After a dirty week in politics (make that month – DSK, Arnie and Weiner), we need some clean food. This is about as simple as it gets – zucchini tossed with hazelnuts, cranberries and fresh mint. Add some sea salt and lemon juice and you’re done.  It’s so exquisitely fresh that it requires no oil – the hazelnuts give just a hint of fat.

I used a spiralizer to create the zucchini noodles but you could just as easily use a peeler to create flat, thin zucchini strips.  On saying that, this is my most used kitchen tool next to my Vita-mix.  It costs about $40 and is unbelievably simple to use and takes your salads to another level.  You can also create zucchini noodles and toss them in some pesto for a gluten-free “pasta” dish. I have the Paderno spiralizer.