjoy the taste of zucchini and squash so butter and garlic was more than enough for me.

You could make this as a side or a main course if you're looking for something vegetarian.  This would also be excellent with some juicy, garlicky strips of chicken and even though I'm not a shrimp-eater, I imagine the flavors of this dish would make for a delicious scampi. 

If you're looking for something that will satisfy your craving for pasta, this is it!









Butter & Garlic Vegetable Ribbons

1 yellow summer squash
1 zucchini
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. minced white onion
2 tbsp. minced garlic
4-6 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
Grated parmesan cheese, for garnish


Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to cut squash and zucchini into thin ribbons.

Saute onions in 2 tbsp. butter in a large pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute.

Toss in the zucchini and squash and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

Pour melted butter into the pan and coat the ribbons, cooking an additional 1-2 minutes.  Add in fresh parsley and seasoning.  Toss to coat. 

Serve with freshly grated parmesan.