I had a veggie omelet for breakfast this morning. A crumble of goat cheese elevated it to the next level. Being able to create this omelet in under five minutes started me down the path of thinking about the importance of prepping ingredients ahead of time. The fact that I had a bowl of spiralized vegetables at the ready streamlined the path to a healthy breakfast.

This same bowl of vegetables aided in the creation of last night’s meatloaf. I was off Cape for the better part of the day yesterday. When I got home, it was a simple matter to add a scoop of spiralized veggies to my meatloaf mix and pop it in the oven.

Lunchtime will see a scoop added to broth for a cup of soup. Tonight, those vegetables, with the addition of mushrooms and sautéed kale, will become a Veggie Crostata.

Prepping doesn’t stop at the foot of the Spiralizer. I always wash and remove thick stems and tough outer leaves from kale, broccoli rabe, and romaine lettuce. Wrapped in slightly damp paper towels and tucked in plastic zip-lock bags, these greens will keep better and longer, and be ready for a recipe or salad at a moment’s notice.

Unless I need fresh mushrooms for something specific like a spinach salad or stuffed mushrooms, I like to clean, slice, and sauté them ahead of time. I have some in the refrigerator now that will be added to tonight’s crostata.

And then there’s bacon. I always fry a whole pound. Wrapped in a paper towel in a zip-lock bag, the bacon will keep for days, making it very easy to heat up a couple of slices for breakfast or crumble over a salad or add to a recipe.

People have asked me if the Spiralizer was just a passing fad. Actually, no. I really do use it on a regular basis. I’ll include a few recipes here that have become staples.